ITHACA, N.Y. – Despite the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus, the Ithaca College field hockey program has created virtual game days, which are played each Tuesday, to maintain their individual fitness and team comradery during these uncertain times.
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Head coach
Kaitlyn Wahila, along with the help of assistant coach
Mo Ordnung, have set up 10 virtual dates against nine different colleges and the IC alumnae base. This fall, Ithaca will take on Rochester, Bryant, Geneseo, Vassar, William Smith, Brockport, Stevens, Roger Williams and Mercyhurst. IC has already square off against three of those schools – Rochester, Bryant and Geneseo – and has won all three competitions.
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"Every Tuesday is our game day, so in an effort to give our student-athletes an element of competition, we designed a remote game day challenge," said Wahila. "I contacted a bunch of coaches that I know well (some Liberty League, some non-Liberty League) and we came up with a 'simple' competition for each game day."
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"Our team has really been into it! Competitions are strength based exercises that most anyone can do, for example, plank holds, burpees, pushups, most steps by 5 p.m., single leg squats, forward lunges, field hockey trivia and a few more we will figure out," Wahila stated.
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The element of surprise carries over week-to-week as the team does not know what exercises they will have to complete for the game day.
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"Our coaches have come up with them (the challenges) beforehand, and then surprise us that week with the challenge and our opponent," said sophomore
Arla Davis. "I think doing it this way makes it feel even more game like because if we were having a normal season, we wouldn't know exactly how the game is going to go until we actually play it."
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The Bombers and Rochester competed in a three-minute burpees challenge, with IC prevailing, 687-630. Bryant was a plank challenge and IC compiled a team total of 71:46 to Bryant's 60:48. Most recently, IC and Geneseo squared off in a longest body weight squat challenge and the Bombers posted a combined time of 52:48 to Geneseo's 44:49.
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To compile team totals, each student-athlete is responsible for keeping track of their reps or times and fill out an excel spreadsheet by 4 p.m. each Tuesday. The team will then find out the overall results via GroupMe and the outcome against their opponent is posted to the field hockey Instagram account.
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"The virtual games have been amazing," expressed junior
Jacqueline Mirabile. "I want to give credit to our fantastic coaching staff for thinking of this idea. It really helps to keep us all engaged and working towards a common goal. Since the circumstances this year with the pandemic don't allow us to compete on the field, they have found this alternative way that has been so much fun! Just like on normal game day, it is a 100-percent team effort and that still reflects virtually. What I really love seeing is all of the excitement virtual game day brings in our team group chat. Everyone is sending pictures, memes, gifs, motivational quotes, and videos all about game day and it really pumps us up to complete the challenge. Even our coaches get in on the challenges which I think adds even more excitement! These times are tough for everyone and as athletes that have lost a season, these virtual games add that spark of competition that we were missing."
"My favorite part of our virtual game days is having the opportunity to come together as a team to achieve a goal," said first-year Kiley Sullivan. "Being a first-year, I have not experienced a typical game day as a member of ICFH, but it feels like I have because of how motivated, enthusiastic and determined my teammates and coaches are every Tuesday (and every day for that matter!). Our team group chat is full of inspirational messages, post workout selfies, or funny GIFs all relating to game day."
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"I would say the most challenging part about game days are the challenges themselves," Sullivan continued. "Doing burpees for three minutes straight was hard! Communicating and bonding as a team has been easy because of how amazing my teammates and coaches are."
Later in the fall season, IC will play Mercyhurst on October 27, which will serve as the Bombers'
Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer game.
"On October 27, we will compete alongside Mercyhurst University and look to raise money for the organization Lace Up 4 pediatric Cancer," said Wahila. "Every year we choose one of our game days to dedicate to raising awareness and funds for pediatric cancer. We have had a great relationship with the Goal 4 the Goal foundation and look forward to joining forces with Mercyhurst this year. Our remote challenge for that day will be how many steps can we get in by 5 p.m."
Throughout the conversation with Davis, Mirabile and Sullivan, all three echoed similar sentiments regarding the core values and culture of 'Team 53'.
Their thoughts are shared below:
"While we're always keeping in touch, Tuesdays just feel different. There's an extra little bit of excitement that comes with virtual game day. Very few things in life compare to that excited, nervous energy that in-person game days bring (even in life "pre-quarantine"), but virtual game day does bring a positive aspect to my week and gives me something to look forward like game days on Higgins would." –
Arla Davis
"I just want to say how proud I am of all my teammates, coaches, and staff. We have all faced so much adversity these past couple months, and I want to thank everyone for being so supportive, considerate, patient, and encouraging during these hard times. We are all getting through this together and that is what makes it 100 times easier. We are all doing the best we can and always giving 100% attitude and effort into everything we do. It's ALWAYS a great day to be a Bomber!" –
Jacqueline Mirabile ("Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller)
"One of Team 53's core values is 'compete', so there is a focus on challenging each other and ourselves whether it is game day or not. We wake up ready to participate every Tuesday, but I don't think that there is necessarily internal competition on game day when it comes to competing against each other. We are working
for our teammates as opposed to against our teammates to achieve a common goal. Each player is continually striving to give her best. I am grateful to be surrounded by such positive coaches and teammates during this challenging time in the world." – Kiley Sullivan
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