For many middle schoolers, being passionate about the sport they play isn’t out of the ordinary. But for one extraordinary individual, she’s doing more than playing – she is bringing her love of the sport to her community.
Olivia is a Girl Scout in Nassau County on Long Island, N.Y. When she first started playing field hockey in the third grade, there were very few local training and club options in her area. She quickly found herself dedicated to the sport and wanting to improve, but it was hard finding competitive opportunities. Eventually, she found AGH, a field hockey club in the neighboring state of Connecticut.
“Now that I play for AGH, I am getting better, but there are still not many competitive clubs so I go to Connecticut for training several times per week. AGH has helped me grow as a player and I enjoy it a lot.”
Now in the eighth grade, dedicated to both field hockey and being a Girl Scout, Olivia found herself with a unique opportunity as she was working toward earning her Girl Scout Silver Award.
“The Silver Award is the highest honor that a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. It’s a leadership and service project where girls identify an issue that they care about, plan and complete a project that makes a lasting difference in their community.”
Combining her passion for field hockey with her awareness of the gap in opportunity to play in her area, Olivia’s idea for a project came to fruition. The project: Growing the Game in the Long Island community.
“I created this project to grow the game of field hockey and empower girls on the field. Part of my project is introducing field hockey to girls at a younger age in my Long Island community.”
By USWNT
