For decades, Grosse Pointe’s athletics have been dominated by the traditional mainstream sports of basketball, ice hockey, football and baseball, but in recent years a new sport has quickly risen into the spotlight: field hockey.
This sport is a team sport where two teams of eleven players compete using sticks to hit a ball into the other team’s goal post. It is a mix of ice hockey and soccer and has struck the athletic scene in the last few years.
South field hockey coach Jessie Rouleau credits youth leagues starting up for the sudden uprising of field hockey because it lets kids have prior knowledge of the sport before highschool. It doesn’t just let kids learn the sport but also teaches them how to have fun while playing.
“I also believe a coaching staff has just as much of a responsibility to make it fun as the kids do,” Rouleau said.
The bond between the coaches and players makes it easier for people to continue playing throughout their highschool years. Many sports are focused solely on practice, but with a bond between the team the season is enjoyable all around.
Hannah Agnone ’27 began playing in middle school and learned about the sport through her close friends. She gave it a try and quickly picked it up as her favorite sport.
“When I first joined, there were not a lot of girls playing it, and it was mainly for fun, but as I continued, it grew on me,” Agnone said. “Over the years in this city, field hockey has had a lot more girls participate making it much more competitive. This also forced the creation of new teams and new opportunities.”
Support from friends was just the beginning for these athletes, but their true love for the sport really hooked them to dedicate their time and effort into becoming the best they can be. For smaller sports, it can be hard to build a group, but Grosse Pointe is striving to make it mainstream.
“Field hockey is the first sport that I’ve played that I have quickly fallen in love with,” Agnone said. “It is the first sport that I am excited to go to practices or games for.”
Along with Agnone, Helana Moore ’25 has been playing field hockey from a young age and has loved every second of it. It’s a sport which she believes will always be a big part of her high school career and will continue to be a staple in her life.
“Jessie, our head coach for South field hockey, has really helped it take off in the community and expanded it to many ages and is a big part of my success,” Moore said. “To be able to get involved and try it out and be in a team is so much fun.”
