As our summer camp coaches are finalized, we wanted to introduce you to all our coaches that help bring a higher level of field hockey to Northern Virginia. We are thrilled to have such a wide range of coaches working with us from current college coaches to international players to Division I, II and III athletes to high school coaches. Read about our coaches and then find out how you can play club with them or get coached by them during summer camp!
CLUB COACHES
Chrissy Lewis: Coach Chrissy owns Beyond Sticks and especially likes losing her voice while coaching all age groups. She is finishing her Master’s degree at Georgetown when she isn’t consumed by field hockey. She was an NCAA Academic All-American and starter all four years at Vassar College. She captained her last two and received All-League honors while also serving as the NCAA National Chairperson for all Division III athletes. Coach Chrissy loves teaching tactical awareness and watching players improve. She is excited to be creating more playing opportunities in Northern Virginia through Beyond Sticks. Find her entire story here.
Ali Cavin: U-19 Head Coach and Technical Director for all East Coast: NOVA teams. She played at Penn State and works in the software industry in Washington DC when she isn’t jumping up and down on the sidelines. She brings a technical understanding to the game and excellent one-on-one instruction to the NOVA players. As a former striker, she specializes in elusive ball handling and shots. She also brings an incredible amount of enthusiasm and fun to the game.
Sarina Sawyer: East Coast: NOVA Goalie and Defense coach. Coach Sawyer was a four year starting goalkeeper at Wellesley College. She likes holding her arms out in life and while coaching. She brings excellent goalie coaching and a love/hate relationship to the goalkeepers she works with as she forces them out of their comfort zones. She is particularly strong at fast footwork and helping goalies “move off home”. She works at the Sierra Club when she isn’t coaching or dreaming about going back to South America, where the picture below was taken.
CAMP COACHES
Janelle Anthony: Coach Anthony is the current Head Coach at Centre College in Kentucky. In her first year, she successfully coached the Centre Hockey team to League Championships this fall. A stand-out at Susquehanna University, she captained her final year and was named an All-American. Like Coach Chrissy and Coach Cavin, she played with East Coast Field Hockey Club and has extensive experience working and playing with Division I athletes. She will be coaching High School players during camp to expose them to a college level of coaching and training.
Jacinto Perez: Coach Perez plays in Spain and is coaching for his second summer in the United States. He has played on top clubs in Spain and loves bringing a Spanish style of hockey to the United States. Known for being incredibly energetic and lots of fun in teaching his “Spanish hockey tricks”, Coach Perez will be coaching the highest level of hockey players at camp.
Itxaso Sanchez: Itxaso has represented Spain in international matches on the U-16 and U-21 team and currently plays in the highest hockey division in Spain. She is pursuing an MBA in Spain. Itxaso is thrilled to be coaching in all of Beyond Sticks’ camps this summer. She will be working with High School athletes and teams that attend as a group.
Natalie Fox: Coach Fox is entering her third year coaching High School at Cumberland Valley in Central Pennsylvania. She is earning her Masters in Education and has five years of teaching experience as a High School Science teacher. She coached at the Madeira Clinic last year with excellent feedback on they way she can illuminate the game to newer players. She will be working with players who are new to the game.
Erin Hartman: Coach Hartman also coached at the Madeira Clinic and at the Madeira School. A standout at Central Dauphin High School, she continued to play club at University at Pittsburgh (they do not have a team, and her heart was set on Pitt). She has an excellent understanding field space, movement and seeing how to correct body and stick positioning. Like Coach Fox, Coach Hartman has a knack for breaking down complex actions into simple steps for new players. She will be working with players who are new to the game.
Coach Fox and Coach Hartman played together in High School, as this adorable picture shows.
Coaches in Training (CITs):
Annie Lewis: Coach Lewis is attending Gettysburg College as a Field Hockey and Lacrosse Student-Athlete. Athlete of the Year at Madeira, she has a natural athletic ability that makes her a dangerous player in the midfield. She has been a camp counselor for the past 3 summers and loves working with younger girls. She will be working with younger players.
Sandrine Wilson: Coach Wilson is attending IUP as a Field Hockey Student-Athlete. She was a high scoring athlete on her high school team and has a nose for the goal. She has played in numerous national tournaments including Festival. Always one to make a joke after a long training session, she will work to show younger players that you can have fun and work hard.
Nicole Abib: Coach Abib is attending Cornell next year. She is a goalkeeper and has attended numerous indoor and outdoor tournaments. She will be showing Goalkeepers how to break down skills like stacking, diving and when to come out or stay on your line. She will be assisting Coach Chrissy with Keepers and the “Learning to Lead” Workshops.
- Nicole prepping for a shot during indoor practice.
