Indiana University Athletics
Janney’s Culture Change Evident in Big Ten Play
9/25/2015 11:22:00 AM | Field Hockey
By: Will DeWitt | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It is a half hour before practice is scheduled to begin, and in her first-year as the Hoosier head coach Amanda Janney is already on the field working with some of her players as Indiana prepares for its upcoming game.
Janney has a passion about the team getting better and she cares about each player on her roster. This enthusiasm for improvement left a strong impression on junior Malia Fujisawa.
"Field hockey is not just our passion, but it's hers too," Fujisawa said. "Being able to share it with her, while getting better at it together has made for a great relationship between the players and coach."
After being the head coach at Temple for 10 seasons, Janney took over the IU Women's Field Hockey team, bringing a culture shift along with her.
The Hoosier culture has strengthened and so has team chemistry.
"Ever since she came here, I feel like we are all together," Fujisawa said. "I've enjoyed the change as it's had a positive impact on the team."
When Janney came in, she understood that there was already a culture in place and instead of attempting to completely change it, she incorporated some new aspects into the pre-existing culture.
One of the main objectives was to create a stronger sense of teamwork, as keeping the focus on the team and teamwork will translate to better results on game day. Janney preaches that the squad should play for the girl next to them and be unselfish in their play.
Some ways that Janney has helped the team bond is by having the senior captains lead by example and having freshmen speak up during team huddles.
"There's a lot of little things that we do that they might know," Janney said. "But we are just trying to build the team and have them be closer together."
When it comes to practice, Janney likes to have the team as prepared as possible. Instead of practicing as individuals or even by position, she has them working together as a team.
This translates into better team offense and team defense in the game. That strategy allows for a higher chance of success during the games, as players don't play as individuals.
The players appreciate how prepared the coaching staff gets them for each and every game, compared to years past.
"Having Janney here, I feel more prepared coming out of practice," junior Kate Barber said. "Everything the coaches tell us helps us in the game and everyone is on the same page."
However, this is not a one-sided relationship. Janney has taken notice of how hard her players' work to get better day in and day out and is proud of their willingness to put in work and be coachable.
"We are working on hitting techniques from the basics to really advanced strategy," Janney said. "I think they have done really great job to take in so many things that we are teaching them and getting better every day."
After a week of practice, IU will begin conference play as the team plays Iowa Friday and Northwestern on Sunday.
"We are bringing momentum into Big Ten play," Janney said. "We played great last weekend and had a good week of practice. We just want to make sure we are playing our best against the Hawkeyes."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It is a half hour before practice is scheduled to begin, and in her first-year as the Hoosier head coach Amanda Janney is already on the field working with some of her players as Indiana prepares for its upcoming game.
Janney has a passion about the team getting better and she cares about each player on her roster. This enthusiasm for improvement left a strong impression on junior Malia Fujisawa.
"Field hockey is not just our passion, but it's hers too," Fujisawa said. "Being able to share it with her, while getting better at it together has made for a great relationship between the players and coach."
After being the head coach at Temple for 10 seasons, Janney took over the IU Women's Field Hockey team, bringing a culture shift along with her.
The Hoosier culture has strengthened and so has team chemistry.
"Ever since she came here, I feel like we are all together," Fujisawa said. "I've enjoyed the change as it's had a positive impact on the team."
When Janney came in, she understood that there was already a culture in place and instead of attempting to completely change it, she incorporated some new aspects into the pre-existing culture.
One of the main objectives was to create a stronger sense of teamwork, as keeping the focus on the team and teamwork will translate to better results on game day. Janney preaches that the squad should play for the girl next to them and be unselfish in their play.
Some ways that Janney has helped the team bond is by having the senior captains lead by example and having freshmen speak up during team huddles.
"There's a lot of little things that we do that they might know," Janney said. "But we are just trying to build the team and have them be closer together."
When it comes to practice, Janney likes to have the team as prepared as possible. Instead of practicing as individuals or even by position, she has them working together as a team.
This translates into better team offense and team defense in the game. That strategy allows for a higher chance of success during the games, as players don't play as individuals.
The players appreciate how prepared the coaching staff gets them for each and every game, compared to years past.
"Having Janney here, I feel more prepared coming out of practice," junior Kate Barber said. "Everything the coaches tell us helps us in the game and everyone is on the same page."
However, this is not a one-sided relationship. Janney has taken notice of how hard her players' work to get better day in and day out and is proud of their willingness to put in work and be coachable.
"We are working on hitting techniques from the basics to really advanced strategy," Janney said. "I think they have done really great job to take in so many things that we are teaching them and getting better every day."
After a week of practice, IU will begin conference play as the team plays Iowa Friday and Northwestern on Sunday.
"We are bringing momentum into Big Ten play," Janney said. "We played great last weekend and had a good week of practice. We just want to make sure we are playing our best against the Hawkeyes."
Players Mentioned
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