The St. Joe’s club field hockey team finished their season at the National Field Hockey League’s Fall Championship in Virginia Beach, Va with the help of a GoFundMe page. This gave the team an opportunity to further develop chemistry beyond the regular season and demonstrate their commitment to each other on and off the field.
“The season went really well,” junior forward Alaina Boccino said. “We have become so close as a team. When we first started, we didn’t know each other but it is awesome how close we are now.”
The fact that the team was able to make it to Virginia Beach was a victory in itself, as the they didn’t have necessary funding leading up to the tournament for travel.
“When I found out we only had $1500 in our budget, I freaked out,” Boccino said. “So I called a meeting with the whole team.”
Out of this meeting came the idea for a GoFundMe to raise the necessary funds.
“That night we started the GoFundMe,” Boccino said. “The next morning we already had $700. It was insane that we got that much so quickly. We ended up raising $1300, which was awesome because without that we wouldn’t have been able to go.”
The team-wide commitment to this GoFundMe is a good example of what draws players to joining club field hockey, according to sophomore goalkeeper Isabelle Boles.
“As a club team, we kind of have to help ourselves when it comes to funding,” Boles said. “It was a cool thing we all did together. It was fun. I am surprised how much we were able to make too.”
Junior forward Lydia Bariteau, who played on the Division I field hockey team, is in her first year with the team. She said her favorite aspect has been the atmosphere.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Bariteau said. “I didn’t know anybody on the team. Honestly, it is one of the best things I have ever done. It is just really fun. It is getting to play the sport you love for fun.”
Boles also came to St. Joe’s to play on the Division I team. She ended up deciding to leave that team but still wanted the opportunity to play field hockey, so she turned to the club team.
“I still loved field hockey and wanted to keep playing,” Boles said. “The club team seemed nice and had some good players. They are all so fun and super relaxed. It isn’t a super stressful thing and we can be good at the same time. It is just a fun experience overall.”
In the past, the club field hockey season has ended in the fall. This year, the captains decided to enroll the team in a spring season as well.
“We wanted to have another season together before our seniors graduate,” Boccino said. “So it is another season and that gives us another opportunity to make the national tournament.”
Bariteau hopes that the team can build off of their success from the fall season in the spring.
“I feel like we can improve upon what we established,” Bariteau said. “This is the first time a lot of us are playing together and now we have a season under our belt. I think it will just get better from here.”
