The Patriot Athletic Department would like to welcome new head field hockey coach Emily Ritonia and assistant field hockey coach Jessica Balsano to the coaching staff.  Coach Ritonia brings a wealth of field hockey knowledge and game experience to Patriot.  Emily is a local product and played prep field hockey and lacrosse at Middleburg Academy, formerly Notre Dame Academy.  She was All-Conference and All-Met in field hockey during that time.  She graduated from Virginia Tech and also received her Master's Degree in Secondary Education from St. John's University.  She was the head girls’ lacrosse coach at James Madison High School in New York this past season.  She will be a member of the Language Arts Department at Patriot as well as an assistant girls' lacrosse coach.  Coach Ritonia will be moving to the area this summer and is excited to start working with the student-athletes at Patriot.  Coach Ritonia will also be joined by Jessica Balsano from Bridgewater College where she played varsity field hockey and also coached JV softball at Spotswood High School during her student teaching.  Coach Balsano will also teach in the Language Arts Department at Patriot next year.  We are extremely happy to have Coach Ritonia and Coach Balsano join the coaching staff at Patriot.

We plan to have an interest meeting with Coach Ritonia on June 27th 9:00am at Patriot.  Please check back for more details about the interest meeting and summer workouts.

Parents and athletes,

I wanted to officially share the news with the program that I am not going to be able to return for the 2014 Fall season.  I met with the girls this past Wednesday because I wanted to speak with them in person first.  It has been an honor and a privilege to work with your families over the past 3 seasons; we have faced the challenge together of building a program from the ground up and I believe it has made your daughters stronger athletes as well as stronger women.  I am proud of the teams we have established and I know that this is only the beginning of big things for our Patriot field hockey girls.  I cannot thank you enough for your unconditional support through the dedication of your time and energy. I will continue to guide the program in this interim until the new coaching staff is finalized and please know that I am here if you have questions or concerns with which I can be of assistance.

Best wishes,

Coach Dunbrack

Girls have expressed interest in both the MidAtlantic Camp and the Bloomsburg Camp.  Coordinate with either Coach Dunbrack or your teammates to figure out which camp you'd like to attend; both should be a good experience.  If you have interest in another camp or have questions/concerns, feel free to contact Dunbrack for help.

The camp information has been updated.  If you are planning to attend the team camp, contact Dunbrack no later than 4/18 so we can contact the camp directly with numbers and make arrangements.

There will be a varsity and jv field hockey meeting on Wednesday April 9th at 2pm in Coach Dunbrack's room to discuss summer camps and workouts.

Please plan on attending if possible. If you are currently playing another sport please check with your coach before attending, as in season sports come first.

See you next week !

Coach Sanders

All of the information for Summer 2014 camps has been updated on our page.  Please reference these links to locate a camp to develop your skills over the summer.  Camp is never required but it is highly recommended as it will keep you active and help you hone your skills going into the next season.

For anyone interested in potentially playing a sport at the collegiate level, there will be an information session Monday, January 13th, at 7:30pm in the Patriot HS Auditorium.  In an effort to educate our parents and athletes about NCAA & NAIA Academic Eligibility requirements, athletic scholarships and the college recruiting process, Dynamite Sports will conduct an hour long seminar entitled “Guiding the College-Bound Athlete”.

This event will teach our parents and athletes how to set up visits, create a “Recruiting Plan”, where to look for financial aid & scholarships, and how to find the right college!

I would like athletes and their parents to plan on attending.  Please let Coach Dunbrack know if you will be in attendance.

Please see the link below for updated try outs for indoor winter team.....this would be a great opportunity, so I would encourage you to try out if possible. U16 try outs are TOMORROW !!

www.potomacfieldhockey.org

And if you are looking to watch some good college field hockey, the NCAA Field Hockey Championships are being played at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA  Nov. 22-24.  The championships game are on Sunday Nov. 24.  Division III, II and I championships are played back to back on that day.  Visit the NCAA Field Hockey site for more information.

*** Thank you again for the wonderful coaches gift !!! I love it....

Coach Sanders

All athletes need to clean their lockers out and be at the back side of the gym outside the locker room hallway doors at 2:10 to turn in their locks.  The locks must have the combination attached (masking tape with it written on works best).  You need to contact Coach Dunbrack if you cannot be there.

Good opportunity.....

Potomac Rapids Travel Team 
Winter Indoor Tryouts

The Potomac Rapids will be running travel team tryouts for U12, U14, U16, and U19 age groups.  Each age group will select two squads, with one team in each age group focusing on preparing for Qualifiers and/or NITs.  

Tryouts dates/times are on the right.  All tryouts will be held at the Dulles Sportsplex.  PLEASE register for the tryouts using the link at the right.  Tryouts registrations will close at 12:00 noon on the day of the tryout.

WHO SHOULD TRY OUT
Any player wanting to get exposed to a higher level of competition and/or those considering playing in college.

You do not need to be a current USAFH member to try out, however, all selected players must be USA Field Hockey members.    

SELECTIONS
Players will be evaluated on overall field hockey skills, athleticism and fitness level, attitude, behavior, dedication, and coachability, and needs of the team (ie, position, etc).  Athletes will receive selections notification via e-mail. 

PRACTICES
All players are expected to attend regular practices as well as conditioning practices.  Click here for general practice info.

TOURNAMENTS
All players selected to teams will participate in selected tournaments.  Tournament fees are ala carte.

The 6A North regional field hockey brackets are posted under the files section of the field hockey website.  Follow the Pioneers as we advance through the tournament.  Go Patriot!

There is a flyer posted under team files with information about the end of season banquet.  The girls will also receive a printed version tonight at the game.  

The bus will leave at 3 PM.  Remember, Varsity plays first.

The bus will leave school today at 4:30.

Practice today will be indoor from 2:30-3:45 for JV.  The girls should meet in the gym.

Today's practice will be indoor from 2:30-4:30.  The girls should meet in the gym.

Today's game is canceled and will NOT be made up :(

We will not have practice today, but please bring indoor and outdoor close tomorrow for a quick practice from 2:30-3:45.  Please remember to pack an old sock if we have indoor practice.

Coach Sanders

Today's bus will leave at 4:15.

Today's game is canceled and will not be rescheduled due to the tight schedule left before the district tournament.  There is no practice due to inclement weather; the girls should go home.

JV will not be having practice on Friday Oct. 4th.  

Please run over the weekend and practice dribbling, drives and pulls.   Please stretch and ice all injuries. 

The bus should be at school at 4:00 pm for our game on Monday at Garfield. Please get uniforms at 3:30pm.

Remember Monday is the start of Homecoming week and spirit week!

Coach Sanders

Please see that Garfield has been added to JV game schedule on Monday 10/7 , away at 5:30pm.

Below is the text from a message sent out by one of the local club.  We have to place the order no later than this Friday (money is not due until shirts come in) so if you'd like to order a shirt, please submit your order to Coach Dunbrack ASAP as the order will be placed at 2 PM on Friday.

Players and Parents,
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness month. At Beyond Sticks and Southeast Storm, we've felt the impact of cancer personally in our organization, and we feel inspired to act. We are encouraging all those in our community to "stick it" to cancer and raise awareness through our Stick it shirt fundraiser. 
Shirts are $20 and can be personalized to include your school name (for orders of 10 or more). 100% of the profits will go the National Foundation for Cancer Research; absolutely no money goes to our organization.  The shirts will cost anywhere from $10-$14 to make, depending on how many are ordered.  The more we order, the lower the cost and, in turn, the more we can donate to charity.
 

Parents,

I know that we are all extremely busy so I do not want to have to schedule another in person parent meeting despite the importance of this message.  And, if this does not apply to you, please understand how greatly we appreciate your time and support and bear with me.  I have seen some parents at almost every single game and covering concessions on an all too regular basis. High school sports are a major commitment for any student athlete, but they are also a major commitment for the family.  You invest financially for your daughter to be equipped and to train off season; you invest emotionally and mentally as you cheer from the stands and observe the games unfold, good, bad, and ugly. However, I ask you once again to reconsider your investment of time, perhaps the most important.  This program cannot function without the support of its parents.  We have asked all parents to cover a few concessions shifts during the season.  You should never have to work concessions while your own child is on the field if the schedule is followed.  And, it typically averages out to each parent volunteering for two shifts a season, sometimes three.  The money earned from concessions goes back to boosters which is essentially like putting money into our own pocket as boosters is extremely generous with their support and always looking for ways to contribute to Patriot's athletics and clubs.  We have some fantastic parent volunteers who have orchestrated volunteer schedules and even more who have stepped up to cover shifts that otherwise would have been left open.  Please reconsider your time commitment to the program.  We have one home game left for the season.  Please review the concessions schedule and if you are slotted to volunteer, we look forward to seeing you on October 15th.  If you have some extraordinary conflict, contact the team mom so other arrangements can be made.  When parents do not call or make other arrangements and simply do not show up, other parents are forced to pick up extra shifts which sometimes means missing their own daughter play. I have always been extremely humbled by the excessive generosity and support of my field hockey parents and I know that this season will be no different.  If you have questions or concerns, please contact me.

The bus will leave school at 3 PM.  Remember, Varsity will play first on Wednesday.

There will be no JV field hockey practice on Friday Sept. 27th....

Please take the afternoon to rest, ice soreness and catch up on homework and projects.

Fantastic week ladies! Great win over Battlefield...

Be ready to get to work on Monday to prepare for Wednesdays game! 

Only 6 games left and much to be accomplished!

Enjoy the weekend

Coach Sanders

All,

Potomac Field Hockey is taking a U16 team to the Disney Showcase at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL from February 5-9, 2014. 

WHAT IS THE DISNEY SHOWCASE?
For those considering playing in college or if you are looking to expose yourself/your daughter to higher level competition, this is an excellent national-level tournament. All teams are guaranteed 5 games which are played on Bermuda grass at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. There will also be a large number of clubs from around the country as well as recruiters from colleges!

Tournament website

The tournament fee is estimated to be about $400-500/player not including transportation or hotel. Please keep in mind this may change. The fee will include Disney practice time, coaches fees, etc.

DOES MY DAUGHTER QUALIFY FOR A U16 TEAM?
Anyone who will be 15 or younger on January 1, 2014 can try out, but there are some roster restrictions in place from the tournament.

Roster restrictions:
We can select up to 20 athletes
At least 15 players must be aged 14 or 15 as of January 1, 2014
We can only select 5 "underaged" players (players who are in the U12 or U14 age division as of January 1, 2014)
Players who are 16 or older as of January 1, 2014 are not eligible to try out
We can only select 3 non-PFH athletes (preference will be given to PFH players). If you transfer your club membership or are newly registering with USAFH and affiliate with PFH, you are not considered a non-PFH player for the purposes of this tournament.

SELECTIONS
To select this team, we are holding tryouts on Sunday, October 6, 2013 from 2:30-4:30pm, Loudoun Soccer Park, 19798 Sycolin Rd, Leesburg, VA.  IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TRYING OUT, please complete this form. Once PFH opens tryout registration, I will ask that you register there as well.
 
Players will be evaluated based on the following criteria: (1) overall field hockey skills (both individual and within the team); (2) athleticism and fitness level; (3) attitude, behavior, dedication, and coachability, and needs of the team (mainly their position).

Once tryouts have concluded, athletes will be notified via e-mail whether they were selected or not. At that time, they have the opportunity to accept or decline their invitation. 

PRACTICES FOR DISNEY TEAM
Practices for the selected Disney team will be held concurrently with the current PFH travel team practices (Sundays, 2:30-4:30pm, Loudoun Soccer Park) until the Fall travel season is complete. We will continue to hold practices on one weekend day and weekday evening at a location TBD.

Hope to see everyone at the tryout! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Thanks,
Coach Jess

Jessica Salo
U16 Travel Program - Head Coach
Potomac Field Hockey 
jessicawsalo@gmail.com 

The bus will leave for Osbourn at 4:15

All Patriot Card money is due to Coach Sanders by Friday Sept. 20.

The following players haven't turned in money:

Trone, Williams, Ash DiBenedetto, E. Johnson, Chiles, Campbell, Kerns, Lugent, Gartrell.

Unfortunately we have been having a very large issue with parents not covering concessions shifts and not finding replacements.  This is unfair to the people who are showing up and having to sometimes work double shifts and it is also not fulfilling our agreement with boosters.  The boosters organization supports our program in many ways and in exchange we are asked to cover concessions for our teams in season and a handful of out of season events.  Please take this opportunity to support the program and boosters; if everyone shows up for their one or two shifts, we can cover the entire season.  Please see below for one of the original announcements giving the schedule for the rest of the season and contact Coach Dunbrack via email (dunbraat@pwcs.edu) to confirm that you will be at your shift.  And, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact Coach Dunbrack.  As always, thank you for being the so supportive of our program.

Mrs. Ralston will be delivering the pre game meals to Commons I at 3:10 tomorrow afternoon.  Please plan to be there  if you ordered food.  I do not have a list of who has ordered, but please plan to be there.

Coach Sanders

Ladies,

Coach Stevenson left me a message saying that anybody who wanted to stay after school and hang out in her room to eat and do homework instead of going home is more than welcome to do so.

Please remember to be back at school by 4:00 to get your uniform as we will head up to the field by 4:30.

*** Please turn in ALL Patriot Card money by Monday Sept. 16th***

Coach Sanders

Since we do not have our spirit wear, please dress in school colors on home game days.  If you would like to dress up in school colors that is fine or if you prefer to go casual in school colors that is fine as well.

We will dress up for away games as usual.

Coach Sanders

Please be back to school by 4:00 to get dressed and be on the field by 4:30.  If you need to stay after school or if you don't have a ride back to school, you are allowed to sit in Commons I to eat and do homework. Please be advised that you are not allowed to roam around the building.

Coach Sanders

Our bus will leave at 4:15. The girls need to be here by 3:50 to make sure they are dressed and ready to go on time.

If you need to stay after school tomorrow, please meet in Coach Stevenson's room at 2:05. Please bring something to eat so you can fuel up before the game. Take advantage of the time by working on homework. 

If you feel like you have to leave and go home, then do so....BUT you must be back at school by 3:30.

We will have a brief team meeting starting at 3:30. Please meet by the cage for the meeting and we will be getting dressed by 3:40. Bus leaves promptly at 4:00pm!

Coach Sanders

Our bus leaves at 4 PM. Girls should be here at 3:40 to be ready to leave on time.

The complete spirit pack information and order form is loaded under team files.  If you are interested in purchasing any spirit wear, your order form and check made out to Hardhits LLC is due Friday, September 6th.  If you have any questions or concerns, contact Coach Dunbrack ASAP.

The deadline for Futures applications is October 25th.  See the link for more information:

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Field-Hockey/FUTURES/Futures-Trials

If you still have questions or concerns, contact Coach Dunbrack.

For returning players, the new site location for the NOVA area will be the Loudon Soccer Complex! With 2 full size turf fields, side-by-side, the veteran staff is sure to provide an excellent program for our participants in the NOVA area this season.

Dear Parents and Players,

We have been receiving several requests over the last couple of weeks for players to be "excused" from practices for reasons that are unexcused.

As discussed at the parent/player meeting and outlined in the "Patriot Field Hockey 2013 Guidelines" that were signed by BOTH player and parent, there are guidelines for absences.

Absences should be used for illness, extreme emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.  It is at the coaches discretion to deem absences excused or unexcused. The JV program is the foundation and base for the Patriot Field Hockey Program.  Gone are the days of it being easy to make the field hockey team. In the coaches eyes we are trying to build a strong winning program.  We need players that want to be at practice, give 100%, be their best at every practice and have pride in the program that is being built.  Field hockey can't be looked at as a program of convenience.

I know this is a strong stance to take, but we also have to be fair to the girls who were cut from this team and we need to be fair to the girls who aren't missing practice and aren't asking for absences to be excused.

Another question that needs to be addressed is playing time.  Playing time is based on participation at practice, giving 100% at practices, having a positive attitude, showing overall skill improvement, positions and following all field hockey guidelines as well as the guidelines that apply to Patriot High School and PWCS.  Starting rotations and subs can change for any game.  We do have six subs that are available each game which can limit playing time.  There are some players that are only able to play in certain positions at this time so sometimes they must share that position. Our hope is to get each girl playing time each game, but playing time is not promised and it's not written that the girls must play in a game.  Game play is a game by game decision made by the coaches.  Any concerns that we see with the girls at practice or difficulties they are having are addressed with each girl individually and this has already occurred.

We thank you for your support and we are looking forward to a great season, as well as building the best field hockey program in PWC.  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us.  We wanted to make sure that this was addressed properly and all player/parents understand.

Have a great weekend and let's go Patriot Pioneers !!!

Coach Sanders and Coach Stevenson

Ladies,

Please make sure you come down to the cage to get your uniform immediately after school. My understanding is the bus will be there by 2:00pm for us to leave. Please have your navy blue away game socks and I encourage you to bring a drink and something to eat prior to game time.  Remember your buddy gift ....and we are dressing up for school.

Please work on stationary stick work, drives and you may want to do some running over the weekend. If possible see if you can get together with a team mate.  Tuesday's game will be our first big challenge and this is what we have been working towards. Have a great Labor Day weekend... See you all Tuesday! 

Best of Luck on the first day of school!

Today August 29th JV field hockey will practice from 5:00-6:30pm.

NO practice on Friday August 30th.

Garfield now has a JV team in their program so the game will proceed as originally scheduled.

Mr. McCombs has volunteered to be the boosters rep for field hockey so if there are updates we need to send to boosters please either speak to him or one of the coaches.  He will be communicating with us to let us know if boosters has needs in terms of volunteering time or contributing to fundraisers.

Mrs. Bush has volunteered to be the team mom for the varsity girls and Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Chiles will be working together as team moms for JV.  Team moms are asked to create concession schedules for the season for all home games starting with the Varsity game this coming Wednesday.  Also, they will be making arrangements for possible meals for the girls before away games.  Contact Coach Dunbrack with any questions or concerns.

As Garfield will not have a JV program this season, the two games against Garfield for JV have been removed from the schedule.  Varsity will still play Garfield on those dates.

Practice this Friday will be from 8-10 AM in the stadium due to a scheduling change for the football scrimmage that evening.  Both Varsity and JV will practice at this time.

Since all the fall teams have to share space and the stadium, we do have some changes to practice information.  Please read this carefully and put the information on your calendar.

August 16th- Varsity 6-8 PM @ T Clay Wood field, JV 8-10 AM @ Stadium

August 19th-23rd (except game day on 22nd)- both teams 5-7 PM @ Stadium

August 26th- be at the school at 3 PM to get dressed for pictures (pictures scheduled for time slot 3:25-3:40), practice 6:30-8:30 @ stadium but come dressed for a long run first

August 27th- 5-7 PM @ Stadium

August 29th and 30th- 6:30-8:30 PM @ Stadium

Once school starts, we will practice in the stadium 2:30-4:30 PM except for game days

Please note that the start time for the scrimmage on August 22nd has changed from 5:00pm to 2:00pm. Please plan accordingly.

Also please read updated news posted last night.

All players and parents needs to read and sign the team guidelines as discussed at the parent meeting. Please print out guidelines and turn into Coach Sanders or Coach Stevenson by Friday August 16th.

Team Guidelines can be found under Team Files on the JV field hockey website.

All girls will need a white razor back sports bra for under their jersey's, black spandex shorts to wear under their hockey skirts and a pair of white socks and a pair navy blue socks to wear overtop of their shin guards.  Please have items before the next scrimmage on August 22nd.  The girls can discuss further with their  "team buddy" or the coaches.

*** For the scrimmage on August 14th, the girls will need plain  white socks of some type to wear over the shin guards. Since this is a last minute notice, please do not rush out to purchase socks. I'm sure the girls have something at home that will work for the scrimmage.***

There will be a parent meeting next Tuesday, August 13th at 6:30.  All parents for fall sports will meet at the same time with the Patriot HS Activites Director.  Then there will be a break out session for field hockey followed by practice for the girls from approx 7:30-8:30.

For any girl new to sports at Patriot or who hasn't completed impact testing previously while at Patriot, you will need to attend the impact testing session tomorrow directly following practice.  I will have a list of girls at practice tomorrow.  Then, starting Monday, practices will be in the evening from 6:30-8:30.

Friday, 8/9, from 11-12 there will be mandatory impact testing at school for all members of the fh program that have not previously tested. It is an online concussion base line test.  Girls need to be prepared to go straight from tryouts to testing and you must test that day to be eligible to play this fall.  The coaches will talk to girls Thursday who might be affected by this.

All sports will now be doing a check in down in Commons 1 of the school building.  Field hockey and volleyball's check in will be starting at 8 AM.  All girls interested in trying out must check in down at the building.  You need to be at the school no later than 9 AM to check in with your physical dated after May 1st and your certificate of completion from the concussion course.  If you do not have both of these things you will not be eligible to try out.  Once you have checked in, report up to the stadium.

Practices during the summer (after tryouts but before school starts) will be held in the stadium from 6:30-8:30 PM.  If you are going to be working during the summer, please plan accordingly when giving work your times of availability; work is not an excused absence.

Tryouts will be August 5th-9th, 9-11 AM at the Patriot Stadium.  Any player interested in being a part of the 2013 program must be in attendance for those dates.

During the summer, we will be in the weight room at Patriot HS Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-7:30 PM.  Any girl interested in coming out for the 2013 season is welcome but you must have a current physical and blue card on file with Coach Dunbrack.  When we get closer to the summer, a calendar will be posted to show which dates will be included/excluded.  If you are planning to come for workouts, we do expect you to attend as much as possible.

There will be informational sessions about concussions at Patriot HS in the auditorium on the following dates at 7PM.  You will need to attend one of these to be eligible for fall sports.

Meeting moved to tomorrow due to schedule change.