From tap shoes to cleats, the moment senior Caitlyn Mahoney picked up a field hockey stick and hit the field, she fell in love with the sport. After years of dedication and training for the sport, Mahoney has developed passion and dedication for field hockey, and after years of training, she will attend St. John Fisher University this fall to play field hockey at the D3 level.

Prior to field hockey, Mahoney had 10 years of dance experience under her belt, but she wanted a change. Thus, she began playing on the field in the fall of sixth grade for Stony Brook Middle School’s team, and everything after that was history.

“When I came to the realization that I wanted to play field hockey in college, I knew that I wanted to play at the varsity level and not just for the school’s club,” Mahoney said.

After her first season, Mahoney began playing for Strikers Field Hockey, a club located in Acton. She was a part of the team until her high school career when she transferred to Northeast Elite, where she trains year-round for the sport. Mahoney mentioned that being a part of Northeast Elite gave her more opportunities to meet with college coaches and recruiters.

“My head coach helped me a lot through the recruiting process,” Mahoney said. “I also ended up reaching out to other coaches by sending out my game highlights, but SJFU ended up reaching out to me from one of the tournaments I played in during my sophomore year.”

Mahoney traveled across the east coast to states such as Florida, Virginia, and Pennsylvania during her time in high school to play in field hockey tournaments. These tournaments are an immense time commitment, however, Mahoney found balancing her school work and field hockey commitments manageable. Additionally, days when she had games, Mahoney was able to focus more in class because she understood time management was crucial.

Many student athletes begin the recruiting process early in their high school career, but Mahoney never knew she wanted to play at the collegiate level until the end of her sophomore year. That year, Mahoney had made the varsity team and was a starter towards the end of the season. While this was one of the many accomplishments of Mahoney’s, the athlete finds pride in the “little things”.

“In my time as a field hockey player, I’ve found my successes in the little things,” Mahoney said. “Times where I’ve made a good pass or doing a newly-learned skill correctly honestly makes me proud because those little things add up to my athletic goals.”

Nearly 24% of the students who attend SJFU participate in the school’s athletics program. This means there are many opportunities and activities for students to get involved in, whether it be playing on the field or simply rooting for their peers. Mahoney is excited to experience the school spirit in addition to her academics.

“I’m excited because college is full of opportunities and creating new memories,” Mahoney said. “It’s a scary time but I’m excited to meet new people from both my classes and the team.”

Moreover, Mahoney credits much of her success to her mom. As both a role model and her number one supporter, Mahoney’s mom pushes her to her limits and to be the best person she can be, both on and off the field.

“My mom has run so many marathons and has done around five Ironman Triathlons,” Mahoney said. “She constantly motivates me to get outside and train even on days when I don’t have practice. She really pushes me to my best potential and overall the best person I can be.”

Mahoney will extremely miss the WA community from the team to coaches to even her peers in class. Furthermore, Mahoney mentioned her gratefulness for the WA coaches, especially for Girls’ Field Hockey Coach Sara Blomgren and their close relationship.

“I’ll definitely miss the WA staff, especially Mrs. Blomgren,” Mahoney said. “Teachers here are always so welcoming and open to creating close relationships with their students and that really makes an impact on my life. Especially with athletics, teachers are very understanding when it comes to extra help sessions before or after school or just connecting with students deeper than an academic level.”

For aspiring student-athletes hoping to continue playing at the collegiate level, Mahoney advises to be open to the unknown, especially as opportunities may arise that one may never expect.

“Keep an open mind,” Mahoney said. “Having a narrow mindset for anything in life only closes opportunities rather than opening them. This can be applied to schools or any other life experiences one may face.”