Spring Break
Club field hockey team set to debut
Brett Fischer
Issue date: 10/10/08 Section: Sports
If you are wondering why it's hard to pinpoint the last time there was a club field hockey team at Drexel, there is a pretty good explanation for it - and that's because there never was one - until now.
According to various sources, for the first time in school history, Drexel has a co-ed club field hockey team.
Alisha Strayer, the president, coach and captain of the club team, said it was very difficult starting up the club team due to a few problems.
"Right now, the hardest thing for me is getting the funding process completed and being a recognized team because you can't be a team without an advisor," Strayer said. "But there was a glitch in the process so we weren't a recognized team until last week. You can't apply for funding until you're recognized and I'm running around with my head cut off trying to find money and get everything in order."
Strayer said Nicky Hitchens, the associate coach for the women's varsity field hockey team, made it a much more manageable situation and has been instrumental in helping her start the club.
"She has been fantastic," Strayer said. "She's gone out of her way to help us in more ways than one."
The biggest problem Strayer faced, she said, was trying to put a team together and acquire enough interested individuals.
"I tried to recruit guys and girls starting from the end of winter term to now," Strayer said. "It was really difficult because everyone wanted to sign up and play, but no one showed that they were committed to start the team. If you don't have enough committed individuals, you won't have enough players."
Despite facing challenges recruiting, Strayer has recruited a large number of people so far. Over 60 people signed up to play and the list was eventually cut down to 40. She even recruited two men who are new to field hockey.
"I'm really excited because we have two guys on the team who have never played before," Strayer said. "Usually guys don't want to join because they think it's a girl's sport, but they joined and are enthusiastic."
In the United States, field hockey is predominantly a female sport, but outside of the country, it is a male dominated sport. In other countries, they let women play in the men's leagues, but they do not let men play in the women's leagues in the U.S.
Drexel doesn't have a men's varsity field hockey team, but does have a women's varsity field hockey team, which is ranked 17th in the country.
The first game of the season is Oct. 11 against Rowan and Penn State at Vidas Field. The club field hockey team expects it to be a very difficult challenge because Penn State has had several people try out for varsity. If they don't make the team, they often drop down and play for the club team instead.
But compared to going through the difficult process of becoming the University's first ever club field hockey team, having a great year should be an easy task.
According to various sources, for the first time in school history, Drexel has a co-ed club field hockey team.
Alisha Strayer, the president, coach and captain of the club team, said it was very difficult starting up the club team due to a few problems.
"Right now, the hardest thing for me is getting the funding process completed and being a recognized team because you can't be a team without an advisor," Strayer said. "But there was a glitch in the process so we weren't a recognized team until last week. You can't apply for funding until you're recognized and I'm running around with my head cut off trying to find money and get everything in order."
Strayer said Nicky Hitchens, the associate coach for the women's varsity field hockey team, made it a much more manageable situation and has been instrumental in helping her start the club.
"She has been fantastic," Strayer said. "She's gone out of her way to help us in more ways than one."
The biggest problem Strayer faced, she said, was trying to put a team together and acquire enough interested individuals.
"I tried to recruit guys and girls starting from the end of winter term to now," Strayer said. "It was really difficult because everyone wanted to sign up and play, but no one showed that they were committed to start the team. If you don't have enough committed individuals, you won't have enough players."
Despite facing challenges recruiting, Strayer has recruited a large number of people so far. Over 60 people signed up to play and the list was eventually cut down to 40. She even recruited two men who are new to field hockey.
"I'm really excited because we have two guys on the team who have never played before," Strayer said. "Usually guys don't want to join because they think it's a girl's sport, but they joined and are enthusiastic."
In the United States, field hockey is predominantly a female sport, but outside of the country, it is a male dominated sport. In other countries, they let women play in the men's leagues, but they do not let men play in the women's leagues in the U.S.
Drexel doesn't have a men's varsity field hockey team, but does have a women's varsity field hockey team, which is ranked 17th in the country.
The first game of the season is Oct. 11 against Rowan and Penn State at Vidas Field. The club field hockey team expects it to be a very difficult challenge because Penn State has had several people try out for varsity. If they don't make the team, they often drop down and play for the club team instead.
But compared to going through the difficult process of becoming the University's first ever club field hockey team, having a great year should be an easy task.
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