By MICHAEL KAPLAN Special to the Palisadian-Post The popularity of girls field hockey at Harvard-Westlake High in North Hollywood has increased exponentially in recent years, and, as a result, more players from the Palisades are taking an active interest in the sport. Traditionally, field hockey’s popularity has been limited to the southern United States with universities like Wake Forest, Old Dominion, North Carolina, and Maryland annually claiming NCAA championships. Over the past few years, however, the sport has begun to grow nationally at the high school level. Although girls field hockey has been a CIF sport since 1974, only recently has it really taken off here in Southern California. The boom has been dramatic at Harvard-Westlake, where the Wolverines have captured two CIF titles over the last three years. “When I started playing field hockey two years ago, there weren’t nearly as many girls playing,” said Palisadian Lucy Singleton, a sophomore on Harvard-Westlake’s team. “There are many more upcoming players in the lower grades as well. Through word of mouth its popularity has really spread.” Field hockey in the Southern Section is broken down into two leagues: the Sunset League and the Golden West League, which includes Harvard-Westlake. Several members of the Wolverines’ team hail from the Palisades, including Singleton and juniors Hailey Orr and Hannah Dean. Each has played field hockey every year at Harvard-Westlake High. To be successful at the game, one must have speed, energy, and coordination. Like soccer and lacrosse, it also requires a great deal of stamina as players are running up and down the field constantly. “It takes a lot more skill than you would think,” Singleton said. Being short is an advantage because the ball stays on the ground at all times and sticks are the only means of moving it down the field. Thus, field hockey appeals to girls who may not be tall enough to play volleyball or basketball. “The game is centered around getting low and bending your knees, so being short enables you to get lower to the ground,” Singleton said. “But anyone can play because of the different stick sizes, which ranger from 35 to 38 inches.” Field Hockey is played on a pitch similar in size to that of a football field. As in soccer, there are 11 players a side, including the goalkeeper. The ball is advanced using curved wooden sticks that are flat on one side. Teams accumulate points by shooting the ball into a goal slightly smaller in size than a soccer goal. Like soccer, players are whistled for fouls and illegal contact, which can result in penalty stokes and free hits. “I play defense, which requires a lot of hand-eye coordination because you need the stick skills to steal the ball from your opponent,” Dean said. “And you need to be tough enough to intimidate your opponent.” Across the city, girls are getting more and more opportunities to play field hockey. There have been numerous youth programs and club field hockey teams that have sprouted up all over Los Angeles. Dean cited a club league at Moorpark College where girls can train in the offseason. There is even a “Futures” program in Hollywood where high school players train to play for the national team. As girls’ field hockey continues to grow at a rapid rate, Palisadians are eager to play and create hope for more local high schools to offer the sport. “When I started in seventh grade there were only about 20 girls that tried out for the team,but this year about 50 girls tried out for junior varsity alone,” Dean said. “So the numbers have really increased.”
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