Cougar field hockey camp a success from all standpoints

By Ron Hawkes
MaineSportsReport.com

When Kristina Prescott came up with the idea to do Cougar field hockey camp she didn't really know what to expect.

Coach Kristina Prescott gets ready to play in the end of camp all-star game Photo by Ron Hawkes

The first camp was held in Portland June 29 - July 2 and had about 47 participants sign up for the four day camp. The Northport camp at Point Lookout held July 27-30 featured 67 players eager to learn and improve their skills.

"We hope to do two camps in Portland next year and would like to do two here as well," said Prescott. "We have enough members where we could do a younger camp and an older camp. I would like to have some coaches come in from out of state to make it more competitive for the older girls."

Prescott started playing field hockey as a goalie in the 6th grade at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast Me. She had a successful high school career in goal for Belfast Area High School being chosen for the KVAC Rookie Team, KVAC Second Team, and the KVAC First Team. Prescott was a three sport athlete all four years of High School finishing her senior year as Captain of the Field Hockey Team, Basketball, and Track team. She was also chosen for the Athlete of the Year Award of the Senior Class.

Camden Hills Kayla Hart, a camp all-star, puts the ball in play during a scrimmage game before the all star game. Photo by Ron Hawkes

In addition to playing for BAHS she defended in goal for All-Star Maine Event team (Sophomore-Junior yr.) and the Downeasters her senior year. With the Maine Event team, she ranked high amongst her peers in the Cape Cod classic tournament in Cape Cod Massachusetts. Prescott traveled each year to the National Festival in West Palm Beach, Florida, where she took home 2 consecutive gold medals, junior and senior year at the festival.

After high school, Prescott continued on to play in goal for Springfield College in Massachusetts.

After college, Prescott helped build the field hockey program at Cheverus High School as the JV/Assistant Coach for two years.

Utilizing her unique defensive perspective she has been involved with goalie coaching for the indoor All-Star team, Katahdin and for the Revolution Field Hockey Camp for the past three years.

Currently Prescott is the varsity field hockey coach for Greely High School in Cumberland Maine. The Rangers have a strong field hockey program that has been successful for many years.

While camps like the Cougar field hockey camp do a lot to promote the sport, Prescott says what really needs to happen is to get more college recruiters to pay attention.

"We need college recruiters that want to take the time to come up here," said Prescott. "I remember growing up you always had to travel out of state and Maine had a huge representation when you go to Nationals. We won when I was in school and you have to travel, you have to go somewhere in order to get to that level, and I think we need to represent field hockey so much in Maine so the colleges want to come here and see the talent that is here and that way the girls are going to get a better opportunity when they go elsewhere."

Field Hockey in the State of Maine has grown tremendously in the past few years and the level of play has come along as well.

Prescott said that when she was playing in high school and would travel out of state it was always the running joke of "do you guys have running water up there", but at the end of the day the players from Maine were right up there with the best of them.

"When you come up against the Pennsylvania and Maryland's they are breed to play field hockey." said Prescott. "It's a completely different game, they all get to play on turf everyday and the turf versus the grass is totally different."

Prescott continued, "When it comes to the basic's and it comes to breaking it down I think Maine is right on top with everybody else. We don't go to that fancy level of play, it's just like Allen Holmes, he breaks it down to the basic's and if you can do the basic's well no one is going to stop you. I think that it is the fundamentals in Maine that keeps us being able to compete with the other states and other schools."

Belfast's Courtney Drinkwater, center, bvrigs the ball up the field as teammate Katrina Lapham, left and coach Megan Bauer look on during a scrimmage game before the all star game. Photo by Ron Hawkes

The clinic in Northport had an outstanding crew of coaches. For more info on the coaches and the camps visit their web site at fieldhockeyme.com

Click for more photos from the Cougar Field Hockey camp in Northport.