Field Hockey Silver Medalist Tracey Larson Arndt Shares Inspirational Message & Expertise with Shipley

The Shipley field hockey team was delighted to welcome guest speaker, Tracey Larson Arndt, to their second day of pre-season practice at the Farm Fields. Tracey was a member of the US Field Hockey Team and earned a silver medal in the Pan American Games. Tracey talked to the team about how hard work and a positive attitude helped her achieve success.

Tracey grew up in Bucks County, PA and was recruited as a walk-on at Penn State University. Penn State won the Big 10 field hockey championship her freshman year, during which she also was chosen as Rookie of the Year. Tracey was asked to try out for the National Team. She couldn’t believe they picked her and when she went to her coach asking if they had the right player, her coach told her, “Just try it, just go for it.” She thought of the tryouts as interviews and gave her best, which earned her a spot on the team.

Before instructing the Shipley girls on their hitting, Tracey shared insight on how each of them could play to the best of her abilities and how to be successful on the field and off. Tracey says, “It doesn’t matter if you are the best player on the team or you feel you are the worst, either way great things can happen.” She is inspired by the acronym TRY (Take Responsibility Yourself) and told the girls to always TRY. If you TRY “really good things will happen.” Tracey shared her personal mantra that is also used by the Navy Seals, “Just ordinary people working extraordinarily hard.” She reinforced to the players that this year, they are given a chance to be unbelievably successful. In closing, Tracey gave a few tips from Rachel Dawson (a member of the USA national field hockey team):

• 1. Fuel your body with good nutrition.
• 2. Explore your mind.
• 3. Celebrate yourself.

With those motivational words, the field hockey team picked up their sticks and each played, to the best of her abilities.