After years with the same coaching staff, the field hockey team has hired a new head coach, marking an important change in one of Madison’s most regarded sports teams. Math teacher, and now coach, Amy Hastings has taken on this massive role.
“I’ve been coaching for 30 years,” Hastings said. “I coached at Centreville for 10 years before becoming a coach for my daughters’ club team. I grew up playing a ton of sports like soccer, basketball and field hockey in high school and even some in college. That led to me eventually becoming the coach of the [Junior Varsity (JV)] team here at Madison. When the old coach moved away, I knew it was my time to step up and take the role of coaching varsity.”
The girls field hockey team has always been a force to be reckoned with in the Concord District. Last year, the team finished 8-4 in the region and second in the district. In addition, they finished 16-4 overall – an 80% winning record. Despite this, the team has fallen just short of a state championship win for a couple years now. With this in mind, the team adopted a new coach who could bring just what they needed.
“Overall, I’m not looking to make any drastic changes to the team,” Hastings said. “I’ve got a great assistant coach who is very technical about things. All we’re looking to do is challenge the girls more than before. We’ve got 10 returning starters and I’m expecting a lot from them. They’ve been playing together for a while now so I know that they can do big things.”
However, bringing in a new coach does raise a few concerns. The main concern is team chemistry being disrupted. Oftentimes, coaches and players form a strong bond that can be hard to shake. Team members could have a strong bond with their former coach and see the new one as a sort of threat to the team. But in time, the team will see if this change is beneficial or detrimental, especially for players.
“I think the change in coaching staff has been an adjustment for everyone, not particularly positive or negative,” Captain Teagan Hastings (’26) said. “Coach Hastings has been part of the program for years so it was more natural for her to step into the role [of head coach].”
Oftentimes, the younger members of the team are the ones who are most at risk of being impacted by staff changes because they are still developing their skills and understanding of the game. New coaching styles, expectations and strategies can disrupt their learning process. On the other hand, new strategies and techniques could accelerate younger players’ growth.
“I think the team will really benefit from this because of her strong coaching style,” Jayde Kalinock (’28) said. “She’s been a coach for a while now so she knows her stuff, and I think that coaching experience will make a strong impact on the team.”
Building on that experience, Coach Hastings emphasizes the importance of teamwork and unity in shaping the season ahead.
“It’s all about the huddle,” Coach Hastings said. “That’s the slogan we’re going with this year. It’s from a book I read about a basketball player who didn’t play much, but was committed to helping with team camaraderie. With all these returners, there are people who won’t see the field as much. All I can ask is that everybody on the team has a good experience and contributes to the energy of the team. If we can do that, we’re going to be great.”
