Honor Roberts is a freshman forward on Penn field hockey who recently scored two goals in the Quakers' game against Villanova. The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with Roberts to ask her 15 questions about field hockey, managing life as a Penn athlete, and her advice for high school athletes.
1. Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Honor Roberts, and I'm a freshman from Winnetka, Ill., but I was born in England.
2. How did you first get into field hockey?
So, I started playing field hockey when I was around eight or nine years old. Some of my family and friends played it so I decided to try it out, and I loved it. I decided to keep playing it and now here I am.
3. Who has been a significant role model or influence in your field hockey journey?
I think a lot of my coaches, whether from high school or through my club, played a significant role. They really helped me and kept pushing me to perform my best. Without their support and guidance, I would not be here today.
4. What’s your favorite memory from field hockey?
I think my favorite memory from playing field hockey is in high school. My senior year, we won [the] state [championships]. It was really nice to have that final end to my high school career; it was a tough game, which could have gone either way. I think just knowing my team put in all out on the field to get the win is something I will never forget.
5. What’s your favorite aspect about playing field hockey?
I love the speed of the game and the skills, [especially] the combination of it, when we have good pass combinations and just the really pretty play.
6. What’s the most challenging part of being a field hockey player at the college level?
The hardest part is just the time commitment and work we have to put into the sport and continuing to do that while being in school. Overall, just maintaining a balance is extremely challenging.
7. Are there any particular players that you draw inspiration from?
On our team, I think the older girls are very inspirational, not just with the way they play field hockey but also off the field. The way they go for every ball and their determination on the field, whether during a game or practice, is really inspirational.
8. How do you feel the overall team dynamics are?
I think our team has the perfect combination between the coaches and teammates when it comes to balancing what we know as far as when to work hard and when to have fun. We all really support each other on and off the field. It's great because we can go to each other when we have a question about the previous play or what class to take next semester. So it's just very supportive, and there is a very good atmosphere within the team.
9. How do you stay motivated during a tough game or practice?
I try to go back to the basic skills [or] take a step back and take a deep breath. If I need to step out, then that is helpful, too. Sometimes, just watching my other teammates who are inspirational on the field just helps lift me up even if I am having a bad day.
10. What are some of your goals and aspirations for your collegiate field hockey career?
Right now for us as a team, our goal is to win the Ivy [League]. We are currently [4-2] in the Ivy [League] and play [Brown] next weekend so hopefully [we] keep that up. Personally, I think just to perform the best I can and continue to push myself to try new things [and] play at a faster speed.
11. Do you have any pre-game rituals/routines that help you get in the right mindset before a game?
I don’t have any superstitions, really. I mean, I wear my hair the same way; it’s just a ponytail with a braid, but I don't know if I would count that as a superstition. I also have some fruit snacks or some candy before each game. As a team, we listen to music in the locker room and blast it. … In the locker room before a game we listen to two songs, one of which is "YMCA". Everyone gets pumped up together, so it's a nice environment before we have to go out on the field.
12. What has been your favorite memory on campus?
Honestly, I think it’s the small little things like going to dinner with the freshman class after having a busy day. It’s a nice place to relax and make memories.
13. What advice do you have for high school students looking to play field hockey in college?
I would say to them: Keep working hard, keep trying new things and pushing yourself. Make sure you reach out to coaches and explore all your options because you don’t really know what the right school for you is until you see everything.
14. What advice do you have in terms of managing academic and athletic life?
Definitely at Penn being a student-athlete is challenging. I think just managing your time and being efficient with it, such as going to the library and planning out what you will do during that time, is necessary. You really need to focus on what you are doing so you can maximize all the available time you have.
15. What is a fun fact that most people might not know about you?
I was born in England [and] I have bungee jumped; those are normally my go-tos.
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