UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- After representing Penn State Field Hockey for the past four years, Madison Hutson is hopeful she'll get to do so again this spring. "Every time I step out on the field, that could be my last game," explains Hutson. She is looking forward to putting the blue and white jersey back on.
Madison graduated in May of 2020 with her Bachelor of Science in Immunology and Infectious Disease. In May of 2021, she will graduate from the Smeal College of Business with her master's degree in Management and Organizational Leadership.
During semester break, she enjoyed spending time with her family. "We had a lot of game nights and a lot of movie nights, which sometimes we don't get to do because we're always busy," shares Madison. "The small, little moments with family were probably my most favorite."
The off time was an opportunity for Hutson and the rest of her teammates to recharge and prepare for the spring, a time of year that is typically an off season. Rather than being motivated by each other, Madison and her teammates had to learn to train and push themselves individually. This was a mentality shift and a challenge the team has proven to overcome. "It wasn't our typical fall and it's not our typical spring. It's really just trying to prepare ourselves both mentally and physically for what we're here to accomplish," explains Madison.
Her personal goal for this season is to communicate in all aspects of the game, both on and off the field. She also wants the team to continue to work as a cohesive unit. By working together, she knows the team's preparation during practice will be evident during games.
Hutson has learned many life lessons during her time on the Penn State field hockey team, but her biggest takeaway is that everyone comes from a different walk of life, with various backgrounds and goals. As captain, she has learned how to be an effective leader by helping her teammates succeed in reaching those goals.
"I've learned all these things, but life lesson wise, its more than just the little things because it adds up to be a big thing at the end of the day," says Madison. "I wouldn't have said that freshman year by any means, but now it's a bit different being in my fifth year."
Madison's favorite memories from Penn State are the experiences that are hard to put into words, from the energy in Beaver Stadium after Penn State football beat Ohio State during the White Out game in 2016, to Penn State field hockey's hard-earned victory over Maryland in 2018.
She will hold all of her memories as a Nittany Lion close, as she soon begins a new chapter and plans to matriculate to medical school in the fall. "It will be different to try and figure my way through life without having that athletic identity, which will be hard because I've been playing field hockey since I was 7 or 8 years old," explains Hutson.
Until then, Madison will continue to lead the Penn State field hockey team with a smile, looking for the positives in every day and not taking a minute for granted. "I'm really just trying to be as optimistic as I can, controlling what I can control."
