Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Field Hockey Barbados Trip Final Update
5/29/2008 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
May 29, 2008
BARBADOS FINAL REPORT (from the perspective of Head Coach Heather Lewis)
It's hard to imagine that we're all back safe and sound from this program's first ever foreign tour. We, along with our entire luggage, arrived safely at the Philadelphia Airport on Tuesday night to a warm greeting of parents meeting their daughters. My goal when we left on May 20th was "21 out and 21 back"...meaning, I wanted to take 21 travelers on a safe and memorable trip and return safely and without incident with 21 travelers. And, I'm quite pleased to say I accomplished this goal.
Now that I've had time to recover from our 18 hour travel day on Tuesday and get a couple of days rest, I find myself thinking back on the trip and all of its happenings. First, on the "hockey front", this team capped off their 8 day, 7 night journey playing OUTSTANDING hockey. In an earlier report we talked of a difficult 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Barbados Junior Nationals. Well, I'm pleased to tell you we came back and beat the Junior Nationals by a margin of 5-0 in our final game. We had four different scorers with Amanda Faust leading the way with two goals. Our first goal was a direct penalty corner by Faust off an assist from Corinne Raczek. Shortly thereafter our second goal came at the hands of Kelly Bruvik off a nice feed from Megan Krebs. To finish off our first-half scoring, Austin Thomas put back a rebound for an unassisted goal and a halftime lead of 3-0. Entering the second half we were committed to playing our same style of hockey and finished with two goals by Trina Boyer (a rebound off a penalty corner save) and the final goal again by Faust, this time assisted by Krebs. Jessie Atieh had limited action in the game but did make a few saves to ensure our shutout. All in all, this team played some terrific hockey and their familiarity and comfort level on the field was never so obvious than in that final game. As I told the team upon our arrival in Philadelphia, "this was not the end of our spring season...this was the START to our '08 season and what a fine start it was!"
Off the field I was able to learn about this team and their individual personalities on a level I wasn't quite prepared for. In thinking back on the journey, I have a few memories I'd like to share:
· We have quite a few talented dancers capable of holding their own to the Bajan rhythm but not too shabby when it comes to good ole fashioned disco music!
· This team was not shy about engaging themselves in the Bajan culture and interacting with the native Bajans.
· This team is very unselfish on the field and it matters not who gets the credit, it matters more that Bucknell University gets the credit.
· I watched a few of our athletes overcome tremendous fears about the ocean and dive head first into the crystal clear sea to snorkel around a shipwreck and swim with the turtles. Needless to say I was VERY PROUD of each of them to overcome those fears!
· I got accustomed to seeing one of our athletes (Corinne Raczek) work on her "core" in the most random places...the airport floor, on a lounge chair at the beach.
· Mostly though, I spent 7 nights and 8 days with 20 other folks who made me smile every day and just laughed their way through each experience.
All in all, this trip far exceeded all of my expectations. I feel fortunate to have shared this journey with this group and feel confident we have laid a foundation that will prove vital to our success in 2008.
In conclusion there are a few folks I must thank. First and foremost, THANK YOU to every person whose donation made this trip a reality. Without your unconditional support we would never have made a lifetime memory possible! Secondly, thank you to our tour reps in Barbados - Julian & Louise - that were so valuable in helping us manage the Bajan roadways and lifestyle! Third, I'd like to thank Tiffany Thompson (trainer) and Barb Dugan (equipment manager) who were invaluable to us. Tiffany thanks for helping with those difficult sea urchin injuries and Barb you're the best for having handled the challenge of getting our uniforms done. To Michelle and Melly, my wonderful assistants, you made this experience that much more enjoyable as I laughed my way through each day watching you two! And finally, I want to THANK my team - you were so much fun, so responsible and fabulous ambassadors for Bucknell University and its field hockey program. Remember, our boat ride has just started and we now know our potential to reach a destination that can match the beauty of Barbados!
