For the Love of the Game

    She was enthralled by the excitement, the teamwork, the culture.
    She savored her friendships with the older girls who treated her so nicely.
    “I looked up to all of them, especially Tori O’Shea,” Brooks said of the 2008 graduate who earned Richmond Times-Dispatch Player of the Year honors in ’06 and ’07.
    “She was a captain.  She had great leadership and skills.
    “I wanted to be like her.”
    As she grew with the program, Brooks became an outstanding player in her own right. She was selected All-League of Independent Schools, All-VISAA, and All-Metro as a sophomore, junior, and senior. Twice, she made the NFHCA All-South team.
    This past fall, though she played center back, a defensive position, she scored a team-high 13 goals, contributed 10 assists, and was a linchpin in the Cougars’ second consecutive state championship.
    Today, the Wake Forest-bound senior was recognized as the Times-Dispatch player of the year, a fitting complement to her VISAA player of the year honor that was announced in early November.
    “Brooks has worked very hard for her success and has truly earned every single accolade that has come her way,” said O’Shea, now an assistant coach at Collegiate.
     “She’s dedicated weekends, summers, and off seasons to improving her skills and athleticism.  She’s a natural leader on the field due to her hard work off the field.
   “She made her younger teammates so much better each and every day.“
    Brooks’ formal journey into the world of competitive hockey began at six when she joined the Talley Ho program organized by Coach Doxey.
    She played on Collegiate’s JV as a seventh and eighth grader and made the varsity as a freshman.
    “Brooks has an incredible work ethic and tremendous skill and understanding of field hockey,” said MH Bartzen, a long-time Collegiate assistant coach.
    “For the past four years, she’s been the picture of professionalism with steady but noticeable improvement. She has always strived to improve at practice, in the weight room, and in the off season.
    “In the past year her defensive skills in the circle really went to the next level. Her true gift is her field vision along with her accuracy and pacing of her passes. Her cool determination and quiet competitiveness give her the poise to really make big things happen at big moments.”
    As she’s refined her technique, gained confidence in her ability, assumed the mantle of leadership, and emerged as a bona fide star, Brooks has never lost sight of her premise that the intangibles far outweigh her burgeoning array of individual accolades.
    “I never look at stats or All-LIS or all-state,” she said.  “It’s all about the team and working toward a state championship. Teamwork is so important.  We’re so tight-knit. When we’ve succeeded, we’ve succeeded together.
    “I’ve loved playing for my mom and sharing the experience with her. She’s such a great person because she shapes us to be good people and good field hockey players.”
    Through her career, Brooks has also never lost sight of the influence of those who inspired her and has been ever so mindful of paying forward the gift.
    “Brooks is an amazing athlete and person,” said Gwin Sinnott, a freshman who played on the varsity this past fall. "She was always very supportive and willing to help her teammates.
    “She’s one of the nicest people ever.  I’m so fortunate to have been on a team with her.”
                                             -- Weldon Bradshaw