Maggie Hatch ’21 is a four-year Senior and captain of Girls Varsity Field Hockey and Girls Varsity Hockey. She plays goalie for ice hockey and has been skating since she was three. Teammate Sarah Holmes ’23 said, “Maggie is one of my biggest role models. She is truly one of the most hardworking kids I know. If there is anyone who embodies all of Hotchkiss’ values, it is Maggie Hatch.”

What do you like most about the field and ice hockey teams?

My favorite part is how close everyone gets. The teams are such tight-knit families. Even if you don’t know someone super-well, you know that they will always be there for you. The teams have taught me so much about what it really means to be playing for the girls standing beside you. Both teams have given me my best friends and my best memories.

How have your teams coped with the pandemic?

Field hockey was definitely difficult at first. We could not do a lot of the traditions, like the end-of-season dinner and our annual movie night, that we normally do. It took some time for us to be able to scrimmage, but once we did, I think everyone was that much more excited to compete and play with each other. We just made the best of playing intramurally, knowing that that was our only competition for field hockey. 

For ice hockey, this has been the first year that we have had team practices throughout the fall. Wednesdays and Saturdays have been a time where everyone can get on the ice and keep playing, so that continuity has benefited the team. However, it has obviously been hard not playing games. The season is just starting, and we will see how it goes, but hopefully we will keep getting better and be able to play some games.

What are you looking forward to this ice hockey season?

I am definitely looking forward to getting to know everyone on and off the ice, because it is such a big team. Even if we don’t have competition, I’m excited to just make the most of it and have fun on the ice competing against each other. So far, the intensity and the energy on the ice has been something I didn’t think could happen without a typical season. I am looking forward to seeing how everyone grows, how the team will come together, and how everyone is going to push each other.

Who has inspired you during your athletics career?

A number of my coaches have influenced me – Coach Robin Chandler ’87 and Coach John Cooper being the biggest. Chan has such a big presence off the ice and field that it just makes you want to be better, if not for yourself, then for her. Just seeing her smile or hearing her laugh makes the place feel lighter and makes everything feel a little happier. 

Coach Cooper is one of the main reasons why I came to Hotchkiss. For the past few years, when the goalies would go to the other end of the ice, he would come down with the goalies and shoot on us. He always used to tell us to play it as though it is pond hockey. That was one of my favorite things; I always try to remember that phrase, just because it is so easy to get caught up in everything. Just hearing him say that and joke around has really kept the fun in everything. I don’t think that without that support I would have accomplished anything.

What advice would you give to current and future athletes?

Remember when you had the most fun playing your sport. Remember what you were thinking, and try to take little bits of that with you every time you play. It is so easy, especially in high school and as you go through college recruiting, to get caught up in thinking that even your mistakes in practice could impact where you go to college and your level of play. I am so guilty of this, but none of those things really matter, as long as it is what is best for you. What college you go to doesn’t matter, as long as it is where you want to go; this is your journey and what matters is your love for the sport. No one else should dictate that. That is the most important thing to have in mind at all times.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.