Catching Up With Sara Bartzen '21

10/20/2022

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.

Maybe the wear and tear were just too much. One major knee injury was bad enough. But two? C’mon, man! Really? What’s fair about that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. If you choose to look at life that way.

Sara Bartzen never did, though finding inequity in life’s cheap shots would have been easy. When it came to fulfilling her dream, the 2021 Collegiate graduate never did “easy.” That’s not who she is. That’s not who she ever will be.

At Collegiate, Sara was a standout performer in field hockey (five years), winter track (three), and lacrosse (four). She served as a captain in field hockey and lacrosse and earned the Webb Sportsmanship Award as a senior.

Though possessed of dedication to excellence, a strong work ethic, and well-honed talent, she was largely unrecognized when league, region, and state post-season honors were announced, and her résumé reveals that she earned All-League of Independent Schools, All-VISAA, and All-Metro honors only once: as a member of the indoor 4x400 relay team in 2018.

College hockey and lacrosse coaches noticed her effort, positive mindset, humility, and team-first nature, though.

Then came the torn right ACL playing lacrosse the summer before her junior year, an injury similar to that which she sustained in her left knee as a 7thgrader. She’d return better than ever, she knew, but would anyone take a chance? Would she ever realize her dream of competing at the Division I level?

Suffice it to say that challenges often bring blessings.

Sara is now a sophomore at William & Mary and a forward on the field hockey team. She’s the quintessential role player, grateful for the confidence her coaches and teammates have shown in her and for the quality minutes she’s earned and delivered.

The Tribe, now 8-7, has played six ranked teams this fall and defeated three of them (Old Dominion, Liberty, and Duke). Next up is Towson (Oct. 21), then American (Oct. 29), then the Colonial Athletic Association tournament in Newark, Del. (Nov. 4 and 6).

During a rare break in her daily schedule, Sara shared some thoughts, insights, and reflections about her journey.

Speak about the origin of your hockey journey.

I started in the Collegiate field hockey program when I was a baby. I was around [longtime Collegiate] Coach [Karen] Doxey growing up, ever since my mom (M.H. Bartzen, who assisted Dox for 25 years) held me on the sidelines while she was coaching. When I wasn’t with her on the sideline, I was always at the games with somebody watching me. I was six when I started Tallyho, so I grew up with field hockey around me.

My babysitters came from Collegiate field hockey. I totally idolized the players. I picked girls I wanted to be like. Brooks [Doxey ’14] was definitely one of them. Honestly, I looked up to her whole class. Obviously, she was an amazing player, but just more, I watched her work hard day-in and day-out and progress on the field, which inspired me to work hard.

When did you decide hockey would be your next-level choice?

I grew up playing both lacrosse and field hockey as club sports and at school and always thought that I would play lacrosse in college. When I got hurt, I was so upset. I’d gone through the recruiting process with lacrosse. I’d worked so hard. I really thought the injury would take away my chances of playing sports in college in general. Then my club lacrosse coach (Christina D’Angelo of Yellow Jackets South) reminded me that everything happens for a reason, and it might steer me in a different direction.

How did you deal with the challenge of rebuilding again?

I realized that I’d done it once, and I could do it again, and I knew that I’d develop a patience that would be a skill for me later on. It wasn’t easy. The acceptance process of not playing lacrosse in college was hard, but knowing that I had played another sport that I also loved gave me hope. The recruiting process for field hockey had just started. Lacrosse started a little earlier. More field hockey coaches started reaching out than lacrosse, so it seemed like this was supposed to be, especially when William & Mary (Coach Tess Ellis) reached out.

What makes the hockey fun?

Now, after playing two years Division I, I think it fits my personality better than lacrosse did. It’s all about passing. In order to score, you have to pass and have a few sequences and learn to work with your teammates. That fits my style.

Speak about your preparation for the strong academics at William & Mary.

The biggest change [from high school] is that I have so much more time out of class and more work out of class. That’s made me use my time management skills which Collegiate has prepared me so well for. Knowing how to manage your time is the difference between being successful here and not being successful here.

Speak about your preparation for Division I athletics.

Nothing could have prepared me better than Dox and my mom. They pushed me and made me a more complete athlete. Dox is very meticulous about how things have to be done. In order to play on a Division I team, you have to be organized and make sure you have everything together. I was way ahead of the curve on that. And in the fitness aspect, Dox’s practices allowed me to be really prepared for college.

How do you balance the demands of athletics and academics?

You have to carve out time for yourself. That’s one area that I’ve had to work on because it’s always been go-go-go for me. For me, it’s like a walk in Colonial Williamsburg or going to get a coffee. Just something that’s mindless. Then I can get back to being productive, whether it’s watching film, going to practice, or working on something at school. If you don’t carve out time for yourself, you won’t be productive at the time you need to be productive.

What would you tell a young player who dreams of playing college sports?

Never, ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. [After the knee injuries], I had people tell me I’d never play Division I sports, and I never got any accolades, but I refused to believe I wasn’t going to play. I was like, This is what I do. Somebody’s going to believe in me at some point.

The setbacks brought out your resilience and resolve.

My path was different than a lot of people’s. [Through the adversity], I decided I was going to be the best unsung person and do the best I possibly could. I took on that supportive role and prided myself in being a team player. As long as I’m playing and physically healthy and as long as we’re winning, I’m OK.

~Weldon Bradshaw

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