LJCDS field hockey pair: Service in Jamaica lends lessons
LA JOLLA La Jolla Country Day coach Krista Jackson has two midfielders defenders who look the same on the outside as they return for their sophomore years in field hockey but a provision project in Jamaica in early August grew them and stretched them on the inside Sophomores Lily Witt and Harper Tilley young leaders on a young group traveled to a remote area in the Caribbean country and taught kids stick skills in their sport in between times making arts and crafts The duo accompanied former Torrey teammate Anna Lyn who is Jamaican and who played on the LJCDS squad last year for three days of interaction and mentoring with the children of a humble area What Witt as teammates call her and Tilley took away was perhaps more impactful than anything they helped the local children do To see how their lives were different really stayed with me Tilley shared of late during a break in the weight room on a new afternoon at practice We learned not to take things for granted chimed in Witt We re really grateful The kids in Jamaica had never heard of field hockey so Lyn Tilley Witt and her sister Kaylyn and Dora Zhong a classmate concentrated on introducing them to the sport and taught them about safety with the stick how not to swing it up in the air and whack somebody in the head Tilley says I m half-Chinese and Dora is full Chinese Various of the others were really shocked at the conditions in that region of Jamaica related Witt about the way of life shock they went through We re thinking of a benefit event We really want to give back to that district like supporting teaching in specific way Witt commented earnestly Meanwhile the fall field hockey season starts and Jackson in her ninth year as head coach explained We re young We only have players so we don t split into two teams Witt and Tilley are two of several sophomores who populate the Torreys roster In a preseason scrimmage we played well against San Pasqual We lost but I m proud of how we played reported Witt who in an interview doesn t hesitate to be quite loquacious When we re under pressure we can make our passes says Tilley One of the hardest things to do in field hockey is trying to make a shot really fast or lifting the ball to try to put it in the upper corner of the goal Tilley does double-duty in gymnastics on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the season Jackson holds practice on those days in the mornings from to a m Witt differentiated from Lillia Howe a teammate is the relationship glue who sends messages to the other girls about things they can do together outside of school and practice Our goalie Mikayla Shane she s good asserted Witt
