We are thrilled to welcome Maddie Sears to the Longstreth/OBO Athlete Program!
Maddie joins us from Avondale, PA and is a sophomore at Villanova University. She is a member of the 2023-24 Big East All-Academic Team and a two-time member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
Get To Know The Goalie
What stick do you use and why?
I use the OBO Robo Straight As composite stick, I like how it is very lightweight but provides powerful rebounds on saves.
How long have you been playing field hockey and what made you try out the goalkeeping position?
I have been playing field hockey for 12 years now and started playing goalie 9 years ago. I started at a youth league near my house as a field player, but always thought that the goalies looked so cool! Once I was old enough I took the opportunity to try it out and I fell in love with it!
Any pre-game rituals?
I just like to dance with my teammates in the locker room to get the nerves out before we get onto the field.
Go-to pre-game meal?
Peanut butter and strawberry jelly on a toasted plain bagel.
Go-to gameday hairstyle?
Either a high ponytail with a braid or a high ponytail with a bubble braid.
Favorite pump-up song?
My favorite is Everybody by Nicki Minaj and Lil Uzi Vert, and a team favorite is Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys.
Describe your playing style in 3 words?
Agile, aggressive, but poised
What do you enjoy doing outside of field hockey?
I love hanging out with my friends whenever I have free time as well as just being
outside and going on walks!
Any superstitions before a game?
I will usually just wear my hair the same way for a whole season and I drink an
electrolyte packet before the game
Favorite motivational quote?
My favorite motivational quote is probably “success is not final, failure is not fatal; it’s the courage to continue that counts” -Winston Churchill. I think this is super impactful because it is important to always keep pushing yourself to be the best that you can be no matter what happens. It is important to not let failures impact how you perform in the future and rather use them to learn and grow!
What’s something you would tell your younger self?
I would tell myself to not dwell on mistakes but rather use them to learn and get stronger! It is great to always want to be the best version of myself but it is also ok to fail and use it as a lesson. This was an especially big thing to remind my self about as I made the step up into Division 1 field hockey my freshman year.
Name one of your favorite field hockey memories?
My favorite field hockey memory is making the Big East tournament and then starting for our first round game against Liberty. It was so cool to be able to play against such a skilled team although we fell short by 1 goal. Another one with my team is when our practice at JMU got cut short because of lightning and we went back to the hotel and got to swim and do Zumba in the pool.
