Sag Harbor, NY: Pierson/Bridgehampton Varsity Field Hockey Team the NYS Class C 2013 Champions…More than Just a Game To Me

There are many significant moments we live in our lives that we remember. Our 16^th birthday party, our first kiss, the birth of a child, the death of a parent…. a championship game. Our children don’t know it yet because they don’t have the benefit of hindsight but this championship game will be with them for the rest of their lives. For some, it will help to define them as winners. For others it will show them what can be accomplished with hard work and teamwork. Both good lessons that will further their individual pursuits, as they get older.

My take is somewhat different. To me, there is NOTHING as good as team sports. Seeing your teammates in their team sports uniforms invokes such a feeling of unity. If your child is interested and you have the time (what a novel idea) please encourage them to join a sports team. The lessons learned are endless. The inside jokes, the special nod of a head, the telepathy, the bonding of lifelong friendships. These are the things that will move forward, the things that will last. Who knows where it will take them in the future, maybe onto a professional career themselves in hockey, football, rugby, etc. and you’ll be buying their merchandise online, whether that be the carlton merchandise or the Adelaide crows merchandise, who knows what will happen but getting them started is giving them something to think about.

We often celebrate the captain of the team and the star players. We see them with the ball, in their hand, the bat, the ‘SPEAR’ in their hands and admire their ability to rise above the moment and seize the opportunity to make the big play and win the game. We are in awe of the great coaching and understand that we don’t always know as spectators what is best for the team. The Lady Whalers are blessed to have a few really good players and some great players and it showed on Saturday and Sunday night, November 16th and 17th 2013. We marvel at their resolve.

I want to talk about the team. What we don’t see are the countless hours of practice and rehearsal that goes into making the big play. The repetition, the struggle the ‘bench players’ that push the stars to greatness. I was so excited to watch the young ladies overcome the bad calls, the physical play of very worthy opponents to win but it doesn’t occur without the winning DNA that this TEAM has within their collective body. I am excited for our seniors, for their grit and determination and magnificent play. But they learned it somewhere. Three years ago as many of you know well, Pierson lost an opportunity for a championship to this very same team in a double overtime thriller. This current victory was forged through that loss. The team alumni that lost that game came out to watch and cheer the current team on. Some of today’s stars were on the bench when Pierson lost in 2010.

So I say to everyone, look to the end of the bench and peer into the future. We cannot tell who will be the next star to rise to the occasion to carry the team to victory. What we do know is this. The character of this team was revealed through the struggle. It isn’t what you do when things are going well that says who you are, its how you respond when things go their worst that determines who you are and what you will be. The DNA of the Lady Whalers Field Hockey team is filled with pride, strength, skill, determination, grit and excellence. This DNA runs deep and I am very hopeful for the future. Get your kids to join a team and let their winning DNA improve the fortunes of that team! Go Whalers!

Check out the Winning Goal and Goalie’s cartwheel….So very funny!