By Mary Katherine Brost

Throughout the past century, the sport of field hockey has changed in high school, college, and professional areas. After Constance M.K. Applebee brought field hockey to the United States in 1901 from England, Field hockey has paved the way for the success of many women and helped expand women’s rights and roles. Applebee taught young women all around the United States and visited colleges and high schools, even visiting Collegiate and introduced Cougars to the sport. She was a strong advocate for the expansion of women in sports, writing and editing for the magazine Sportswoman, which publicized women’s involvement in athletics. Applebee believed that everyone, no matter gender, should be able to participate in sports. She was inducted into the Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 for her contributions to not only field hockey, but other sports, such as lacrosse and basketball.

Constance Applebee. Photo credit: Bryn Mawr College via Wikimedia Commons. 

Field hockey’s origins can be linked back to Greece, Egypt, and Persia, but it was developed in the United Kingdom in the 19th century. Applebee brought it to the United States and educated women at colleges such as Bryn Mawr, Vassar, Wellesley, Holyoke, and Radcliffe. From then on, the sport grew to be played in high schools and clubs. 

High school field hockey continues to grow throughout the country and within the Collegiate community. Collegiate’s field hockey program was led by Karen Doxey for over 30 years. She served as head coach for both field hockey and lacrosse, along with being the Athletic Director. Doxey also led the youth field hockey program Talley Ho. Once a week, she coached 3rd-6th grade girls the necessary skills and fundamentals. As the varsity coach, she coached me, my mother Jennifer Brost (‘91), and my sister Hallie Brost (‘21).  

Doxey’s impact continues throughout Collegiate, even after her retirement. The turf field at Robins Campus was recently named Karen Doxey Field in her honor. Current player Heidi Albrecht (‘24) explained that “Although I only had Coach Doxey for one year, her coaching style and ability to motivate the team was something I will forever cherish. I love how she continues to come to most of our games and sends encouraging messages, which makes me feel like she is still a part of my field hockey career.” 

Karen Doxey coaching varsity field hockey. Photo courtesy of Collegiate School.

Hallie Brost, who plays Division I college field hockey at The Ohio State University, was coached by Doxey for five years as a varsity player. She remarked that “Coach Doxey has had a huge impact on me and my field hockey career since I was little. I began playing for her at the varsity level in 8th Grade, and was able to learn not only amazing things about field hockey but also so many life lessons, that I truly believe has helped me tremendously during my time playing in college. She shaped me as an athlete and a field hockey player, and I’m eternally grateful for the impact she has had on my life.” 

Collegiate’s current field hockey team has been consistently strong recently. Over the past decade, the team has earned three League of Independent School (LIS) championships and two VISAA State Championships. One of the key players on the team for the past five years is Senior Callie Rogers (‘24). She was named All-Metro Player of the Year and VISSA State Player of the Year in 2022. When reflecting on her time as a Collegiate field hockey player, she said, “I loved getting the opportunity to bond with older and younger girls during my five years. I have learned so much about being a part of a team and competing at a high level. I know my time playing Collegiate field hockey has prepared me well for the next four years.” 

On June 15, 2022, Rogers was able to start talking to college coaches. The college recruiting process tends to be stressful, but she explained that “it was really fun and great to have an amazing support system from my parents and coaches.” After visiting several colleges and discussing with her parents and coaches, Rogers decided that University of Maryland was the best fit. 

Rogers also competes on the U18 United States National Team. She explained that “practices and games are really intense, but I also enjoyed building amazing connections with people on my team who come from all over the country.” This past January she traveled to Amsterdam to compete against the U16 Dutch team, the U18 Belgium team, U18 Germany team, and a U18 Dutch club team. Rogers explained that her time in the Netherlands was “really fun, and I loved seeing a country that values field hockey so much.” 

The US Women’s and Men’s national teams have struggled in the past to compete with countries such as the Netherlands and India. In Europe and India, field hockey is much more popular than in the US. In the US, the majority of field hockey players are women, but internationally it is popular among men as well. The US Men’s national team’s lack of success is due to the limited options for men to play, since most high schools, colleges, and clubs do not have men’s teams. Certain college teams allow for men to practice with them, but due to NCAA rules, they are not allowed to participate in games. For example, Liberty University has previously had men practice with their team.

USA Women’s Field Hockey team in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Photo credit: Tom Page via flickr. 

Men who play field hockey in the US typically go overseas to compete in European and Australian professional teams. Unfortunately, both the US women’s and men’s national teams have not had major success in the Field Hockey World Cup or Olympics. The men have never qualified for a World Cup and have not qualified for the Olympics since 1996. The women’s team’s best finish in both the World Cup and Olympics was third place, but both occurred more than 20 years ago. Currently, the women’s team is trying to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and have to place top three in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers. 

The jump from high school field hockey to college is challenging for everyone, no matter the skill or talent. College teams are much more intense, with longer practices, more conditioning, and participating is overall more time-consuming. Hallie explained that “College and high school are completely different worlds when it comes to sports.” One of the most drastic changes is the schedule. In high school, you typically only play for two hours each day after school, while in college your entire social and school life is dominated by the sport. Hallie says that, “At Ohio State, we are usually at the facility an hour before practice for treatment and an hour after. So for me, I am usually practicing from 7-12 everyday.” 

College field hockey throughout the years has seen a number of national champions and powerhouses. In the 1980s and 1990s, Old Dominion University was the team to beat. After winning the national championship from 1982-84 and from 1990-1992, they were one of the only teams to win three straight consecutive titles twice. While ODU dominated in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, they have not been as successful in the more recent years. Teams like University of North Carolina and University of Maryland have taken over and dominated the ACC and Big Ten.  

In January, former UNC Chapel Hill field hockey player Erin Matson was named head coach of UNC’s team, after only graduating from Chapel Hill in December 2022. At 23, she is currently the youngest college coach in the country. Matson is a four-time national champion, five-time Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champion, three-time recipient of the Honda Sports Award, five-time ACC Offensive player of the year, and a three time captain for the Tar Heels. She is one of the most decorated collegiate athletes of all time. At 16 years old, Matson was also the youngest player to join the United States National Field Hockey Team. 

Matson succeeds the winningest coach in UNC Chapel Hill history, Karen Shelton. Shelton coached at UNC Chapel Hill for 42 years and won 10 national championships, along with 25 ACC championships. She was also named to the NFHCA hall of fame in 1989 for her time as a player and in 2008 as a coach. In 2018, the UNC field hockey team moved into their new facility, named Karen Shelton Stadium. 

The decision to hire Matson was seen as questionable. Was she too young? Could she be just as good of a coach as she was a player? She already seems to be proving herself, as the 2023 season went quite well for the new coach. Her first win as a head coach was against a talented Michigan team that came off of a Big Ten Championship in 2022. On November 3, Matson and her team won their seventh straight ACC championship, defeating top ten ranked Duke University. After being the number one seed in the NCAA tournament, the Tar Heels made it to the championship after beating University of Virginia in the final four. For the second year in a row, they played Northwestern University in the final. With an intense championship game, going into double overtime and shootouts, UNC won its 11th national title on Sun., Nov. 19, and Matson earned her first as a head coach.    

2023 Collegiate varsity field hockey team. Photo by Collegiate School.

Both college and high school field hockey have captivated and interested me from a young age. I grew up surrounded by the sport, as my mother played in high school, and my sister continues to play in college. I began playing for Collegiate in 7th Grade and have continued through my Senior year. I love both playing the game and watching it. The opportunity to watch my sister play for Ohio State every Friday and Sunday in the fall has been an amazing experience. My coaches and teammates have made my time as a player truly unforgettable. Collegiate field hockey has given me a home for the past seven years, and I will miss every second of it next year. Although I will not be playing in college next year, I hope to play club and stay tuned into different college games. 

Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons user NaBUru38.