Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with sophomore athlete Emma Kircher. Kircher plays defense for the women’s field hockey team and also ran track up until this past season.
Unfortunately, a fractured back has put her track career on hold, at least for the time being. When asked about short term goals over the next few months she said, “My top goal is having a full recovery and playing at 100% with no pain.”
So far, Kircher’s athletic career has been highlighted by making the MAC Championships for track. She also has made academic honor roll and played in every game for field hockey. Not only has she played but has also been one of the top scorers on the team.
When asked about what makes her a great athlete, Kircher said, “I stay positive, I am very encouraging to my teammates and a good communicator on the field. I put extra work into practices and outside of practice.”
Outside of field hockey, Kircher’s other interests include hanging out with friends and watching sports, whether it be local sports, Eastern teams or professional. Recently, she has especially been following the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s lacrosse team. She is involved in the kinesiology club and the Nest club and is also team chaplain.
Kircher is majoring in exercise science in pre-athletic training. With early morning practices, classes, lifts, physical therapy for her back and work, it takes a lot of discipline to manage and stay on top of everything. She emphasized working ahead on assignments for classes, going to the library to get work done and keeping a planner to stay organized.
Eventually, Kircher plans to use a fifth year of eligibility as she will be continuing her education with two years of graduate school. During her second year, she would like to have a coaching role on the field hockey team.
As far as the future for Kircher, one thing is for sure. With her work ethic and devotion to academics and sports, she will be successful in whatever she puts her mind to.