Statement: The Physicality Of Field Hockey And Ballet

Hannah Miller

Dance 120

28 March 2023

The Physicality of Field Hockey and Ballet

(Attendance makeup assignment)

The quote by Kevin Durant I have truly chosen to live by, that has hung above my bed since I was a young child, reads: “Hard work beats talent, when talent fails to work hard.” This quote has laid the foundation for how I go about life, in all aspects. Whether that be in academics working tirelessly to understand all of the material necessary to get an A (fun fact I have never gotten a grade less than an A in my four years at Duke), in athletics where I have been told by multiple coaches and teammates that the majority of my success comes from outworking my opponents every single day, or my social life where I am constantly working

This mindset was also strengthened from the competitive household I was raised in. Being one of four, super aggressive and driven siblings, winning and succeeding was always my top priority. My oldest sister ended up playing field hockey at Villanova University, my other older sister joined the dance team at the University of Richmond, I play for the Duke University field hockey team, and my younger brother rows for Loyola University Maryland. We were involved in every sport possible all throughout grammar school. There were a couple of years where I participated on the swim team, cross country team, field hockey team, soccer team, basketball team, lacrosse team, and danced ballet. This kept me super busy but inevitably, as each sport got more time consuming and competitive over time, I was required me to hone in on my favorite sport. In sixth grade, I decided to drop everything but field hockey. I began playing field hockey all year round. It was my true passion at the time, and it still is. With this sport

Both sports require intense physical demands, pushing the body to its limit even through its periods of breaking down. Therefore, it is essential in both sports for the athlete to be in prime athletic fitness shape. Both sports have the potential to generate severe injuries, aches and pains, exhaustion, and the feelings of wanting to give up. Additionally, squatting plays a large role in both sports. In field hockey, we are always squatting over the ball to protect it from the opponent, while in ballet, we are squatting for various movements, such as the plié. In addition, the team aspect exists in both sports. When playing on the field, we must communicate, exchange passes and receptions, and ultimately work together to succeed. Similarly, in ballet, each dancer is working together in unison to create a work of art. This exposes the strengths and weaknesses of each athlete, requiring the coach/teacher to align each piece together in the best formation that will generate success. Next, athletes in both sports face pressures that come along with performance. There is a lot weighing on the athletes as mental strength plays a very important role. In field hockey, there are specific moments where certain athletes are put in challenging situations, where the weight of the team is weighing on them. This could be for a penalty stroke, a corner hit, a