Notes From the Field: Is Magic Considered a Liquid?

“Notes From the Field” with Erin Matson on Chapelboro.com is proudly presented by Chapel Hill Tire.

Erin Matson is a Tar Heel, world-class athlete, team player and champion. Here, in “Notes From the Field,” she’ll be sharing some of her thoughts in an ongoing series set to cover anything and everything on her mind. You can find the full series so far here, on Chapelboro.

When you think of a hurricane, odds are you probably associate it with gray skies, cold winds, lots of rain and the desire to stay inside.

I bet that your mind doesn’t go to the UNC Field Hockey team dancing on our home bench before warm-up, belting along to “Hurricane” by Bridget Mendler on the loudspeakers, acting as if the rain wasn’t coming down sideways.

But that’s what kind of week it was. It was one of those that made us think, “Something feels different.” I’m not sure what everyone ate for breakfast each day. But none of us were complaining.

It was powerful.

Our practices were intense; everyone showed up matching each other’s energy. Our execution in drills was better than usual, and we were holding each other accountable from the first ball to the last. When someone made a good pass, they were acknowledged, and we could feel our connection building throughout the week too.

Not once did we have to stop a drill, bring it together, and say, “This needs to be better – it’s too slow, too lax, etc.” Instead it was, “Great job, girls. This honestly feels great. Now, what can we do together to take the next step?”

The best part about it all: we were having fun. There were smiles, laughs, high-fives, and hugs. In the moments where you thought you’d never be able to catch your breath again, you’d find a way to shout, “Here we go Heels!” We could really feel the support from each other out there, and it felt more intense than any other time this season.

You guys know I’ve never been one to say “We’re having fun, and that’s all that matters.” I’m not wired like that. I’m not into participation trophies, and I believe winning is what’s fun.

But this week, we struck that balance of challenging each other and embracing being uncomfortable with celebrating and acknowledging the little successes and encouraging one another. We found the fun in that – along with the singing-and-dancing-during-warm-up side of ‘fun’ – and it was momentous.

Everyday was fiery, urgent, competitive and supportive. It was The Carolina Way, and it felt good.

We created magic on that pitch this week. It was palpable. So, we took it with us on the road.

We’re passing more than ever, defending as a team, eliminating with speed when the time is right, and scoring goals with such variety – both in how we’re finishing and who is putting the ball in the net. We’re laughing on the field, working hard for the person next to us, and are not satisfied.

(You knew this was coming…) Please don’t leave this column thinking my purpose was to gas us up in any way, shape, or form. We’re not allowing ourselves to be complacent, become overconfident, think ahead, or play or act like that by any means.

Trust me, we’ve had our fair share of “bulletin board material,” and we/I know better when it comes to representing our program, staying humble and present, and realizing how much more we have to grow. There is no other team in the country who is reminded as much as we are to respect every opponent and not get ahead of ourselves.

“You are what you are.” 

“There are no supposed-to’s.”

“Potential just means you ain’t done sh*t yet.”

“Why is this game the most important one? Because it’s the next one.”

We hear it, and we take it very, very seriously.

All I am saying is that the team’s actions and attitude this week deserved to be highlighted. It all mattered. This week mattered. It was a step for us.

We feel good and proud of each other after a week of hard work. It’s rewarding to see hard work pay off, and it’s even more rewarding to know that more hard work means more paying off.

With that being said, I’m not lying when I say the only thing on our mind right now is our game this Friday against BC. It’ll be fun to head up North. I know our families are looking forward to it!

And from here on out, we’ll do our best to keep that magic bottled up, continue to work to let it build, get it through airport security, and not let it out of our sight.

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