Field Hockey Camp Provides Athletic Opportunities

Kathie DeBonis started the Lady Panther field hockey camp in 1997, and she continues to run the camp now with the assistance of current and former field hockey players.

The goals of the camp are to foster a passion for the sport of field hockey, while giving girls athletic opportunities.

This year, there are about 45 girls attending the camp, ranging from grades one through nine.

At the camp, they're working on fundamentals up to higher level skills. Some of the basics of the game include dribbling, push passing, shooting, flicks, drives, scoops and strokes. 

"The first day or so we're just building upon the foundation," DeBonis said. "Then we're adding it to [two versus one] and to game situations. Ultimately we'll be scrimmaging."

The girls also work on offensive and defensive corners, teaching campers the roles in each and running through them in drills and game situations.

"We break down the entire game into every piece that we possibly can here," DeBonis said. "We try to give them as much experience in everything as we can while they're here."

DeBonis has several former players instructing and assisting at the camp. Those Bridgewater-Raritan alumni field hockey players bring knowledge and experience from their play at the Division I and Division II levels in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Alyssa Dragon played four years of field hockey at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, and graduated in 2008—now she is helping run the camp.

Carlee Dragon is a 2010 graduate of Bridgewater playing field hockey at Long Island University's C.W. Post campus.

Erica Perrine started in goal for four straight years at Bridgewater and is now a sophomore goalie at Bucknell University.

Maria Caro graduated Bridgwater in 2009 and is currently a junior defender/midfielder at William & Mary College.

Taylor Luke is a junior midfielder at the University of Albany after having played four years at Bridgewater-Raritan.

Sam Sherman just graduated in 2011 and will be playing field hockey at Hamilton College.

Current Bridgewater-Raritan players instructing at the camp are senior Kayla Sullivan, as well as Dayle Paustian and Catherine Caro, who are juniors helping out with some of the younger players.

It's with those young players that the sport of field hockey will grow in the Bridgewater community.

"We're hoping to develop a passion for them and introduce them to a different sport," DeBonis said. "There's a lot of opportunities for other sports out there, but we're trying to maybe spark some interest in field hockey."