Over the summer, six varsity field hockey players — juniors Tina Miller, Hannah Leonard, Maxine Parr and Rachel Davey, and seniors Erin Norris and Sabrina Clark — attended field hockey college recruitment camps in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Miller, Leonard and Davey traveled to a boarding school in Deerfield, Mass., for a four-day camp directed by a former Boston College field hockey coach. Several coaches from other schools also came to observe the athletes.

During the camp, they participated in three sessions, each devoted to a different aspect of the sport. The first was for skill improvement, the second for game play and the third for competing in a tournament with the other players.

“Not only did we work on our skills and fitness over the summer, but now we’re ready for this coming season,” Miller said.

But Miller faced challenges when the girls were taught difficult new techniques, struggling to perfect them.

“There [were] struggles throughout, even if you [knew] how to do it, it’s a part of learning,” Miller said. “We were taught some new skills and they’re going to be helpful for this season.”

Meanwhile, Parr, Clark and Norris flew to Hartford, Conn., to attend a similar four-day program. Unlike the camp in Massachusetts, this program was invitation-based. According to Norris, more than 100 college coaches observed the players.

Norris and Clark also said that the camp helped the three girls grow closer as teammates.

“We had a great time bonding in the dorm rooms and staying up all night together, but we were on different teams and didn't see each other too much during the day,” Clark said.

Norris also got the chance to meet many girls from the East Coast at the camp. In addition to lasting friendships, she felt that learning from the other players gave her a new perspective on the game itself.

“We were all split up into teams so I was with girls I had never played with before,” Norris said. “The difficulties was just trying to play with these girls because they played differently than me, but I adjusted quickly.”

Like Norris, Clark said her favorite part of the camps were the games they were assigned to each day.

“I wasn't used to the humidity, and we even played in pouring rain and the next day, scorching heat,” Clark said. “I love playing so my favorite part was just being in the games and learning new styles of play.”