by Cameron Moore (7th grade)

It’s about time to make another school sports article about a dominating team, isn’t it?
 

The CMS field hockey teams, coached by Mrs. McCrone and Mr. Ryan dominated this season with big wins and outstanding performances. The eighth graders blew out most opponents and showed no signs of slowing down, while the seventh graders also played great, making great plays and fighting for gritty wins. But, how are they so good?

Well, thanks to Mr. Ryan and Mrs. McCrone, I was able to brave the cold and attend 8th and 7th grade games in mid-October, and I was able to find out why they are so strong.

Firstly, the 8th grade game vs Abington Middle School ended with a CMS win by the score of 6-0, which included a hat trick (three goals in one game) by forward Reese Smith, her first of which was an impressive long-range slap shot. I asked Reese what she thinks a good field hockey team should have, and she simply said, “Communication and passing.” Fellow 8th grader Annie Broderick told me something very similar. The eighth graders went undefeated this season and have continued their domination built up over the past few years.

The 7th grade game was very similar, with another 6-0 Colonial win and ANOTHER hat trick, this time from defenseman Natalie Man. I asked her about it, and Natalie said, “I feel good and happy that I was able to score to help the team.” The 7th graders also had a suffocating defense all year. After goaltender Lily Barclay’s 0-shot day, she said, “I trust [the defense] a lot because they are very good and they play for good teams, so I trust them a lot.” This win was one of their most dominant of the season, as the 7th graders suffered only one tie and one loss, both to Arcola MS in Methacton SD (the only real threat to CMS this season).

But, how are they so good? 

Well, it’s likely due to one big thing: fundamentals. Knowing the basics. I think these two teams did very well in that department. Take it in the words of 8th grader Sophie Kerns, about the importance and value of communication. She said that communication is important, “so we can connect and make plays happen.” Additionally, 7th grader Jill Casey said, ”we are working very good together because we are, like, connecting passes and talking.” So obviously, talking and passing are very important to this team, and that is pretty important if you want to master field hockey’s fundamentals.

Another big part of this team that I found interesting is the teamwork and team unity that I saw out of our CMS field hockey teams this season. Now, obviously, that goes very hand-in-hand with communication and passing, but it is a very important skill by itself. Kerns expressed the value of teamwork and togetherness, and 7th grader Peyton Baron told me how being a team helps each individual improve. “We all help out each other and make sure that everyone’s doing their part and getting better one step at a time.” Clearly, teamwork is extremely important to their game and the overall fundamentals are very important.

So, how are the 2024 CMS field hockey teams very good? Fundamentals. Some talk about how the best way to win at sports are complicated plays and strategies. But, it is actually about how well you know the basics of a given sport. If you are playing football, you don’t need complicated routes or have Flea Flickers in your back pocket. You just have to know how to pass. And catch. And tackle. That is the most simple way to win at sports, and for middle school especially, at the simplest level of sports, it is the fundamentals that reign supreme. That is how CMS field hockey was so good…again.

Also, shoutouts to Mrs. McCrone and Mr. Ryan for helping make this possible! All the help has been greatly appreciated. Congrats to CMS Field Hockey for another successful season!