Indiana University Athletics
Amanda Janney: New Traditions
8/27/2015 3:18:00 PM | Field Hockey
Indiana's new field hockey coach brings change, looks to build on existing program
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Amanda Janney had no intention of leaving Temple—until Indiana called.
Janney spent a decade building Temple's program from the ground up.
Last fall, she led the Owls to the 2014 Big East Championship game where they lost to eventual national champion UConn. Temple earned a conference tournament berth in all 10 years of Janney's tenure.
Janney coached the Owls to 49 all-conference accolades, 25 all-regional honors, seven Player of the Year awards and four All-America honors. Her list of accomplished players most recently included Amber Youtz, who was named First Team All-America, becoming the first Temple field hockey player to earn the honor in 22 years.
So why leave a program when it's seemingly peaking?
"Indiana was such a huge opportunity," Janney said. "Leaving Temple was hard, but Indiana was the name. We were fortunate to have success (at Temple). When Indiana called, I knew it was an opportunity to take a major step up with a leading program."
Temple was home, but Indiana had a chance to be special. Bloomington was a place where Janney could hit the reset button, use the Big Ten's prestige to her advantage and ultimately make a run at the national championship.
"Every Big Ten team is going to test us," Janney said. "Every conference game is going to raise our RPI and bring us closer to qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, which is what everybody plays for, right?"
"That's why I came here. Indiana has a chance to be great."
A Hands-on Coach
Janney immerses herself into the action in practice.
She's rarely off to the sidelines. She stands alongside her players during drills, analyzing every move.
Everything Janney does is done with a purpose. She'll pepper her players with questions, ensuring they understand the motive behind everything they do.
"She's always a straightforward person with you," freshman Nora Aucker said. "She's not hard to talk to. She's really easy to connect with. She's encouraging, but has a lot of constructive criticism as well."
During practice drills Tuesday, Janney is standing in the middle of two groups doing identical drills to either side of her. There's action going on all around her, but she's able to pick up on mistakes and correct them.
She's repetitive. She's constantly reminding the players what they're working on and what their end goal is. No minute of practice goes wasted.
"Let's be clear. Do we want the ball on the outside or the inside?" Janney asks, pausing a drill. She doesn't immediately get the right answer from everyone, prompting her to slow the drill down again and reestablish the teaching point.
After a reset, the Hoosiers run the drill to perfection. They run the same play over and over again for three minutes without Janney ever needing to step in.
"When she comes out onto the field, she's constantly working with an athlete," senior Nicole Volgraf said. "It's hard to get a minute with her because she's always helping somebody else, which is a good thing. She makes it a point to be looking to help."
Janney's hands-on style of coaching has been well received by her players.
The transition into the first year with a new staff is naturally going to be awkward, Janney said, but the players have embraced the changes she's made.
Even if it means changing positions.
One of Janney's initial decisions in Bloomington was opening up the roster to potential position changes. She pushes her athletes to be "all-around players' capable of being moved around the field to ensure the best 11 always lineup together.
As a result, some typical offensive players have been moved back to the defensive side of the field. Likewise, a few defenders have been put in attacking positions.
These moves could have easily backfired if not done properly, but they haven't.
Janney made it clear early that she would have the players' best interest at heart, and has seemingly pushed all the right buttons so far.
"Seeing people at different positions has actually been pretty cool," redshirt junior Mollie Getzfread said. "She thinks as players as note set in stone. Just because you came in as a midfielder doesn't limit you to being a midfielder. It's really interesting to see people kind of live up to what she feels they'd be good at."
"Speed Kills"
Whenever a new coaching staff comes in, they bring their own flair to an already existing team.
The Hoosiers won't exactly be overhauling. But at least one thing is certain.
The Hoosiers will be fast.
"Speed kills," Janney said. "In tough games, speed can be the difference maker."
An up-tempo pace has always been a cornerstone of Janney's system. She said it helps her team remain the aggressor, keeping the pressure on the opponents at all times.
The Hoosiers have been stressing pace in everything they do in practice. During a scrimmage Tuesday, players who made three consecutive touches would need to leave the game and do jumping jacks before they could return.
"Our pace is crucial for us," Volgraf said. "The quicker we move the ball and they quicker we move the ball into the backfield, the more threatening we're going to be. AJ has done a phenomenal job of making sure we're practicing quick-pace hockey."
There's going to be a learning curve, Volgraf said. The increased pace will lead to a few more mistakes and a little less control, but it's also a more enjoyable style of hockey.
The best teams in the country tend to be fast, she said. The Hoosiers feel like their speed could be missing piece they've lacked over the last few seasons.
"That's our game changer," Volgraf said. "It makes it really difficult for a team to play defense against you. That's the team we're trying to be."
New Expectations
Indiana has discussed short-term goals and long-term goals. Both are important. Both can happen quickly, Janney said.
First and foremost, the Hoosiers need to return to the Big Ten Tournament.
Indiana is hosting the conference tournament this season, and Janney wants to take advantage of home field advantage.
"We definitely have higher standards now," Getzfread said. "AJ has big plans for us, and I definitely think we can accomplish them."
Reaching those standards will require better play against the Big Ten. The Hoosiers haven't won more than two Big Ten games since 2009.
Getzfread said Indiana suffered from "big game syndrome" in recent years. When the opponents got tougher, Indiana fell back.
That's something Indiana's working to change immediately. Janney scheduled a scrimmage against Iowa to lesson any nerves and prove to her players that they can be a competitive Big Ten team from the start.
"That was a boost of confidence and really showed what we're capable of," Getzfread said. "I think we fell into a trap of being the underdogs and thinking we weren't as good, but this year will be a lot different."
Indiana's players and coaches believe playing better in the Big Ten is an obtainable short-term goal. They expect to be better immediately.
The Hoosiers' long-term goal?
Reaching the top-16 and qualifying for a national championship. After that?
Winning it.
Keeping Traditions Alive
Indiana isn't Temple. It's Indiana.
As simple as it sounds, it's important the Hoosiers keep their own traditions alive, Volgraf said.
Janney may have had success at Temple, but that doesn't mean the Hoosiers have to become a mirror image of the Owls.
"She hasn't come in trying to change who were are necessarily because tradition and culture already exists and is still being built here," Volgraf said. "She's had great respect for our program and its history and who we are."
Janney brought in former Hoosiers Audra Heilman, Danielle McNally and Gaby Olshemski to speak to the team in the preseason. They were able to share their experiences and give advice to the newest Hoosiers.
Although Janney herself never coached the three, she's appreciative of their work and dedication to the program she now calls her own.
Janney doesn't want Indiana's history going anywhere just because she's a new coach. She only wants to help the Hoosiers write a successful next chapter.
"Indiana has shown a great culture and great potential already," Janney said.
"I just want to add to it. Excellence is kind of my vision, and I'm excited to get that started."
Janney spent a decade building Temple's program from the ground up.
Last fall, she led the Owls to the 2014 Big East Championship game where they lost to eventual national champion UConn. Temple earned a conference tournament berth in all 10 years of Janney's tenure.
Janney coached the Owls to 49 all-conference accolades, 25 all-regional honors, seven Player of the Year awards and four All-America honors. Her list of accomplished players most recently included Amber Youtz, who was named First Team All-America, becoming the first Temple field hockey player to earn the honor in 22 years.
So why leave a program when it's seemingly peaking?
"Indiana was such a huge opportunity," Janney said. "Leaving Temple was hard, but Indiana was the name. We were fortunate to have success (at Temple). When Indiana called, I knew it was an opportunity to take a major step up with a leading program."
Temple was home, but Indiana had a chance to be special. Bloomington was a place where Janney could hit the reset button, use the Big Ten's prestige to her advantage and ultimately make a run at the national championship.
"Every Big Ten team is going to test us," Janney said. "Every conference game is going to raise our RPI and bring us closer to qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, which is what everybody plays for, right?"
"That's why I came here. Indiana has a chance to be great."
A Hands-on Coach
Janney immerses herself into the action in practice.
She's rarely off to the sidelines. She stands alongside her players during drills, analyzing every move.
Everything Janney does is done with a purpose. She'll pepper her players with questions, ensuring they understand the motive behind everything they do.
"She's always a straightforward person with you," freshman Nora Aucker said. "She's not hard to talk to. She's really easy to connect with. She's encouraging, but has a lot of constructive criticism as well."
During practice drills Tuesday, Janney is standing in the middle of two groups doing identical drills to either side of her. There's action going on all around her, but she's able to pick up on mistakes and correct them.
She's repetitive. She's constantly reminding the players what they're working on and what their end goal is. No minute of practice goes wasted.
"Let's be clear. Do we want the ball on the outside or the inside?" Janney asks, pausing a drill. She doesn't immediately get the right answer from everyone, prompting her to slow the drill down again and reestablish the teaching point.
After a reset, the Hoosiers run the drill to perfection. They run the same play over and over again for three minutes without Janney ever needing to step in.
"When she comes out onto the field, she's constantly working with an athlete," senior Nicole Volgraf said. "It's hard to get a minute with her because she's always helping somebody else, which is a good thing. She makes it a point to be looking to help."
Janney's hands-on style of coaching has been well received by her players.
The transition into the first year with a new staff is naturally going to be awkward, Janney said, but the players have embraced the changes she's made.
Even if it means changing positions.
One of Janney's initial decisions in Bloomington was opening up the roster to potential position changes. She pushes her athletes to be "all-around players' capable of being moved around the field to ensure the best 11 always lineup together.
As a result, some typical offensive players have been moved back to the defensive side of the field. Likewise, a few defenders have been put in attacking positions.
These moves could have easily backfired if not done properly, but they haven't.
Janney made it clear early that she would have the players' best interest at heart, and has seemingly pushed all the right buttons so far.
"Seeing people at different positions has actually been pretty cool," redshirt junior Mollie Getzfread said. "She thinks as players as note set in stone. Just because you came in as a midfielder doesn't limit you to being a midfielder. It's really interesting to see people kind of live up to what she feels they'd be good at."
"Speed Kills"
Whenever a new coaching staff comes in, they bring their own flair to an already existing team.
The Hoosiers won't exactly be overhauling. But at least one thing is certain.
The Hoosiers will be fast.
"Speed kills," Janney said. "In tough games, speed can be the difference maker."
An up-tempo pace has always been a cornerstone of Janney's system. She said it helps her team remain the aggressor, keeping the pressure on the opponents at all times.
The Hoosiers have been stressing pace in everything they do in practice. During a scrimmage Tuesday, players who made three consecutive touches would need to leave the game and do jumping jacks before they could return.
"Our pace is crucial for us," Volgraf said. "The quicker we move the ball and they quicker we move the ball into the backfield, the more threatening we're going to be. AJ has done a phenomenal job of making sure we're practicing quick-pace hockey."
There's going to be a learning curve, Volgraf said. The increased pace will lead to a few more mistakes and a little less control, but it's also a more enjoyable style of hockey.
The best teams in the country tend to be fast, she said. The Hoosiers feel like their speed could be missing piece they've lacked over the last few seasons.
"That's our game changer," Volgraf said. "It makes it really difficult for a team to play defense against you. That's the team we're trying to be."
New Expectations
Indiana has discussed short-term goals and long-term goals. Both are important. Both can happen quickly, Janney said.
First and foremost, the Hoosiers need to return to the Big Ten Tournament.
Indiana is hosting the conference tournament this season, and Janney wants to take advantage of home field advantage.
"We definitely have higher standards now," Getzfread said. "AJ has big plans for us, and I definitely think we can accomplish them."
Reaching those standards will require better play against the Big Ten. The Hoosiers haven't won more than two Big Ten games since 2009.
Getzfread said Indiana suffered from "big game syndrome" in recent years. When the opponents got tougher, Indiana fell back.
That's something Indiana's working to change immediately. Janney scheduled a scrimmage against Iowa to lesson any nerves and prove to her players that they can be a competitive Big Ten team from the start.
"That was a boost of confidence and really showed what we're capable of," Getzfread said. "I think we fell into a trap of being the underdogs and thinking we weren't as good, but this year will be a lot different."
Indiana's players and coaches believe playing better in the Big Ten is an obtainable short-term goal. They expect to be better immediately.
The Hoosiers' long-term goal?
Reaching the top-16 and qualifying for a national championship. After that?
Winning it.
Keeping Traditions Alive
Indiana isn't Temple. It's Indiana.
As simple as it sounds, it's important the Hoosiers keep their own traditions alive, Volgraf said.
Janney may have had success at Temple, but that doesn't mean the Hoosiers have to become a mirror image of the Owls.
"She hasn't come in trying to change who were are necessarily because tradition and culture already exists and is still being built here," Volgraf said. "She's had great respect for our program and its history and who we are."
Janney brought in former Hoosiers Audra Heilman, Danielle McNally and Gaby Olshemski to speak to the team in the preseason. They were able to share their experiences and give advice to the newest Hoosiers.
Although Janney herself never coached the three, she's appreciative of their work and dedication to the program she now calls her own.
Janney doesn't want Indiana's history going anywhere just because she's a new coach. She only wants to help the Hoosiers write a successful next chapter.
"Indiana has shown a great culture and great potential already," Janney said.
"I just want to add to it. Excellence is kind of my vision, and I'm excited to get that started."
Players Mentioned
Defender/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Defender/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Forward/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Forward
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