Sports are all about chemistry. Players have to have a special bond with their teammates to succeed. The Kinkaid varsity girls’ field hockey team shares this unique, special bond with one another, strengthening their on-field success.
The 22-person team had the opportunity to travel to Pennsylvania this fall to compete among the best high school field hockey teams in the country.
“The trip definitely helped with our team bonding, and we learned a lot from our games played, and it taught us how we need to show up to every game no matter what,” sophomore Grace Essalih said.
Kinkaid Field Hockey achieved a top 25 ranking in the country, according to MAX Field Hockey. The Falcons had to keep that ranking in mind, carrying it with pride, which led them to a season in which they went undefeated in regular season conference play.
Their season ended with a loss to rival St. John’s in the Southwest Preparatory Conference Championship.
“It was really cool to be on a nationally ranked team since you get to have teammates that are going to high-level universities,” junior Caroline Swanson said.
Swanson’s teammates have committed to universities like the University of Virginia and Pennsylvania State University.
The students on the team also bond through traditions and having fun with each other, even when it has nothing to do with field hockey.
“Everybody loves each other on our team,” Essalih said. “A fun tradition we always do is pregame dancing in the locker room to get us hyped up.”
The team’s relationship with each other was thanks to the fact that many players on the team also play together as part of the Texas Pride Field Hockey Club. Pride has produced plenty of great players, who often end up attending Kinkaid as well as rivals such as Episcopal and St. John’s. The club also facilitates many students’ college commitments and allows them to compete at a national level in states like Virginia and North Carolina.
