For senior center back Captain Keegan McMahon, field hockey has been a huge part of her life since she started in sixth grade. She made the varsity squad as a freshman and that was when her love for field hockey really began to grow. She was selected in her junior and senior years to be captain.
When McMahon began her field hockey career in sixth-grade, it was not necessarily love at first sight. She played only because she needed a sport at the time. What started out as only something to fill her time, however, turned into a real passion of hers.
McMahon has played center back for the Wyvern’s since she began playing at Kingswood Oxford, filling a crucial role in the Wyvern’s backline. She is an extremely hardworking and driven athlete, dedicating all her spare time to the team and improving her own game. “During the summer I try and practice on any turf I can at least once a day to work on improving my skills for the upcoming season,” McMahon said.
McMahon continually works on her game and her leadership skills as well to lead the team in a confident and positive manner, not only during the season but off-season as well. Though field hockey consumes most of her free time, it was never a burden for her as she has been driven by her love for the game. “Not only did working throughout the offseason help keep me in shape, I also just really love playing,” McMahon said.
When McMahon joined the team, she not only found her true passion for the game, but she also found a family. She mentioned that playing with her older sister freshman year allowed her to create not only a better bond with the sport but also that playing with her sister had always been a dream of hers. “KOFH is a second family,” she said. “It doesn’t matter the season, we always try and find the time to get together and play.”
During her junior year, she was selected to be one of the captains of the team. “I was selected as captain for my junior year, and while it was a bit intimidating at first holding such an important role on the team, I quickly found my place and grew into the position,” McMahon said. She had always been a leader on the team by leading by example and pushing her teammates to play to their full potentials. While being tough and serious are important characteristics to embody as captain of any team, it is equally important to be supportive and kind as well, and McMahon managed to effectively embody both. “I try to be enthusiastic while also being someone everyone on the team can come and talk to,” McMahon said.
Playing field hockey at the collegiate level had not always been a dream of McMahon’s. “I never really thought about playing college sports because I never thought I was good enough,” she said. “But then I fell in love with field hockey, and my sophomore year I really grew as a player.” Once she realized her goal to play at this higher level, she worked day in and day out on her strength, endurance, and stick skills.
Similar to most student-athletes during these times, COVID-19 impacted her recruitment process. Her biggest problem has been dealing with the extra competition and lack of spots due to most current student-athletes receiving an extra year of eligibility. “Most DI schools are not taking in a freshman class this year due to seniors repeating because they have an extra year of eligibility,” McMahon said. This leaves McMahon at an extreme disadvantage because there are little to no spots opening up on teams. However, she was able to talk to and visit some DI and DIII schools before COVID-19. McMahon values academics as much as she values a strong field hockey program when deciding where to attend college.
Though this past season had been far from normal, McMahon made it her goal to ensure the team kept up with their stick skills and endurance, while also maintaining a fun and positive environment during these ever-changing times. McMahon’s next steps are deciding where she will ultimately attend college to further her athletic and academic career.
