Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Jay Spivey

For the Clemmons Courier

CLEMMONS — Things can only get better for the West Forsyth field-hockey team this season.  

Last season, the Titans finished 0-16 overall and 0-6 in the N.C. Field Hockey Association Central West division. 

According to third-year Coach Ann Marie Westmoreland, the winds of change are already in the air through the first couple weeks of practice. 

“This year has definitely been different already,” she said. “Their camaraderie, as far as the seniors, to the freshmen, is just night and day.” 

Much of the difference is coming from the younger players.  

“We’ve had two of the freshmen come out for the first time (in early August),” Westmoreland said. “And I mean I had two seniors just go and take them under their wing and teach them. I was helping somebody else and they said, ‘Hey, let’s go over here. This is what she means by a push pass. This is what she means by this.’ 

“And then I went over and, you know, fine-tuned a little bit of what they were doing. So, when I looked over and saw that that made me feel really good.” 

According to Westmoreland, West Forsyth lost seven or eight players to graduation. One change this season is there will be no JV team. 

“I think I have seven seniors, five juniors, five sophomores, and four freshmen.” Westmoreland said. “(Our numbers) are very good. We are only going to have one team this year, so it’ll just be varsity. And everybody is on it.” 

The increased numbers should help, no matter the circumstance. 

“Last year, there was a lot of injuries,” Westmoreland said. “And I had to pull girls up from JV, which made my JV numbers low. Like we played a specific team and they had to play 7 v. 7. And that, as a freshman, or as girls who haven’t played a lot, that’s a really big field to play only seven girls and then have like one sub. 

“So, I kind of built my team this year as one team. We’re going to have a lot of subs, which is really exciting. So, we’ll be able to have fresh legs every now and then when the girls get tired.” 

For some of the players who are a little more inexperienced, it should pay off for the Titans in the long run. 

“If we had more seniors or more juniors or more girls that were more experienced, we definitely would have two teams, which would give the freshmen and sophomores or girls who aren’t as experienced more play,” Westmoreland said. “But I feel like the ones who aren’t as experienced, you know them being on varsity, this is the throwing them into the fire.  

“It’s like, ‘Here’s what you’ve got to do and you’ve got to keep up. You’ve got to get your skills down.” 

Westmoreland has asked the team to learn from others. 

“We work at practice, but I also encourage them very strongly to go to a local college team and watch them play,” she said. “More recently, watch the Olympics. They are crazy-good. So, we’re not there, yet. I encourage them to go watch YouTube videos on just simple field-hockey beginner skills.  

“I encourage them very strongly to practice by themselves, practice some on the weekends, run on the weekends. These girls, some of them haven’t ran since last season. And they can tell.” 

Westmoreland anticipates scoring from junior Reese Stephens, who also plays lacrosse at West Forsyth.  

“She kind of has that sports mentality,” Westmoreland said. “She’s got the, she looks up so she can see where her teammates are. But she’s quick and she can get the ball up the field.” 

Other players will have to step up.  

“That’s one thing that we have pushed these girls is as soon as you cross that line take a shot,” Westmoreland said. “If you’re not shooting you need to get on that post with your stick down. And we do a lot of drills where they’re doing that. 

West Forsyth opened the season on Aug. 19 against Greensboro Page in a nonconference game. Once conference play starts there are only four teams in the conference. Asheville went undefeated in the conference last year at 6-0 and finished 13-6 overall. Reagan and Mount Tabor were both 3-3 in the conference, and West Forsyth went winless. 

“The last two years, I think (Asheville) pretty much dominated our games, but I think if we continue this mindset that we have right now I think we can come out on top,” Westmoreland said. 

Roster:

N/A

Schedule:

8/27 – Asheville, 6 p.m.

9/10 – R.J. Reynolds, 6:30 p.m.

9/12 – Northwest Guildford, 6 p.m.

9/17 – Reagan, 6:30 p.m.

9/19 – @Hough, 5 p.m.

9/25 – @ R.J. Reynolds, 6:30 p.m.

10/7 – @ Reagan, 6:30 p.m.

10/10 – @ Asheville, 6 p.m.

10/14 – @ Northwest Guilford, 6 p.m.

10/17 – Hough, 6 p.m.