Nikki Potter
D1 Colgate 2018 field hockey
Captain 2017
All State Player 2017
My first experience playing field hockey was joining modified in 7th grade at Robert E Bell. Then I signed up for the NCFHA clinics and met Brittaney assistant varsity field hockey coach and Sukhi head field hockey coach at Horace Greeley. Brittany made field hockey fun. She is a tough coach but she is also fun and has a lot of personality as well as energy. She really got me excited about the sport. I took small group and private lessons with Brittany to be prepared for high school. She was great! I made varsity my freshman year. Sukhi and Brittany together pushed me to become a better player every year. With their help, I got recruited to play D1 field hockey in college and just started my pre-season at Colgate University! My coaches definitely got me ready. Thank you Brittany for sparking my passion for field hockey and for pushing me to improve every year!
Fiona Grant
Captain 2017
All-State Player 2017
Britt taught me the basics of the sport. She taught me how to tight dribble, how to indian dribble, how to push pass and how to hit the ball. I struggled at the beginning. I was a terrible perfectionist and Britt could always tell when I was getting frustrated. She calmed me down and reminded me that non one is perfect and I always had more time and room to grow. Throughout elemnetary and middle school, Britt was a huge presence in my life. As I fell more and more in love with the sport, I spent more and more time with Britt. She was a support system for me. Britt holds a special place in my heart. Over the 8 years I have known Britt, she has become much more than a coach. She is a sister to me.
Britt has given me so much confidence over the years. She never lets me beat myself up. She never lets me give up on myself. She is always there for me. She introduced me to a new word… “potential”. For most of my life, I thought that people could only be two things when it came to sports. I thought people were either good or bad. I was determined to be good. I was terrified of failing. I was terrified of not being good enough. When I didn’t make varsity my freshman year, I felt hopeless. Field hockey was the most important thing to me and I was just told I wasn;t good enough. My heart was broken. But, like always, Britt was there to remind me that it wasn’t the end of the world. She told me I had potential. I had greatness within myself, I just had to work a little harder to make it show. This opened my eyes. I felt a new motivation within me.
Honestly, if it wasn’t for Britt I don’t think I would have been able to last through high school field hockey. High school was hard and complicated for me. I struggled with depression and anxiety. Making it through the day felt like an impossible task, especially when I had to face a three hour long field hockey practice. But, then I remembered that I had Britt. She was a calming presence. She was one of the few people in my life who never judged me for failing a test or missing a shot. She loved me for who I am as a person, and that meant the world to me. In a time when I felt surrounded my darkness, Britt was a bright light throughout it all. Even if she didn’t even know it.
As my field hockey career came to an end this past fall, I had to face the reality that I was leaving Britt. I went to preseason the day before leaving for college. As usual when it came to hanging out with Britt, I thought I would only stay for a minute to just say goodbye, but I ended up staying for more than an hour. It was just me and Britt joking around and laughing, saying jokes that no one else understood. Britt was one of my hardest goodbyes. She is honestly a part of my family.
I can talk about how amazing of a field hockey player and coach Britt is. But, to me, she is so much more. I am so thankful for all the years I’ve spent for Brittany. She made me a better person. She taught me how to treat myself better. She showed me that I am so much more than I think and I have the power and strength to do anything I want.
Thank you so much Britt for everything you have done for me. You are such a role model and inspiration to me. Love you, Britt!!
Sophia Rutman
Captain 2018-2019
bOWDOIN COLLEGE dual Athlete Field Hockey/Lacrosse
state Championship Finals 2019 2nd place
all State Player 2018-2019
Brit was a phenomenal coach. She knows every aspect of the sport and can make anyone into a field hockey player if they are willing to give her one hundred percent effort. She taught me not only how to pass, hit, and dribble but also so much about strategy and field vision. I am a defender, but I know where the forwards and midfielders should be at all times, and how to effectively set up scoring opportunities. She also focused on many overlooked aspects of the game, such as footwork, channeling, and recovery after practices or big games. All throughout high school, her energy and love of the game pushed me to be the best player possible.
However, she also teaches her players how to become athletes. Through Brit, I learned the importance of fully throwing yourself into a sport both physically and mentally. She emphasizes perseverance, coach-ability, teamwork, and leadership, and helps to create an intrinsic drive to be better. She ensures her players spring to every ball, communicate with one another on the field, focus on their stick work drills, and take strength and conditioning seriously. She is a large reason that I am now playing at the collegiate level.
These lessons created the passion I now have for field hockey, but also shaped me as a person. I can say with complete confidence that my time with Brit helped make me better both on and off the field. What she taught helps me to work harder in the classroom , towards any goals I set for myself, and through any challenges I face. Even after graduating high school, she still pushes me to be better.
I am so grateful for my time with Brit, who is not only my coach, but has also become a close friend.