Aubrey Lear, head coach of the Jefferson field hockey program, won the National District Coach of the Year award after the team improved its record from 0-12 in 2017 to 4-11 this year. This was the first time Lear received this honor from the other varsity head coaches in the district.

“To be recognized by your peers is one of the best kinds [of] acknowledgements,” Lear said. “They are all fantastic coaches. The district is lucky to have them, and I am lucky to coach alongside of them, but I really couldn’t have done it without this great team who decided to work hard and never give up.”

This spirit of perseverance that Lear encourages has made a big impact on her players.

“Coach Aubrey taught me to push myself and to stay strong when I feel weak,” senior Nali Huynh said. “She also taught me the importance of teamwork. And she reminded all of us to have fun, because there’s no point in doing field hockey if you’re not having fun.”

This was one of the central themes for the team. It wasn’t about being perfect, but it was about making progress and feeling good when you walked off the field.

“Playing fockey is always a stress reliever from my everyday problems and is my happy place,” junior Nikita Reddy said. “Coach Aubrey has taught me to not always worry about the tiny things in life, and rather to enjoy the experience.”

This season has been a definite upswing from the previous one for the program as a whole, but despite having two first-team and three second-team all district players, the camaraderie of the team impressed Lear the most.

“I am so proud of the team for coming together to support each other on and off the field,” Lear said. “We still have a lot to do, but our success this season is a fantastic start. It begins with players believing in themselves and their teammates. Our wins this year prove that we did that. More importantly, growth comes from continuing to get up and try again.”

Lear will return to head Jefferson Field Hockey next year and has already set objectives to push the team even further and generate more interest in joining the program.

“My goal for next season for the team is to continue to improve and to push past expectations; my goal for the program is to grow the game,” Lear said. “We need players. We need student athletes, and the secret is, anyone can be a student athlete. All you have to do is come out and try.”