April 16, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. You get dressed, pack your bag, and make your way to a 7:00 a.m. training session. You're tired, you're sore and the regular season hasn't even begun yet. This is otherwise known as the off-season.
The off-season is meant to test you, challenge you and make you question why you love the game. That way, when you take the field during the first game, you know your purpose and take pride in putting on the jersey. Penn State field hockey's head coach, Charlene Morett-Curtiss, believes the off-season is meant for much more than morning workouts and afternoon shooting practice: it is a time to give back.
Over the course of her storied career at Penn State, Morett-Curtiss has always made it a point to get her team involved. From Penn State sponsored charities, to the Special Olympics or volunteering their time with Youth Field Hockey, this team is always lending a hand and skills to the community.
"When we recruit kids to come to Penn State, we want them to have a well rounded experience," Morett-Curtiss said. "Being apart of this program and Penn State is so much more than just playing. You have to give back to the community and support them like they support you."
Over the past few years, there hasn't been a THON where the field hockey team wasn't present, either on the dance floor, at athlete hour, or both. This year, senior Laura Gebhart and junior Beth Mink, danced the full 46 hours and played pick-up field hockey games with the kids.
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