On Friday, May 21, 2021, Upper Dublin senior Mikayla DeMichele was recognized for committing to continue her field hockey career at Muhlenberg College.
Mikayla DeMichele – Muhlenberg College (Field Hockey)
Major: Psychology
Final list of colleges: “After narrowing the schools down, I was choosing between Muhlenberg College, Albright College and Penn State University
Reasons for choosing Muhlenberg: “Muhlenberg College has a beautiful campus with friendly people who made me feel welcomed and comfortable. I officially decided I wanted to attend Muhlenberg after I watched a field hockey practice and met the team. Everyone was so nice and the athletic facilities were great.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in field hockey at the collegiate level? “I started playing field hockey in ninth grade and began thinking about playing in college before my 11th grade season. I involved myself in clubs and clinics out of season so I could upgrade my skills and comfort levels. After sophomore year, I felt more confident and the thought of playing past high school became more relevant. I began the recruiting process after talking to my high school coach, Coach Boyer, who helped me grow and succeed along the way.
“My family and I bought a membership to NCSA (Next College Student Athlete). This membership allowed me to send emails to coaches (it gave me the specific email addresses), and I could see when the coach opened it and responded. I could also see when a coach viewed my profile or searched for athletes similar to me. Over the next year, I emailed coaches and my parents took film at my games/tournaments.”
Coach Heather Boyer says: “Mikayla was a three-year starter. She actually picked up the sport brand new as a
freshman. She was a pretty accomplished gymnast prior to that. Because her older sister Allie was a member of the field hockey team, she decided to give it a try coming into the high school new. Right off the bat, I could see what a tremendous athlete she was. She was quick, she was agile, and she had great intuition, so we got her feet wet early as a freshman, and she learned the sport very, very quickly. Sophomore year we put her right in the starting rotation and let her learn under the experience of some pretty talented upperclassmen. She was a member of the team that went to district playoffs when we played Phoenixville back in 2018. She was a starter and she was also a member of my 7v7 team. Talk about really improving in such a short turnaround time, going from not knowing anything about the sport and brand new to it to not only a varsity starter on the defensive end but also part of the 7v7 squad, so she really thrived and flourished with that. As she progressed through the years, she really grew and developed. We moved her into the center back position, and she’s just smart and savvy and really knows how to anchor the defense. She really could do it all with an attitude that was outstanding.
“It’s really hard to say enough good things about Mikayla DeMichele. She’s everything a coach wants in her players and in her athletes. She’s versatile, she’s a good teammate, she’s a great leader by example and really, really works hard at what she does. Her hard work certainly has paid off and now she’s able to attend Muhlenberg and play at the college level. Not only is she a great athlete, but she’s also a great student too. I had the privilege of teaching her the past year in anatomy and physiology, and even despite the virtual setting for the majority of the year, she was ambitious in the classroom and works as hard in the classroom as she does on the field, which is a tribute to her abilities and her focus and her desire to be a successful student and athlete.”
About Mikayla:
Favorite food: Fruit (strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, watermelon)
Favorite TV show: Psych
Favorite music: Rap and Pop
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