After a Mid-American Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, Neil Macmillan’s field hockey squad has entered the summer looking to reload and defend their title next fall.
With a shortened summer because of the quarter-to-semester transition, Macmillan feels he’s not in a position to make his team come down to Athens and train as a whole. He let them go their separate ways, but that doesn’t mean the players are taking the summer off.
“We have a few more than usual in summer school this year,” Macmillan said. “And those who aren’t down here have gotten jobs and are working (field hockey) camps back home.”
Senior Andrea Biegalski has stayed in Athens over the summer, taking an accounting class and training with the other members who have elected to remain on campus.
The team has morning and evening workouts every day, working to build up strength and stay loose before regular season play begins in August.
“I’ve been trying to switch up my workouts and always keep my body guessing,” Biegalski said. “It’s also great to just be on the field, just practicing and sharpening my stick skills.”
Biegalski is looking forward to seeing how the team is shaping up in early August, as the freshmen join the squad and begin training with the upperclassmen.
“It’ll be great to catch up with the girls and see how summer has been going,” she said. “I’m just looking forward to prepping for another big year in the MAC.”
But while his team has been taking jobs and summer classes, Macmillan has taken a slightly different approach to his summer.
Macmillan joined the Army Golden Knights and jumped out of a plane at 13,000 feet in what he called the most exhilarating moment of his life.
“The first five seconds were filled with ‘holy beep’ moments,” Macmillan said. “And then after that, you’re just like, ‘Wow, wow, wow.’ ”
The opportunity to skydive came by chance, as a spot opened late in a birthday celebration for a Reserve Officer Training Corps member. The coach didn’t regret his opportunity.
“I’m not a fan of rollercoasters because of the twists and the turns,” Macmillan said. “But this was completely different. It was a pure rush the whole time.”
The chance wouldn’t have become possible without the relationship the field hockey team has with the ROTC chapter at OU.
In June, Macmillan surprised his team by combining forces with the ROTC for a joint workout.
His field hockey team was put through a combat readiness training program. They were also put through the ROTC’s fitness test, which included push-ups, sit-ups, and an obstacle course.
When that was completed, the team taught the cadets how to play field hockey and engaged in a scrimmage at the end of the practice.
“We’ve developed a good rapport with them as we share the same practice area,” Macmillan said. “This was a good experience for our team and we learned some really great lessons that stretch beyond the field.”
ch203310@ohiou.edu
