Going into the playoff season, the girls Forest Hills Varsity Field Hockey Team was gearing up to go far and hopefully win Conference. However, that wasn’t the case. This past Friday, October 21, the team was not able to pull through and lost 7-0 to Ann Arbor Pioneers. Even with the loss, they were able to end their season on a high note.

The girls were able to end the season with a record of 9-6-0 (including the playoff game), and with that, they were able to end a lot better than in previous years. As a result, many of the girls were proud of themselves and what they were able to accomplish this year.

“I felt the season went really well,” Noelle Stewart, a senior at Forest Hills Central said. “We started off strong and continued to improve our skills. We beat teams that we lost to in the past which was exciting. Overall the season was a success!”

Not only were they able to achieve a lot, but they also were able to gain and grow as a family. Even though a lot of girls knew each other, some hadn’t been on the team as long as others. Although they were nervous at the beginning, it paid off in the end because of what they gained from this experience.

“I gained the experience of playing a team sport where you need to rely on your teammates in order to play well,” Noelle said. “I also gained the experience of playing a newer sport to me and making memories.”

The girls had many positive experiences and thoughts throughout the season, there were some thoughts on what could have gone differently. There were some instances where they thought that they didn’t put in enough effort or work.

“I feel like we could have trained harder and put more effort in during the practices,” Noelle said. “Our practices never seemed to be very intense which I believe affects the way we played in our games.”

In life, players tend to all go through stages where they win or lose, but with this group of girls, they were able to take away so much more than a loss or a win. They were able to look past what could have been changed or the “what ifs” and were able to take away the true meaning of a team bond. They now can walk away from the season with this bond because life is short to not experience the fun of a team.