Before taking control of the IU field hockey program in 2000, IU Coach Amy Robertson had a prolific field hockey career both on the field and as a coach.
Robertson grew up in Evergreen, Colo., a small town 15 minutes away from Denver with a population of around 9,038 people.
Before she started playing field hockey at age 15, Robertson was a volleyball player who also played lacrosse. After switching schools, Robertson was looking for a more competitive sport that would also challenge her.
“The girls at my new school all played field hockey,” Robertson said. “They heard I was an athlete, and they pushed me to try it. I loved floor hockey because of the contact and aggression of the sport. I instantly fell in love with it.”
Robertson graduated from Colorado Academy in 1984 and chose to attend the University of Massachusetts as a dual-sport athlete because of the popularity of its field hockey program. She played lacrosse and field hockey.
During her collegiate career, Robertson helped lead UMass to four consecutive NCAA tournaments, including a Final Four appearance her senior season in 1988. At the end of her senior season, Robertson won the award for Colorado Sportswoman of the Year.
Robertson said the most memorable moment of her playing career was when she scored the first goal of the game off an interception against the top-rated team in the nation at the time.
“They hadn’t been scored on in a bunch of games,” she said. “After that goal, we went on to win 4-1. The momentum from that game led us to our Final Four appearance.”
Before Robertson started coaching, she was a reserve defender for the U.S. National Team in 1989. Robertson stopped playing for the National Team after a coaching change the next season, which led to the start of her coaching career.
Robertson spent 1989 as a student assistant as UMass. She left for an assistant coaching position at the University of Iowa while earning her master’s degree in sports psychology. She remained with Iowa until 1992.
After leaving Iowa, Robertson returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach.
In her first season there, UMass made the Final Four and eventually finished second to Old Dominion.
She spent the next four years helping build the UMass program and was offered a higher assistant position at Wake Forest.
Robertson spent two seasons at Wake Forest before leaving for her first head coaching position at IU. She said one of the best moments of her coaching career was seeing Wake Forest develop into a field hockey powerhouse.
“Building the program was the best part of my time at Wake Forest,” Robertson said. “We were ranked third in the country when I left. After leaving, they went on to win three consecutive championships. They also reached the Final Four six straight years.”
Robertson became the first field hockey coach in IU history when the school added the sport in 2000. Robertson said the appeal and tradition of the Big Ten were what led her to accept the job at IU.
“The Big Ten was the perfect example for excellence in academics and athletics,” she said. “I heard the town and campus were amazing and that it was a real college town.”
After a combined record of 8-41 in her first three seasons, Robertson was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2003.
In 2004, Robertson helped lead the Hoosiers to their first winning season, posting a 12-8 record.
In Robertson’s fifth year, the Hoosiers finished with a 17-5 record, the best finish in school history.
In the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, the Hoosiers capped off the year by making it to the Elite Eight.
“Building the program here was a journey,” Robertson said. “To finally get to the point in 2005 to where we are competing for the Big Ten Championship.”
When IU finally made it to the tournament, the team had a challenge ahead of it.
“We finally made it to the tournament and beat North Carolina,” she said. “They are one of the most historic field hockey programs in the country, and we beat them.”
After winning the biggest game in school history, the Hoosiers were set to play the school where Robertson had previously coached, Wake Forest.
“After that, we took on my previous school and lost to them. They went on to win the championship that year.”
Robertson continued to build the program the next three seasons, but the team was unable to reach the NCAA Tournament.
In 2009, the Hoosiers made a return to the NCAA Tournament, earning an at-large bid after placing second in the Big Ten Tournament. The Hoosiers were unable to make a Final Four appearance, but they ended the year with a 14-7 record and were ranked in the top 15.
The Hoosiers found moderate success the next two seasons. Robertson recorded her 100th career win in 2011 with a 4-0 win against Ball State.
After finishing 2012 with a 10-9 record, Robertson said she believes this year’s squad has the potential to reach the NCAA Tournament again.
“We really want to return to the NCAA tournament and compete for a Big Ten championship,” Robertson said. “I see this team having the ability to do so as we progress through the season.
“This team has changed its culture and is practicing in a way in order to be successful against the best competition in the country.”
Follow reporter Dan Matney on Twitter @Dan_Matney.
