Hard-working. Determined. Diligent. All these words describe star field hockey player Thea Rosenzweig ‘22. 

After trying out a myriad of sports including soccer, lacrosse, and swimming, Rosenzweig first picked up a field hockey stick at the age of seven. For her, it was natural, since the lacrosse league she played in at the time also offered field hockey clinics and training.

“I felt like it made sense to give field hockey a try because the coaches were the same; the opportunity was right in front of me,” she said. Since then, as a goalie for both the WC Eagles in Pottstown and Baldwin’s own varsity field hockey team, Rosenzweig dedicates an average of 24 hours per week to the sport – not including the massive amounts of time she spends training at the gym or playing other sports, depending on the season. 

Armed with a realistic attitude and a positive outlook, Rosenzweig has accomplished countless achievements throughout her athletic career. When asked which accomplishments meant the most to her, she described two key moments. 

The first occurred toward the beginning of her career during the qualifier tournament for U-16 nationals, in which her performance as goalie during the final shoot-out of the season qualifying game resulted in her club team getting the opportunity to go to nationals that year. Rosenzweig beamed as she related the remarkable instant when her whole team rushed to the court after she executed a tackle dive to make the winning save.

The second moment Rosenzweig recounted took place on the international scale. In 2019, Rosenzweig qualified to play for Team USA in the Maccabi Pan-American games held in Mexico.

She recalled her team’s huddle prior to the bronze medal match as the tremendous cheers from American fans across the stadium thundered around them. Though Rosenzweig’s team “knew it was going to be a fight,” they pledged to play their hardest. 

 In the end, Team USA took home bronze after a fierce match against Chile. The outcome, Rosenzweig said, reflected the team’s tenacity and determination. Rosenzweig recalled the glorious moment when she bent her head to receive her medal as her coaches waved the American flag.

Rosenzweig said, “It was amazing to be able to represent America.”

Now, as captain of Baldwin’s Field Hockey team, Rosenzweig makes an effort to build her team’s morale and productivity. She emphasizes “fun but productive practices” as she believes that the balance between hard work and fun is crucial to success,  as well as trust in teammates – on and off the field. Her idea of a “culture of trust” expands to “taking accountability as a team – owning losses as a group and moving forward without dwelling.”

Outside of field hockey, Rosenzweig works to balance her athletics, her school work, and her other activities. She serves as the senior head of Lamplighters, is captain of the indoor track team, and carves out time to write on the side for fun. 

When asked how she is able to juggle all these commitments, she said, “I learned to reset my brain to think that I had to get my assignments done in order to do what I loved: playing field hockey. I saw academics as my top priority. Field hockey was my reward.” 

As she looks toward her future, Rosenzweig explained that she is most excited to “compete at the highest level, considering Middlebury is the reigning NCAA champion in field hockey.” 

When asked to give advice to athletes, Rosenzweig said, “Practice like you’re the worst. Give every rep your all. Compete like you’re the best. Be confident in yourself and in your skills, and don’t forget that it’s okay to make mistakes. Leave it all on the field and play every game like it’s your last.”