Observations

During the months of October and November of 2018, I conducted ethnographic research about the Fairfield University Club Field Hockey Team. The club consists of 25 members who ideally practice twice a week and plays one or two games during the weekend. The club is proud to be a part of the National Field Hockey League (NFHL) and eligible to play games against other recognized universities. The group’s main goal is to maintain its membership in the organization for many years to come and to improve with every season. On top of that, the club team is a supportive team that is full of dedicated players looking for improvement everyday.

As a member of the team, my first impression was that the environment is relaxed and the players are happy to be there. The club field hockey team at Fairfield University is a laid back, yet competitive team that competes at intense levels of field hockey. The team is extremely supportive of each other and they are a tight knit team. It took some time for everyone to feel completely comfortable joining the team, especially for the freshmen. The reason being that freshmen were asked to join the team only two weeks after their arrival which is hard to do

because first years do not know a lot of people. Practices and games are a big social event as well where teammates are always seen laughing and smiling and catching up with each other. Thankfully the club is not super competitive and the practices are more relaxed. The games are competitive in that we want to win, however, losing a game doesn’t completely destroy our mood. Everyone always tries their best and the team consistently has each others backs.

I also observed that the team is all girls and one boy. Most teams that we have played against have had at least one boy which was new to me because I’ve never seen a guy play field hockey before. In America, it is very uncommon for males to play the sport however in other countries the sport is dominated by males. Field Hockey BC states, “Field hockey has been a men’s Olympic sport since the 1908 Olympic Games in London. The women’s game is a recent addition, first recognized at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Field Hockey stages both a men’s and women’s World Cup as well as competitions at other International Games including the Commonwealth Games” (Field Hockey BC). Surprisingly, men who played field hockey had the ability to compete in the Olympics for 70 years prior to when women’s field hockey was introduced. The statement emphasizes the point that the sport is popular for both men and women and how men were the first to play at the most competitive level.

What is unique about the club is that the team plays and practices without a coach. The practices are entirely up to the leaders on the team who hold authority positions as President, Vice President, and Secretary. The practices are also made up by the leaders and the drills are led by them as well. The leaders mainly focus their practices on improving skill work and just staying loose and in shape for the games, where many coaches run more intense practices with excessive running and intensified drills. The leaders are responsible for contacting the opponent schools and head sports faculty here at Fairfield to ensure the games are tournaments run smoothly, whether that be finding good referees, having enough balls on each side and much more.

In addition, I also had to conduct an interview with a member of the team to gather more research. I decided to choose a freshmen on the team so she would be able to discuss the transition from high school field hockey to college field hockey. I asked her several questions however a question I found the most interesting was, “what do you like and dislike about not having a coach?” She answered with, “it was nice not having a coach because it was a little more relaxed and laid back. However, it became a little more disorganized with the practices and the drills we did” (Lundquist). Since players ran the practices, it did in fact become disorganized at times since they were not trained to coach or were not prepared for practice. However, it made the practices more fun because the drills weren’t as fast or competitive.

Unfortunately the team did not get to practice very much this season. The weather was not on our favor very often and the field did not have lights so as it started getting darker earlier, the practices got cut shorter and shorter. It can also be difficult to coordinate practices with the Varsity level field hockey team. The reason being that the D1 team takes priority of the fields and they have a very vigorous schedule. The club team only gets the field Mondays when the varsity team has off or once everyone's classes are done and varsity is done for the day. For the club team, the average ideal week would consist of a two hour practice on Monday, and practices starting at six until it gets too dark to play on Wednesdays. On the weekends, there is typically a game or a round robin tournament. A round robin tournament is typically when three teams compete against each other. Although the season officially ended in November, the Stags will continue during the spring.

The team played about 10 games during the fall season. All of the games were home at Fairfield University and the team never had to travel to play. The team played local schools such as Sacred Heart University and The University of New Haven however many schools traveled far distances to play Fairfield such as Boston College, University of Rhode Island and The University of Vermont. The games are competitive yet also laid back, keeping in mind that club sports were designed for students to have fun playing without dedicating themselves to a D1 program. Because the team is apart of the National Field Hockey League (NFHL), it grants the ability to qualify to play in the Nationals tournament held every year. Unfortunately Fairfield did not qualify for the tournament this year, but its future looks bright.

The club also helps athletes develop sportsmanship and teamwork. The club improves teamwork abilities by showing that it takes everyone’s contribution in order to get down the field, score a goal and win the game. These skills are skills that people can only develop over time and with lots of experience. By being a part of this club sport it helped build my character and increased my confidence as well. Just knowing that my teammates will have my back and will congratulate everyone on a job well done creates a positive atmosphere. Likewise, being apart of a sports team already creates an image for an individual. A student athlete demonstrates that they are hardworking and have a sense of commitment. It also shows a sense of discipline in how everyone must follow the practice and game schedule and plan accordingly. Likewise, it shows a sense of drive as they have that passion to improve everyday.

First year students at Fairfield who join a sports club seem to have an easier transition than those who do not participate in anything. Coming into a completely unfamiliar school surrounded by strangers was absolutely terrifying. I feel that joining this team made me adapt faster due to the people I have met and feeling happy playing the sport that I love. Additionally, the Villanovan published, “If students add club sports to their schedules, they will have a higher sense of structure in their daily lives. They’ll know when their practices, games and meets are, which force them to work productively when they have free time” (DePiero). College freshmen have the ability to structure their time, unlike in high school. All this extra time, can make it difficult for freshmen to complete their homework and study when necessary because they are not used to so much down time. Joining a sport forces students to develop better time management skills which makes transitioning much easier.

I feel that the field hockey club contributes to the overall community of Fairfield University in many ways. For example, it brings people with common interests together and develops a close bond between players of all grades. It also allows people to play the sport they love without having to commit to a varsity D1 program. On the other hand, I have always been a part of different sports teams throughout my life and I believe that being a part of a team is a crucial thing to experience. It is when working with a team where people develop the art of communication and learn the ability to collaborate with other people which are necessary skills for life. Since Fairfield has a big athletic atmosphere, the club fits in perfectly and gives students a great opportunity to play a fantastic sport.