EDWARDSVILLE - Sydnee Campbell, a senior field hockey player at Edwardsville High School, is one of the key returnees to the team that missed the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and she and the Tigers are looking ahead and raring to go for the new season.
Although the team played inter-squad games throughout the canceled season to stay sharp, Campbell is looking forward to playing together with her teammates and going against the strong competition of the St. Louis area schools.
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"I'm feeling really good," Campbell said during a recent interview. "I'm really excited for the season. We haven't had a normal season since before COVID, and I'm really excited to have all the girls back together and to get the energy up, and really have real competition again."
Having the inter-squad games did help to keep spirits up last season, but now, with the Tigers resuming their program after missing out last year, Campbell is very excited to be back.
"Yeah, I'm really excited," Campbell said. "I haven't played with all the girls all together in a really long time. Last year was really fun, and it was really competitive and it helped up get a lot better with our technique and everything, but it'll be good to get the outside competition to really see if we've been able to hold it up for the last couple of years."
Campbell feels she brings much to the table with the Tigers.
"I think I bring, like, a comedic break," Campbell said with a smile and laugh. "And just kind of structure. I've been playing for this team for all four years, and I think I understand the field a lot better than some of the younger girls could. And so, I just really want to teach them and pass it down before I go, to make sure they really understand the game and what it can give to them."
Campbell said the St. Louis region has several strong field hockey teams.
"Yeah, it's very competitive," Campbell said. "and you get really wrapped up into it. I know my parents knew nothing about field hockey before I played, but once I did, they, like, really got into it, and they are really invested into it now."
Campbell does have some ambitious goals for the Tigers' return season.
"Well, it would really be nice to go undefeated," Campbell said, "but it would be nice to have a good winning record, and maybe go really far in the postseason."
Since the IHSA doesn't sponsor field hockey as an official sport, the Tigers annually compete in the Midwest Field Hockey tournament, which serves as the St. Louis area's championship tournament, and as Edwardsville is the only Metro-East area school to have a team, it helps give the Tigers extra incentive to do well against the top St. Louis schools.
"I think we're really competitive for a public school team," Campbell said. "And so, being able to compete on the same level as those private schools that they get a lot of funding and a lot of attention for what they do, is really a blessing. We're just lucky to be able to go out there and compete."
But the important thing this year is being able to return and compete against the best competition that the area has to offer.
"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it," Campbell said.
