University Park, Pa. — Bree Bednarski headed straight to softball practice once the school day ended at Wyoming Area high school in the spring.
Bednarski, a junior, then went to track and field practice to work on sprinting, running or throwing right after. That was her afterschool routine during the spring months throughout high school.
It was a schedule that tested her time management skills.
"That was a bit challenging because practice is around the same time," Bednarski said. "But I made time to participate in both sports."
In addition to competing in softball and track and field, Bednarski played field hockey in the fall.
But how did she balance it all?
"I just loved doing them," Bednarski said. "It never seemed hard to do all three."
Bednarski ultimately chose to play field hockey in college but her work ethic from successfully competing in three sports, for which she earned numerous accolades, stuck with her.
That work ethic has helped Bednarski along her path to Penn State, where she has developed into a starter, leader (on and off the field) and postseason contributor.
However, before Bednarski was playing in postseason tournaments, she grew up playing outside with her family and kids from her neighborhood.
"We were always outside playing sports or riding our bikes around or playing games," Bednarski said.
She was first introduced to field hockey because of her older sister, who was involved in an afterschool field hockey program at her elementary school. Kids from the elementary school would meet up during the school week to play against teams from the other grades.
In about the fourth grade, Bednarski started playing in the program too. From that moment on, she was hooked.
"I stuck with it ever since," Bednarski said.
She continued playing field hockey through middle school and started playing travel field hockey for Valley Sticks. Then she spent two years with the KaPow club before competing for the WC Eagles club.
Playing travel field hockey gave Bednarski the chance to see a variety of different players with various skills, which helped her develop her own game.
"I learned from other girls along the way, so they made me better and I helped them get better as well," Bednarski said.
Attending camps and clinics also helped her progress. Bednarski went to a lot of camps and clinics at different schools, which gave her the opportunity to learn and tour college campuses.
She now passes on lessons from her experience to younger girls seeking advice.
"I tell little girls now to go to them because you learn so much and you can figure out what you like," Bednarski said.
After graduating from Wyoming Area, Bednarski went to Michigan for a year. She enjoyed her time in Ann Arbor but wanted to be closer to home and for her family to attend her games.
The transfer process was scary for Bednarski. She was going out on a leap of faith and hoping she would be able to transfer to Penn State.
Once she was cleared to transfer, she was able to talk with other schools and that's when she made her decision to go to Penn State.
"I'm happy that I made the switch," Bednarski said. "I felt so welcomed by everyone and it was just really fitting for me."
She arrived at Penn State in the fall of 2017, but because of transfer rules, she wasn't allowed to play or travel with the team to road games. However, she was able to get a year back and redshirt in 2017.
Redshirting was difficult for Bednarski. She was used to being on the field and helping her teammates compete. But, she had to find other ways to support the team.
"I offered as much as I could to them," Bednarski said. "I gave my all at practices to help them perform better in games and cheered them on."
Between redshirting and making her debut for Penn State in 2018, Bednarski worked on developing her skills. She worked on shooting, passing on the move and being versatile playing either forward or in the midfield.
When Bednarski made her debut for Penn State, she had a great feeling and was proud to share the moment with her teammates.
"It was such an amazing feeling to actually put the Penn State uniform on and represent the school with these amazing girls," Bednarski said.
Bednarski had only started two career games coming into the 2019 season, but this past fall she started 11 games, including a Big Ten Tournament semifinal game against No. 1 seed Maryland in early November.
With Penn State facing off against the top seed in the tournament, Bednarski scored off a rebound in the first period and it ended up being the game-winning goal.
It's a moment Bednarski remembers often.
"Sometimes I'll even watch the video again and seeing everyone come in screaming and cheering, it was just the best moment in the world," Bednarski said.
And she was able to share the moment with her family.
"I think they came to every single game this year, home and away," Bednarski said. "Being able to leave the field and have my family there is a fantastic feeling."
As Bednarski prepares for her senior season, she wants to be there for her teammates. Whether it's her younger or older teammates, she wants to help them learn from her experiences.
"I want to give them everything I possibly can in this last season," Bednarski said. "I'm excited to get together with the incoming freshmen, returning players and work to get better."
