By KEN HAMWEY

Staff Sports Writer

High school athletes will be reporting for pre-season practice later this month eager to prove that they’re in tip-top physical shape, they’ve sharpened their skills and are fully prepared to study playbooks. Their goals — to earn a spot on a varsity  roster or to earn a meaningful role.

Coaches, however, are the ones who really must be prepared. Pre-season practice is a time for them to emphasize their team goals, to assess if prospective players are leaders, have passion for their sport, and are willing to sacrifice individual statistics for team success. Pre-season practice also enables coaches to detect early on if team chemistry can be built quickly and be maintained throughout a full season.

One coach, for example, who’s intensely tuned in to the importance of pre-season preparedness is Alyssa Healey, who’ll be entering her ninth year as Holliston High’s field hockey coach. Last year, her team finished 3-15 but qualified for the state tourney where it split a pair of games.

“We’ll have basically a new team in pre-season,’’ she said. “We lost 10 seniors from last year’s team and 10 more the previous season when we compiled a 15-3-2 record. We’ll be young, we’ll have to battle inexperience and we’ll strive to develop our skills. When we start pre-season practice, we’ll have only five returnees with experience.’’

The 34-year-old Healey believes the keys to having a good pre-season are linked to leadership, attitude and passion for field hockey.

“It’s always a plus to have players with leadership ability,’’ she noted. “We’ll have three captains this fall and they will lead in different ways. Our younger players, hopefully, have done their homework in the off-season and are all in when it comes to physical conditioning and sharpening their skills. I know our younger players are more hungry to return to the kind of season we had two years ago when we won 15 games.’’

Healey said she will not mention the Tri Valley League title or the state tourney in her remarks to kick off practice.

“I’ll be emphasizing a reliance on fundamentals,’’ she said. “And, I’ll also focus on the need to be gritty competitors who are coachable, pay attention to little things, and have a strong work ethic. By mid-season, I’ll evaluate our progress and likely mention contending for the TVL crown and qualifying for the playoffs.’’

Healey says she visualizes a diagram of the field in pre-season workouts with players at various positions. As the days pass by, she might change some of the names. “It all depends on who’s showing the best skills,’’ Healey offered.

As for altering her offensive and defensive patterns, Healey says: “I’ll use the entire pre-season as a trial-and-error period to figure out what our style will be. Any changes I make will be based on the current personnel.’’ In previous seasons, Healey has limited her offensive plays to five, aiming to keep the Panthers’ attack basic.

The personable Healey puts a high priority on making sure her prospective players know the value of team chemistry.

“I regard team chemistry as the most important aspect of pre-season,’’ she stressed. “That’s where you determine if players are building trust with their teammates. Team chemistry often has to be reset and it’s best to develop it before the regular season.’’

Two other reasons why pre-season practice is important, not only to Healey, but also for the players, are roster size and junior-varsity call-ups. “Pre-season is a good gauge in determining the size of my roster,’’ she said. “And, it can provide insight into which jayvees are working towards getting called up to the varsity. Added competition is always healthy.’’

What’s also healthy is for a coach to take time off from athletics during the summer. Healey is a proponent of taking a break and she also wants her prospective players to balance their workouts.

“I have a husband and two young daughters, so I’ve spent much of the summer with the family,’’ she said. “I like seeing my players compete in the Franklin Summer League (Monday nights) and it’s great when they go to camps, but it’s optional. And, when they’re training, I don’t want them over-working. It’s important to prevent injuries. I do like it when our girls volunteer at the field hockey youth camp at the high school. It provides a way for them to give back and to get involved with their community.’’

The Panthers will change divisions for the 2023 season, going from Division 2 to Division 3. “Our enrollment now matches up with Division 3 schools but it doesn’t mean the competition will be easier,’’ Healey admonished. “We’ll be included with Watertown and Dover-Sherborn.’’

One thing that won’t change is the strengths of Holliston’s captains — seniors Maya Kirstein (midfielder) and Phoebe Wernborg (defense), and junior Anderson Hastings (midfielder).

“Our captains have an excellent work ethic, they want to excel and their techniques and skills are strong,’’ Healey said. “And, they all have different leadership styles. Maya is vocal, efficient and organized; Phoebe is supportive and always encouraging her teammates; and Anderson leads by example.’’

Healey was a two-time captain and a two-time all-star in field hockey and basketball at Lewis Mills High School in Burlington, Conn. She led the school to a state crown in field hockey her senior year and was the school’s MVP in field hockey. She later played four varsity seasons at Westfield State where she was a league all-star in field hockey.

In her first eight seasons as the Panthers’ head coach, she’s guided her forces to seven playoff appearances.

Alyssa Healey knows field hockey inside and out. She also knows what the top priorities are in pre-season practice.

And, she’s acutely aware that those days are just around the corner.