After kicking off their fall season, RM’s varsity field hockey team is now in full swing. This year’s captains are both seniors, marking their final year on the team. Over the course of four seasons, the girls have been there for every triumph and loss the team has faced over the years. Now through their role as captains, they are experiencing field hockey in a new light.

“I love being captain. Being a leader of the team has helped me become more involved and pushed me to work harder,” senior and Captain Reese West said. “I love planning team bonding, encouraging my teammates as well as collaborating with my co-captains about game strategies and how to get the best out of the team.”

This season, the team has their eyes set on winning. Captains West and Davanee McNairy are striving towards this goal. 

“I think the team is trying very hard this year,” senior and Captain Davanee McNairy said. “We’re trying really hard to win, and we’re really amped up to try to make it far in the playoffs.” 

The captains have determined that a key aspect of building a successful team is the players’ dynamics with one another. After four years, the team is closer than ever. 

“This year the team is a lot more close knit. There have always been cliques of some sort and this year the team feels really open and inviting,” West said. “I really enjoy talking to everyone and having a big sisterhood.”

The girls’ efforts proved successful for their first two games, winning against Wootton and Poolesville high schools. 

“It was exciting,” McNairy said. “It’s always nice to start the season off with a bang instead of losing, and it kind of gets everyone pumped up for our upcoming games.”

Occasionally, with wins also comes losses. However, the team tries to stay optimistic amidst challenging times. 

“We deal with losses by working harder. We talk about what went wrong and what strategies we should use to improve those things in practice. Then, we apply them and get better,” West said. “Most importantly, we don’t give up on ourselves. We fight to the end of games and we will fight until the end of the season to win.”

The team has their entire season ahead of them. They are scheduled to play against Magruder, Churchill, Bethesda Chevy-Chase, Clarksburg, Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Kennedy high schools later this season.

While progressing into their final season, the captains remember to reminisce on their previous years on the team. Through their experience, McNairy and West have gained perspective that they have passed on to junior varsity players through some words of wisdom. 

“Work hard at practice, follow directions, and have fun,” McNairy said.