From star player to head coach of the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays field hockey team, coach Grace Hardy is not ready to say goodbye to the game just yet.
Hardy found her love for field hockey after moving schools in seventh grade when Hardy’s mom signed her up for a field hockey clinic.When it came time to search for colleges, Etown was not on her radar at all. Hardy already had a list of schools and filled out applications to where she wanted to go.
Yet again, Hardy’s mom was instrumental, suggesting that she tour Etown’s campus and do an overnight visit.
After that, Etown became Hardy’s home for the next five years.When Hardy’s career as a Blue Jay began, she started and played every game.
“I never thought that would happen,” Hardy said. “Everyone was really good.”
That year, Hardy scored three game winning goals and even made the Landmark All-Conference selection. As a sophomore, Hardy was voted team captain by her teammates and remained a team leader until she graduated.
“That was nuts,” Hardy said. “Especially because there was a lot of upperclassmen on the team.”
After graduating from Etown in 2023, Hardy thought she would be stepping off the field for the last time. But only a year after graduating, Hardy was offered an assistant coaching position for the Blue Jays.
“This fell right into my lap,” Hardy said. “Being offered a coaching spot only a year after playing was crazy and meant a lot to me.”
Hardy was back with the Blue Jays yet again, but this time, she wasn’t on the field as a player, she was on the field as a coach.
This summer, the Blue Jays were searching for a new head coach, and Etown’s athletic director, Chris Morgan, had just the person in mind.
As a student, Hardy worked in athletic communications and in the athletic training room. Working in athletics, Hardy was able to build strong, personalized relationships with the athletic staff. So, when Morgan offered Hardy the head coach position, it was the community and support she received from the athletic staff she worked alongside as a student that persuaded her to choose Etown for a second time.
Going from player to coach was easier than Hardy expected.
“Taking the position, I already knew the program and played with the juniors and seniors on the team,” Hardy said. “The transition was easy going, as I went from teammate and friend to coach. I understand the girls, and they understand me. There’s a mutual respect.”
As head coach, Hardy hopes to grow the program competitively within the Landmark Conference. Hardy believes the Blue Jays have the skills and the talent to be conference champions.
“We’re playing against really good teams, and we’re doing really well,” Hardy said. “We’re playing good field hockey. I really do care about this program, and I’m trying to build it back to what it was my freshman year.”
