When a Grade 8 student asked her teacher if she could come help coach her team, little did she know she played a part in bringing back one of the most accomplished players ever to come out of the Richmond Field Hockey Club.
Kathryn Masson is back where it all started and anxious to help return field hockey to its glory days in the city.
“This is a wonderful sport and there are a ton of opportunities for players,” said the 28-year-old, following a practice session with her U14 team on Monday night. “Field hockey has been such a big part of my life and it all started right here. I really do feel like this is a full circle moment for me.
“I’ve been gone for about eight years or so and a lot has changed. But there are people in Richmond Field Hockey working around the clock to really help the club reach it’s potential.”
When Masson first arrived at her old high school last November for a temporary teaching position, she was disappointed to learn McRoberts no longer had a senior girls field hockey team.
She came through the South Richmond school when the Strikers were a powerhouse program and annually contended for provincial championships. The standout goalkeeper backstopped the team to a silver medal in her Grade 12 year.
A few months later, Masson intended to continue her career at the University of Victoria which would compliment her spot with the national junior team. That was until an unexpected visitor showed up at a practice session.
“They arrived at the field with a clipboard, asked if I had ever heard of the University of Maryland and how they had tried to email me. My dad thought they were spam and kept deleting them. They only came from (Maryland coach) Missy Meharg who is kind of field hockey god,” laughed Masson.
The lucrative full-ride scholarship offer was too good to pass up. Masson headed east where she played a huge part in the Terrapins’ success over the next four years.
She became the first goalie in school history to earn First Team All-American honours. She did it again in her senior season after earning Third Team status as a sophomore. Along the way, Maryland won national championships in 2005 and 2006.
Masson also thrived in the classroom, annually being named to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic Team.
“I felt really, really fortunate,” Masson said. “It’s a program a lot of people pursue and it just fell into my lap. Even when I look back now, I wonder how I got so lucky.
“(As an elite NCAA program) we were very, very spoiled. You are given every opportunity to succeed when it comes to academics, coaches and even trainers. You also get the opportunity play with players from all over the world. It’s a really unique opportunity. It’s not for everyone but for me it was the best thing that could happen.
“As an international student, they really became a family to me to the point where I am still flying back for weddings and other things.”
Masson returned home with her teaching degree and joined the national senior women’s team as a carded athlete. However, it didn’t take her long to conclude the program wasn’t the right fit for her. She headed back east to work as assistant coach at Maryland and later at nearby Georgetown University.
“I just realized quickly it wasn’t something I wanted to pursue,” recalled Masson. “I had a tough time with the transition from NCAA to Canadian hockey. I was use to an intense and rigorous program that was very structured. I admire the people who have done it and pursued it but I just didn’t want to dedicate myself to it.”
She came back to the Lower Mainland for the second time with her competitive career behind her and to focus on teaching.
Masson initially coached for regional program before landing back with her old club. Half of the roster on her U14 team has never played before.
“This is something different for me where you are really going over the fundamentals. It’s been a while since I have coached young players. The club also makes an effort for coaches to mentor younger coaches. I have a couple of Grade 12s helping me and I share my experiences with them.”
If Masson is still working in the Richmond School District next September, her plan is to help revitalize field hockey at the high school level. McMath is currently the only school with a team.
She hasn’t told her students about her field hockey success but classroom photos of her with the national championship trophy and President George Bush are pretty good hints.
“I really hope in the years to come we can get more field hockey programs back in Richmond,” she added. “I have so much more appreciation today of the people who volunteered their time to help me. It’s been such a wonderful and positive thing in my life and I look forward to passing that message on.”
