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Inklings News

Field Hockey Warms Up for a Takedown

With their heads held high and sticks gripped tightly, the Staples girls’ field hockey team struts onto the turf ready to take their opponent.

Preparation for the game begins the night before at a player’s house where the girls mentally prepare while they load up on pasta and pizza, giving them the necessary carbs and energy for the following day.

The hype continues the second the alarm clock sounds the next morning in each players’ room. It’s game day and the girls will be changing out of their pajamas into either their blue and white uniforms, logowear, a dress or skirt, or an all-black outfit.

“Whether we’re wearing our uniform or dressed up according to a theme, it gets everyone psyched for our game in the afternoon,” captain Elizabeth Coogan ’14 said.

As the school day comes to an end, the girls prepare to take the field. With an upbeat playlist booming “Love on Top” and “Till I Collapse” in the background, warm-ups begin. Finally, after a mix of active stretching, light jogging, and stick drills, the girls begin their routines.

“Our pre-game rituals are extremely important because it’s crucial that when the game starts we’re in ‘game mode,’” Lizzie Cooperstone ’15 said.

The music drops, and Jenna McNicholas ’15 starts up the team cheer at the top of her lungs, sparking one more burst of excitement. “STAPLES ON THREE! ONE! TWO! THREE!” screams McNicholas. The starters then huddle up, breathe in and out in unison, and preach one last word or phrase together before the whistle is blown… “Stay strong,” the girls say simultaneously.

Let the game begin.

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About the Contributor
Sarah Ellman, Staff Writer
Sarah Ellman ’15 can be seen on the sidelines of Staples football games, exciting the throngs of people with her cheers every Friday night during the fall. However, Ellman can also be found in the classroom, in room 2032, actively participating at the Staples High School newspaper, Inklings. The senior has always enjoyed writing, as a kid she would create her own picture books with folded 8x11 sheets of paper, but has also participated in cheerleading since eighth grade. This summer, she attended a summer journalism program at New York University, which she described as “really cool.” She felt she excelled writing pieces for Inklings that were more along the lines of features, and instead focused on a different type of writing. “The program taught me how to really write a news story and cover an actual event,” Ellman said. Ellman, a cheer captain this year, headed to a gymnastics camp this summer along with her teammates, in order to prepare for their upcoming season. She feels there is a certain connection between her sport and journalism. “You can’t be quiet with either of them, you have to be personable and loud.” She most enjoys meeting new people and getting to interact with the entire school.   With Inklings, she can achieve this with interviews, but she also entertains the students at sporting events. It is necessary to entertain and capture an audience in both instances and Ellman succeeds in all facets of the activities she participates in. She also engages in community service, including Saferides, an organization that provides rides home for teenagers on Saturday nights. As for Monday through Friday, Ellman can probably be found at Shake Shack, grabbing her favorite food (a cheeseburger) of which she proclaimed her love for. “My friends are legitimately concerned about me.”

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