The Ball State field hockey team has a new assistant coach that is excited to become part of the team.
Liz Sanders comes to Ball State after two seasons at Georgetown University, where she was also an assistant. She will not be a totally new face, though. Sanders knew head coach Annette Payne prior to coming here because they have played on a club team field hockey team together in a open division for college coaches.
"I'm excited to see her with the girls; excited to see her get started as well as excited to get started together," Payne said about the addition.
Sanders was looking to get away from the big city so the fit at Ball State was perfect, she said.
"I really loved the university and what the program had to offer and what she's trying to do with the program," Sanders said. "It was all enticing."
Sanders played field hockey at James Madison and was a Third-Team All-American in 2000. She sits at the No. 5 spot in two of James Madison's all time records: goals scored with 51 and points scored with 121.
"I really love hockey, and I knew when I graduated I wasn't ready for it to be part of my past and that I wanted to continue to do this for a real long time," Sanders said.
Payne said one reason Sanders is an asset is because she understands the game from many different angles.
"She's got a really good sense of the game," Payne said. "She was a fantastic player, and I think that she's been able to learn how to coach what she knows."
Sanders played as an attacker in college, which is where her strength is, but her coaching will go farther then just what happens on the field.
"You're not just preparing these students for sport, but you're preparing them for life," Sanders said. "One goal is just to make sure that I'm taking the time to understand every kid on the team."
Sanders said her passion for the game will be evident, and she's ready for the season to begin.
"I'm just excited to become invested in Ball State hockey," Sanders said. "I'm excited to have interpersonal communication and relationships with the kids and all the staff at the university, so that by the end of the season it becomes a part of me just like it's a part of them."
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