The same sequence every game — built so a skilled kid arrives with both sides warm and her head reading the field, instead of settling in as a one-sided player for the first half.
Bag packed — stick, shin guards, mouthguard, cleats, water. A real dinner, in bed early. One sentence about tomorrow, then let it go.
A real breakfast, hydration starting early. Keep the house calm — no long "remember to..." list. She plays looser when the morning is quiet.
- Wall or partner work, both sides — the best warmup in field hockey.
- Receiving on the move, a few reverse-stick reps to wake the weak side.
- A couple of hits and pushes.
She doesn't need to be gassed before the whistle — she needs both sides warm and the reverse awake.
Pick one thing to carry in — this season it's usually use both sides or look before it comes. One cue is a reminder; five is a lecture that tightens her up.
Between quarters / at the half
A breath, water, a reminder of the one focus. The scanning habit — read early — starts here, not after she gets caught chasing.
After a turnover, the cue is short: "Next ball, both sides." Her stick skills handle the ball — the routine's job is to keep a turnover from making her retreat to her comfort side.
Why the sameness matters: Ella can shrink to her strong side when a game gets tight and predictable again. A routine she's run a hundred times gets both sides warm and her head reading early, so a big tournament game looks like an ordinary wall session. That's the edge.
