ARIEL SCHUMACHER

Playing Field Hockey at Lafayette College Fall of 2020
West U Elementary School (K - 4th)
Duchesne Academy (5th - 8th)
Duchesne Academy (2016 - 2020) Captain, Varsity all four years

Profile Link

From Ariel: 
Favorite Field Hockey Memory? Why?

• My favorite field hockey memory was at the Indoor Qualifiers in 2018. I was the youngest on the U19 team and probably the most frightened but when we won the championship game everyone just came together and hyped each other other. It showed me what a team is.
  

 
What was your most exciting recruiting experience?

• My most exciting recruitment experience was going up to Lafayette for the first time, not knowing anyone, and being assigned to play with the already committed kids and playing well. I felt the most comfortable there. All my hard work leading up to that day paid off and I saw results.
  

Why are you playing field hockey in college?

• I love this sport so much. I love having a second family who I can count on on and off the field. I love competition and what better way than to compete in college!
  

What have you been doing to prepare?

• I have been working out everyday- some days running, other days lifting and other days both! I think that it is important to be in the best game shape I can be so starting early helps. I also have been working on quickening my stick skills and releasing the ball faster.
  

If you could give one piece of advice to younger girls who want to play field hockey in college, what would it be?

• I would say that you need to trust the process because it will work out for you. What you plan in the beginning may not be what comes out in the end and that is completely okay. You just have to be willing to trust Tina and the recruitment process. And put in the work because you will get good things in the end.
  

Who was the most influential person in high school?

• I thought that Tina was my most influential person in high school. No matter where, what happened with recruitment or with field hockey, I knew that she had my back and everything would work out. Even through the tough times, she never gave up on me and always pushed me to be better because she knew I could be. I'd also like to s/o my high school coaches!
  

​Favorite post practice/ game snack?

• Mini Wheats and Cuties!
  

What pre game rituals do you use to hype yourself up before a game?

• I like to listen to music and think about how I am going to play in the game and imagine myself doing that.
  

What made you want to be a college field hockey player?

• I've always loved playing sports and being competitive. When I heard that I could play in college, I immediately started looking into schools. I realized that field hockey was my thing and I just wanted to continue that for as long as I could so that's when I knew I wanted to play in college.
  

What was one of the toughest experiences?

• One of the toughest experiences was coming back from a disappointing Regional Futures Tournament and not being selected and feeling so frustrated. I was a very passive player. It was really hard for me to accept that I wasn't good enough that year but with the help and push from Tina, I started working hard and being more aggressive in the game.
  

Year you began playing field hockey? How?

• I played field hockey in 5th grade for a summer camp and thought it was really fun but I didn't start until 2014 when I learned about Pride and wanted to try it out. Fell in love with it from the start!
  

From Tina:
Favorite Ariel Moment (old) / why?:

• West U and Ariel. We had so many lessons at West U in the beginning.  This would probably have been like 7th grade.  She had great hands and could do all of the skills, but she would get so frustrated if it wasn't perfect.  She was a newer player, so it wasn't a big deal, but she would get so mad at herself....And then her mom would come, and Ariel would make a sassy comment to her mom, and they would start speaking Spanish intensely towards each other.  It's comical now, but I remember at the time thinking that Ariel was actually good. If she would just take some of this pressure off herself, she could be incredible.  Eventually she did...we had lessons for years at West U.

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Favorite Ariel moment (new)/ why?

• At U19 NIT this year, it was evident that Ariel cared about this and how well we did.  She played some of her best hockey that weekend while playing different positions on the field and having a variety of roles. She was a leader on the field and did a great job stepping up and organizing.  She played equally as well last year at NIT when we really needed her.  When you work with someone from the time they are 12 until they turn 18, you watch them grow up through their teenage years - through the good and the tough stuff.  This tournament was memorable because it exemplified all the ways Ariel has grown over the years, and why she's ready to compete at the next level.

Story we will forever tell about Ariel:

• I'll just say the U16 Indoor practice where we had a passionate conversation in the side room at SWIS.... :)

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Favorite Ariel recruiting moment/ why?

• My favorite recruiting moment for Ariel was after she committed.  I always see a difference in play after the girls commit because they calm down and settle in - the recruiting pressure is finally off.  Well...it was like the Ariel we always knew was in there came out in the best way.  She started playing so much better...fluid, comfortable and confident.  The impact was almost immediate.  Her coaches came and watched her play at Festival and they were already impressed by how much better she was playing.  

First memory of Ariel / why?

• My first vivid memory of Ariel was at our first Festival tournament. I made a bad choice on a rooming list, and the older girls were being mean. Middle School is a rough place for kids. Eventually, Ariel became friends with the same girls earning her spot on their team and showing she was just as good, if not better, than them. That memory was significant to me because it was the first time, as a coach, that I dealt with middle school girl "stuff".  It was also significant for Ariel because it shows how far she has come over the 6 years we've worked together.  She's grown into this incredibly talented, successful and independent young woman who's going to do great things in this world.