For our team, reverence means to show respect to each other and to opposing teams on the field. The field hockey team is another family to each of us.  By establishing a welcoming environment and building our relationships with one another, we have created a sisterhood that supports each other.  We express our reverence for our team by putting in the hard work together, cheering on our teammates, staying positive, and picking each other up when we’re down.  Off the field, we help each other through our daily struggles of school and life, we hang out a lot, and we are present if someone needs a shoulder to cry on.

Our motto for this year is “Hakuna Matata”, which means no worries. This is to help us forget about our mistakes on the field, a bad call from the refs, or if the opposing team is getting on our last nerves. This motto stems from a tough game that we played in last year.  The whole game our opponents were rude and playing a little dirty. Some of us were frustrated, myself included, but we all just kept quiet and played on. We were the “bigger people” that game and showed them that their dis-respectfulness didn’t affect us as we won the game in overtime.  Surely, it is difficult to see our opponents as sacred because we are warriors and want to destroy our opponents to win.  In this year of Reverence, along with “Hakuna Matata”, we will remind ourselves to look at our opponents differently with even more respect.

Neumann Field Hockey not only respects our teammates, our coaches, and our chaplain, but we take pride in our field.  Our field is a sacred place where we not only improve our skills and compete but, it is where our bonds and relationships form with one another.  We recognize that each member of our team holds different strengths and weaknesses, which makes them unique.  Every member of our team, from our coaches to our chaplain to each athlete, is valued for what they bring to the table and how they can help each other grow.  This is what makes us scared.  Being reverent to all will help us be successful on and off the field.  We respect each other and we are there for each other through the good and the bad which shows strength among our team. This creates the oneness among our team.  We are one team one dream.