10/24/2018 11:36:00 AM | Field Hockey, Student Athlete, Features
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By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications
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What happens to a house without a foundation? It crumbles.
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The same is true for a sports team.
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Sophomore walk-on goalkeeper Stephanie Brabender barely knew the sport just one year ago, but in a short time, has transformed into an integral part of the foundation of Lehigh field hockey.
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Playing Division I field hockey was the last thing on Brabender's mind in high school, and even her first few days, weeks and months at Lehigh. In fact, she entered Lehigh with very minimal experience in the sport.
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"I jumped around from sport-to-sport in high school," said Brabender. "I competed in tennis my freshman year, volleyball my sophomore year and cross country my junior year, along with volleyball outside of school. Then senior year, my best friend asked me to play field hockey with her. I figured it would give me something to do."
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When Brabender started playing field hockey in high school, her coach admitted she would likely never see the field.
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In turn, field hockey didn't become a big part of her life. However, the sport re-entered her life when she least expected it.
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"When I got to college, I met these two girls and went to a club fair with them," said Brabender. "They're my best friends now and they asked me to play field hockey with them on Lehigh's club team. I figured, why not? They didn't have a goalkeeper, so I volunteered, even though I had never played the position before.
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"Then last March, the president of the field hockey club team mentioned the varsity team was looking for a goalie.
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"And here I am."
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From the beginning, it was evident that Brabender would serve an important role for the Mountain Hawks, enhancing team culture.
Brabender making her first-career save against Bucknell
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"Being there for my teammates is important," said Brabender. "I'm always there to drive someone. If someone wants to talk, I'm there for them. I'm the first person to text someone asking how they're feeling. I'm the background, emotional support type person."
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Lehigh head coach Caitlin Dallmeyer admitted Brabender is one of the most positive athletes she has ever coached.
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"Steph entered our team at a time when we most needed a sense of gratitude and appreciation, which are the two things she embodies most," said Dallmeyer. "She knows her role and looks for ways to enhance the attitude and approach of her teammates every day. She is the player dragging others to the gym, not because she is the one who needs it, but because she knows the team will benefit from everyone taking just a few extra reps."
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As Brabender explained, "Keeping everyone super positive is extremely important. You're a team, a family, and it's important to act like one."
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Brabender's teammates have become her second family, and it's Brabender who has helped create such a family environment.
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"Because we're such a small team and we're always together, we're so in-tune with each other and we know what's going on in each other's lives," she said. "No matter how long I've known my teammates, all have taught me something different. Being such a small team right now and having this culture change, everyone is always prepared to bring something new and something exciting to the table."
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What Brabender brings to the table is a drive to help create change in something bigger than herself.
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"My motivation is that I'm not just doing this for myself, but for everyone me," she said. "It's not just about field hockey because I don't have this huge passion for the sport. It's rewarding to be part of something bigger than field hockey and being part of this team that wants to make a difference, bring all these lessons out into the real world and not keep them confined to one space."
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In the space Brabender refers to, the Lehigh field hockey student-athletes and coaches are all-in on building the program from the ground up, beginning with the foundation. By devoting countless time and energy on rebuilding the program, they are learning lessons that will last a lifetime.
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"If you're not all-in, you wouldn't be here in the first place," said Brabender. "This is basically a new team. The sophomores are the biggest class and they were all recruited by Coach Dallmeyer to come for the culture change. All the upperclassmen went through the culture change and they're still here. They're all bought-in. They're here for the long run, and everyone wants to be part of it."
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"It" is a process that doesn't happen overnight. The process features plenty of small victories that have happened this season, leading to bigger wins down the road. An important little victory that's a foundational piece for future success, is coming out to practice every day ready and focused.
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"We want team members coming to practice everyday with a commitment to bringing their best selves and a willingness to improve," said Dallmeyer. "This year, the team has made a commitment to come to practice well-rested and eager to tackle every practice. Every week, we have more players getting individual reps on the field and getting in extra workouts than we've ever had before. Â
"The desire to improve oneself for the team has caught fire and spread, and I attribute a lot of that to Steph and her love to see her teammates improve and excel on the field," Dallmeyer continued. "Having the right attitude is critical in improving a program, and though we have had it in pockets before, we are now starting to see it throughout the entire team. Where it is developing now, it will soon be an expectation. When the expectation is there and the student-athletes can rely on each other to hold everyone to this high standard, we will progress."
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Even though her primary role is as support for her teammates, Brabender has made progress as a goalkeeper as well. Earlier this season, she started four straight games for an injured Paige Innarella. In her first-collegiate action, Brabender stopped three-of-five shots sent her way against a strong Bucknell opponent.
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"Paige teaches me a lot and Emma (Gromacki) teaches us a lot too," said Brabender. "I feel like I'm always learning something new. I feel a lot more confident now than when I first got here, not even just skill wise, but also fitness wise and in the weight room.
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"I am so proud of how Steph handled her time in goal for us this season," said Dallmeyer. "She has taken on so many more roles than just that of a backup goalkeeper. She has been one of our best leaders on the sidelines, in the locker room and amongst our younger players. In six months, she has been the leader that it can often take four years to become."
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While Brabender has helped Lehigh field hockey build a strong culture, Lehigh has helped Brabender. It had been a beneficial relationship for both sides. Â
"Coach Dallmeyer and Taylor (Dyer) were so encouraging every step of the process," said Brabender. "I was not anywhere near their fitness standards or skill standards when I came to the first practice. Although the spring practices were hard, they did not modify anything for me. They just pushed me to do the best of my abilities, then helped me work on what I needed. If there was any point when I seemed discouraged, Coach and Taylor were able to find the positive light in the situation. Their positive encouragement was definitely one of the main reasons I stayed, because they were not looking for perfection in my performance right away, but it was progress that mattered.
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"Progress speaks to the team dynamic as a whole and the culture change our team is going through right now," Brabender continued. "Of course there are going to be rough points, but the ability of the coaching staff to find the light in all situations instead of emphasizing the negative is what will bring our team success. We are going through a period of rebuilding, and while we are definitely working on our weak points, we are also highlighting our improvements and using those as motivation to keep working."
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Another source of motivation is Brabender's genuine care for everyone around her. She has proven that it's all about the team.
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"I've learned you need to be open-minded at all times," she said. "One day, if I'm asked to play a different position, I'd say okay, it's not a big deal. No matter what you do, you need to be open-minded and you can't resist the flow of the world because it's just going to lead you to the right places, no matter how it seems in the moment."
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"The moment" for Brabender is an opportunity to be part of the Lehigh field hockey family, something she wouldn't trade for the world.
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"Every lesson that I've been taught here, I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else."
 
 
