It’s the 2017-2018 sports season at Arapahoe High School and fall athletics are already in full steam. Yet in caught in the riff of football’s extreme popularity and volleyball’s early September awakening, comes a young sport. Field Hockey, or Fockey as it’s affectionately known by the players. At only two years of age, the program has attracted a wide variety of players including beginners unaware of the sport to those who’ve been playing for years. Field Hockey has been around for a multitude of years, just not in Colorado. On the East Coast, the sport rages with acclaim, akin to athletics of Soccer. Since ‘fockey’ is such an immature sport, it receives little coverage, and most of the time, little awareness that it even exists.

So what is fockey? Field hockey is a lot like lacrosse and soccer. Played on a turf field, players race up and down in an attempt to score goals. It’s all played with a stick, one similar to a hockey player’s, just smaller with a different type of tip. The positions are identical to the one’s performed on the soccer field. Offenders (forwards) rush the ball up the field, taking shots on a heavily suited goalie. Midfielders recover the ball and spend most of the game racing between support for defense and for offense. Finally, defenders do just what one would believe. They defend. Offering aid to the goalie while ensuring the ball’s exit from their half of the field. Like lacrosse, the physical sport requires minimal protection, promoting only eye gear, mouth-guards, and shin-guards.

How are they doing this season? Unfortunately, field hockey is still young and it’s still gaining experience. The AHS Junior Varsity and Varsity team have both earned win this season, yet have also experienced multiple losses. Still, there are more games to come, and they are offering some promise. The team has evolved from last year, where in total, only a single goal was scored by Junior (now Senior) Molly Galloway. It’ll be interesting to see how they perform for the rest of the season and if they are capable of obtaining a spot in the playoffs.

The Fockey Family: Despite a few crushing defeats, the AHS fockey warriors refuse to lose hope. After all, the taste of a win is too irresistible to forget. But goal-scoring is only one front of fockey. The family, is another. “We are a team, a close nit family who will take the good and the bad together,” explains sophomore and varsity member, Megan England. It’s clear that even if Field Hockey flunks every game, the joy of the sport will remain. 

Field Hockey, though it’s not the most successful Arapahoe sport, is certainly fighting for a further reputation. The girls practice everyday for two-hours, pushing themselves and challenging high-tier schools such as Colorado Academy and Regis. It’s popularity has excelled, and sport participation has skyrocketed since the initial year.

If you can, be sure to check out one of the games as their short season is quickly coming to a close.

Check it Out: http://www.ahswarriors.org/sport/fieldhockey