Tori Karsten, a former D1 Field Hockey star at the University of Delaware turned coach, came to Creek and won the state championship in her first year.
Karsten filled a seemingly impossible position. “Moving here just six months ago and taking on a team that for seniors, I’m their third coach in four years, is tough,” Karsten said.
As a new head coach following three others, Karsten prepared at the start of the season to bring the team back to state after a loss just last year. In the state game of the 2023 season, the field hockey team failed to secure the win against Colorado Academy with a score of 1 to 0.
The new head coach managed to turn a heartbreaking loss into a massive win within only a year. “She motivated us. But also the team was super motivated to get revenge and to obviously, get state,” sophomore goalkeeper Leonah Mendelsberg (#15) said.
Players agree that being able to connect to a team with little time before a season is a mark of how good a coach Karsten is. Her experience as a player helped her connect to her team and build the best team she could make, no matter how the lineup had been before.
Karsten introduced an important new strategy to help.
“I’ve been [switching player’s positions] for the last seven years. Girls come on to my team, saying they’re XYZ position, and depending on the team’s weaknesses and strengths, I just move the girls to where they need to be,” Karsten said.
Many players felt the position swaps’ impact on the team and themselves. “I started playing midfield junior year, and then she threw me up to forward senior year, and it was just a blast.” senior midfielder and forward Neilly Watts (#23) said. “I was having fun. I felt like my skill was being used well,”.
With Watts starting as a defender her freshman year she’s having more fun and helping the team. Feeling more confident and connected to her team, she’s thankful for Karsten moving her.
Karsten also wanted to show how she felt about her new players and her expectations for them. According to the team, her trust and confidence in them as a whole helped push players to have the same confidence going into the season. “I said in our kickoff meeting that we’re winning state, and I think that they knew that,” Karsten said.
Mendelsberg appreciated that Karsten pushes the whole team no matter how the games go. “When we won, she would push us to be better,” she said.
Karsten attempted to have every play and everything players did, be at their absolute best. Her expectations for the team helped push the team to always try to perform their best no matter how the game was going.
“I think she brought a new perspective to how to work together as a team, and how never to accept anything less than amazing,” Mendelsberg said.
Even with little time to get to know her players, Karsten showed care for their future and skill sets.
“I’m a super passionate coach about field hockey and the development of the athletes, so I think they felt that,” Karsten said.
