Whether she is playing for EA’s Varsity Field Hockey team or the US National team, Ashley Sessa ‘22, brings her all to every game, practice, and competition. She encourages and inspires her teammates to improve themselves every day.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Sessa
At age four, Sessa was inspired to play field hockey by her mom and she immediately fell in love with the sport. Three years later, Sessa joined her club team, WC Eagles and she still continues to play for them to this day. Sessa entered Episcopal her sophomore year and quickly earned a spot on the Varsity team. Sessa elaborates, “I saw EA’s family-like community and, when I got here, I just saw how it (the field hockey team) was very family-oriented.”
As a senior, Sessa contributes to this welcoming environment. Charly Bruder ‘23 comments, “Ashley’s super positive on the field. She’s always hyping everyone up and saying encouraging words. She’s not only a positive player on the field, she also tells players where to step in and helps everyone in games, making sure we cut off our weak spots.” Mia Garber ‘22, a member of the Varsity Field Hockey team adds, “You can just tell from watching her play, Ashley leads by example, especially to the lowerclassmen.”
Stephanie Fee, a former US national team player and the Varsity Field Hockey Head Coach at EA for the past three years, states, “When I think back to 2019, and I was able to coach her in some of the first training sessions, I was super excited about the talent that she brought to the game, the speed, the quickness, and the intensity and execution of skills at the elite-level.” Sessa’s driven mindset and work ethic not only landed her a spot on the national team, but also led her to commit to her dream school, the University of North Carolina, in March of her Freshman year. Sessa says, “I am most excited for field hockey [at UNC], because I played with a lot of those girls. They came from my club, so I’m really excited to see them again.”
Sessa inspires her teammates to improve and come together by being a strong role model. “Ashley has the ability for her teammates to be able to see what elite skills look like,” explains Fee. “From a personal perspective or character perspective, she is just so valuable and special in her ability to bring the team together. You can just tell that her love for the game is contagious.” Bruder remarks, “Her most important contribution is her hype. Ashley always comes ready, she’s screaming for everyone. Her positivity is great, and she’s an amazing player. She gets the work done. It’s just a huge impact on and off the field on players and their developments.”
Sessa’s dedication and devotion to field hockey are displayed through her strong leadership. Fee explains, “I would say that it goes back to that lighthearted nature of hers. Of course, she’s a really intense athlete, but she’s also very approachable and fun to talk to. Whether it’s just about your day or a past game or practice, I had noticed the players think that she’s approachable, especially as a senior.” Olivia Corrato ‘22, Co-Captain of the Varsity Field Hockey team, remarks, “She’s always ready to play. I’ve never seen her tired or upset to come to play field hockey.”
When asked about her role models in field hockey, Sessa says, “Past seniors that I have played with were great people to be around, but when it was time to go on the field, everyone would drop any drama that they had off the field and then be very serious but still have fun.” She adds, “I’ve always looked up to Katie Bam because she was 16 when she was selected on the national team as well. And I feel like we have a similar play too.” Similar to Sessa when she joined at a young age, Katie Bam, a striker on the US national team, competed in two Olympic Games and won gold in the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.
Along with going to UNC next year, Sessa will play for the indoor national team in February of 2022 in Liège, Belgium. Sessa explains, “That’s very team-oriented. It’s very difficult, but it’s an exciting experience to play internationally.” The trip was originally scheduled for February 2021 but was postponed due to COVID-19. Regarding Sessa’s future, Fee explains, “I knew she was going to go really far with that talent, and it would allow her to reach all of her goals in field hockey.”