Co-ed Chaos on the Field Hockey Pitch 1

29 June 2023Carla Wengeler, Alexandra ‘24

Field Hockey is a girls’ sport in the first term. However, in the Spring, we offer a co-ed team that plays in the Duncan league once a week and meets regularly on the turf for practice.

In the beginning, boys were skeptical since it seemed that only girls would play – and they might have been a little scared that they would not be as good as the girls – but some brave boys signed up and started practicing regularly: we soon had seven boys who discovered their passion for field hockey.

Every Wednesday we played in the league. Initially, it looked more like some energetic and confused players running around on a field – before actually knowing the game – but after some practices, the team got closer, and better – we quickly progressed.

Considering our opponents had players that grew up playing field hockey and we were a diverse mix, we battled really well. Although we did not win every game, we learned and laughed together: the water turf was really slippery and a lot of players fell over other people’s sticks or even over their own feet, which looked like a scene for a Mr Bean episode.

Co-ed field hockey worked out really well: none of the girls felt overwhelmed by the boys. In fact, though the boys were first restrained, they got braver each game and, at the end, did not hesitate to battle with the girls.

It was a unique experience: everyone stepped out of their comfort zone to try at least one new position – which led to chaotic fun. Goalkeeping was especially difficult – it is like being a human piñata, except instead of candy, one gets pelted with a hard ball.

So, if you’re looking for a sport that combines laughter, athleticism, and boys & girls, then co-ed field hockey should be your choice for next Spring. You will run around under the sound of Mrs Whitney’s whistle and, thanks to her great leadership, succeed.

Carla Wengeler, Alexandra ‘24

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