Sachem East junior Katie Trombetta recently returned to the states after a seven-day tour of Amsterdam with the U-17 Junior National Field Hockey Team.
Her squad played some of the best U18 European teams, including the Dutch and South African squads. The U.S. team went 2-1-1.
“Being able to go there for field hockey was just an unforgettable experience and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity,” she said.
Trombetta said they had four training sessions between the four games and also had a chance to watch three men’s field hockey contests.
“Being able to play at that caliber makes for such a different game,” she said. “Our style was passing patterns to get the ball up the field, dribbling didn’t happen as much because there wasn’t as big of a need for it. The Europeans there have amazing stick skills and everything with them is tight and fast. They grow up playing the sport so they have the advantage of learning the skill at a young age.”
Trombetta, who has verbally committed to play at the University of Michigan and was a First Team All-American this season, played defensive middie and back, different from her normal offensive forward position.
One of the noticeable differences cultural differences Trombetta noticed while in Holland was the strong emphasis on the game of field hockey.
“It’s so cool how field hockey is the thing to play there,” she said. “It is a big part of their society. Being able to play at this top level has forced myself to pick up my game and really focus on the little details that make you successful. It really was amazing.”
This spring she’ll be practicing with members of her national team at Rutgers and Princeton on weekends in the USA Hockey Futures Elite Academy and will be trying out for a spot on the U19 team this summer.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro