Hoosier captains encourage team

Team captains are key to the success of any athletic team. The Hoosier field hockey team is no exception.\n"As a group, regardless of the condition we are put in (the team captains) have a positive attitude and help bring up the rest of the team even if we are frustrated," freshman forward Ryan Woolsey said.\nThe field hockey captains were selected by their teammates at the beginning of the season. Senior back Akila Jones, senior forward Brooke Magers and junior midfielder Erica Nilsson were selected by their peers to lead the team. \nAll the captains said they are willing to accept the responsibility and pressure that comes with the title.\n"I think regardless of being a captain, I would have the same mentality towards the team," Nilsson said. "I am a big talker on the field, and with my energy on the field I just try to lift the players up when they are low."\n"I don't really feel any pressure," Magers said. "I think the only pressure that I put on myself is that I want it to be a much more winning season this year. I definitely want to have all the new players taste more success than we did last year."\nJones said she expects nothing less out of herself than she would ever expect out of her teammates.\n"I totally put higher expectations on myself, because I expect nothing but 110 percent from my players and I can only ask them to do what I do," Jones said. "If I want our team to play to the level that I know they can play, and even higher than that, then I have to set team standards."\nIn their second year as a varsity sport, the captains said they understand the difficulty of keeping the program up and trying to improve.\n"I think being a second-year program, it's not at easy as a winning program to come in here," Nilsson said. "It's easier to get down after a game where we don't get the outcome we would want. I think it's a matter of attitude and it's our job to instill that positive attitude on the players."\n While the captains are essential to the team seeking success on the field, freshman midfielder Kimberly Nash said she considers the trio to be good leaders off the field as well.\n "They are very good role models for the team and have encouraging attitudes," Nash said. "You can go to them with problems other than field hockey and rely on them to be there for you no matter what."\nAlthough the captains' leadership, energy and encouragement have helped the Hoosiers improve, they have yet to taste success this season. \nJones said she is sure that trend will end soon, as long as the Hoosiers put forth maximum effort.\n"We are so excited from what we did last Friday and we are really excited for this weekend. We know that we are so right there and just need that extra inch," Jones said. "As long as we take one day at a time, focus mentally and know that we can do it we will be right there where we want to be"