Penn State Field Hockey player Julia Lamb is in the middle of her third season as a Nittany Lion. Lamb, a Phoenixville, Pa., native and an Owen J. Roberts High School grad, reflects on how far she has come in her experience and how she has grown into her new role on the team.
A redshirt junior, Lamb has had a successful season that has showcased her development, and she notes "As my role within the team has changed, I want to build better relationships and learn how to handle situations within the team better." Lamb aspires to be more consistent with how she is carrying herself now that people are looking to her as a leader.
This new responsibility came at the right time for Lamb, "The people ahead of me were such good leaders and I had so much time to learn from them which was so valuable. I now have experience being on the team, so I can translate those experiences from the last four years."
Lamb is always thankful to her teammates, past and current, for their support and for the strong foundation they have created for her, "The biggest thing I've learned from being a field hockey player here is how valuable the friendships are. Anytime there is a doubt with how hard it is and if I want to continue to do this, I think about the people I am with, and I could never leave them." The value of 'team' is important to Lamb as she aspires to grow as part of a greater whole, rather than growing alone.
From 2020 to now, Lamb knows that she has changed as a player, "My role as an underclassman was completely different than it is now. I wish I could tell myself then how important that role is. Everyone has an equally important role– no matter if you are on the field or not." For Lamb, she acknowledges that the biggest battle was confidence, "You spend most of your time as a younger athlete training for the physicality, but no one tells you how much you have to train for the mental piece, and that is something that is so important."
Looking ahead to the future, Lamb is excited for the rest of this season and her senior season to come, "I am still growing but, vocally I have a lot more confidence, and I am able to lean on people when I need help, I know I'm not a burden. I've learned it's okay to ask for help." Lamb hopes to learn new skills to take with her beyond field hockey and the classroom, she plans on learning all she can from the amazing experience of being a student-athlete at Penn State.
