Josephine Ashton '22 Recruiting Profile

Being a leader is something very important to me, both on and off the field. It is something that I truly pride myself on. On the field, it can take many different forms, whether it be directing other players on the field about something that they  can't see or telling them to force the ball to the sidelines so the rest of the team can recover. As a goalkeeper,  it is essential to communicate on the field and to be confident in your abilities. As a testament to my leadership over the past three years,  I was voted by my teammates and coaches to be a captain for the 2021-2022 season. To me, this is truly one of the greatest honors a player can receive;  it means that my teammates recognize how much I care about the team and that I have the team's best interest at heart. 

Although the 2020 season was unconventional, to say the least, it was important to me to treat it like any other season with the same passion and ambition as seasons past. Despite school shutdowns, tournament cancellations and new conferences, my team made the most out of these circumstances.  We fought through the challenges and proudly became NJSIAA Northwest B State Champions for the first time in our school's history.  It is something I will never forget. 

In addition to being a player on the field, I also completed my Jr. Umpire certification over the summer and inspired some of my other friends and teammates to take the course as well. This lets me officiate the youth level games in my area and I have gained a deeper understanding of the game by relearning the rules by the book. 

While field hockey is very important to me, I do believe that being a good person is just as important as being a good athlete. People may not always remember what you accomplished but they will always remember how you made them feel. This is why I try to lead by example in social situations and treat everybody equally, you never know what people are going through on their own. I try to implement being a leader into my everyday life and I believe that it is one of the reasons why not only my team but I as a person have been successful.