Indiana University Athletics
IUFH Building Bright Future Under Bashore
8/26/2021 1:28:00 PM | Field Hockey
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Kayla Bashore didn't come home to work miracles.
For one thing, she doesn't need them.
For another, field hockey, as in so many Indiana sports these days, is rich in potential.
Bashore, a former Hoosier field hockey All-America, is driven to do special things starting her third season as the program's fourth head coach, and if the challenge is great -- a 2-30 Big Ten record over the past four seasons -- the reward can be greater.
"It's a different role and challenge," Bashore says of the evolution from player to coach. "I feel very lucky to be able to do this. It's great when you come to work, but you don't feel like it's work because it's something you love to do."
Love means seeing opportunity where others see frustration. It means building a foundation – much as Tom Allen has done with Hoosier football – that will withstand any challenge.
"I'm excited with the resources that are available to (the players). What they have here is so different from what we had. They have so much at their fingertips to help them be successful in anything they want to be successful in.
"This is great place to build a program, to have a winning program. The university is great. The athletic department is wonderful to be part of. Our players have everything they need to be elite athletes and be successful."
Do they ever. There's a victory over a ranked Michigan State team from Bashore's debut season in 2019, an All-Big Ten player in Hailey Couch, a new home field playing surface and plenty of resources and optimism from the newly launched IU Women's Athletics Excellence under athletic director Scott Dolson.
There's also a history of success since the program made its Hoosier debut in 2000.
Amy Robertson was the first coach and delivered NCAA tourney appearances in 2005 (Bashore's senior season) and 2009. The Hoosiers have won as many as 18 games and finished second in the Big Ten three times, the last in 2009.
That success didn't last. Bashore was hired to, in part, return the program to the NCAA tourney ways it enjoyed when she was a two-time All-American.
The pieces are falling into place, she says.
"What I love about this team is that they are in it to win it. They have the drive to do big things. They're all on the same page about that.
"Everyone brings their own 'It' factor to the team. Whether it be the on-field performance or just always encouraging each other. Everybody has something they're contributing in a valuable way.
"The culture of the team is coming together. They like each other. They get along. They have fun personalities. They're all a little bit different. It's nice to have."
Beyond that, Bashore says, "They have an internal drive as a group. It's their ownership. They own the program. You have to have that. Coaches lead it and teach the skills, but the players have to hold each other accountable and motivate and have a drive to be better.
"That's something we're looking to add to this year."
Field hockey will get a boost -- as will all 13 IU women's athletic programs -- through the Indiana University Athletics Women's Excellence, a fundraising effort designed to elevate the student-athlete experience through improved facilities and equipment as well as personal growth through IU's Excellence Academy.
It reflects Dolson's commitment to women's sports.
A tangible benefit for field hockey is its new playing surface. Installation was complete in time for the Hoosiers to train on it at the start of August camp.
"We get to train on a great surface thanks to Scott," Bashore says. "The Women's Excellence program he put in place to add extra touches for our girls to give them the confidence to be winners and be successful on and off the field."
Installation of the new playing surface, combined with the pandemic that moved last season from the fall to the spring, meant IU didn't have a home game last spring.
Throw in a Big Ten teams-only schedule and you had a brutal run the youthful Hoosiers weren't ready for.
But despite the 1-14 record -- 12 games were on the road, three were on neutral sites -- IU came out better because of it, Bashore says.
"In the spring, we didn't have a full field to train on. We would travel on Wednesdays to have a full-field opportunity for games on Friday.
"It was a grind. The girls did a good job. They took it one day at a time. That's our motto. At any point, you don't know what's going to happen – if people will be out or anything. You have to take it day by day.
"I'm proud of them for the way they finished the season. That was a big victory. They had to work through all that adversity and all the obstacles to play the games.
"It wasn't always a W, but we knew going in this is a good opportunity to learn and grow as a group. To play the best teams in the country the whole spring, that's going to be hard, but that's how we get better."
IU's lone victory came by a 3-2 score over Michigan State in overtime.
"You wouldn't want to draw that up," Bashore says about the tough schedule, "but that was the cards we were dealt.
"They went right in, head first into the storm. That's a great opportunity to grow. You wouldn't choose that, but it was a great outcome for us. I wouldn't have changed anything."
Benefits are coming, Bashore insists.
"Last year they gained grit to get through all that was thrown at them. Now we have the tools for things that are hard. Nothing will probably be as hard as what we did in the spring.
"They will have to use those things they gained and tack on that momentum for the fall. Then it's just having wins to give them more confidence that what they're doing is working. So they can see the fruits of their labor."
Building a strong program demands elite recruiting, made more challenging because the state of Indiana doesn't offer varsity field hockey at the high school level. That forces Bashore and her staff to get creative and wide ranging (players from England, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and New Zealand are on this season's roster) in recruiting without targeting any one area, although there is a strong Pennsylvania presence.
"We recruit from all different areas," she says. "I like to keep it diverse. It's important to have players from different areas and countries. Everyone brings their own style. They learn from one another.
"We have people from the Midwest, from Pennsylvania, from North Carolina and four to five different countries. We don't pigeonhole ourselves so that everyone coming from one area."
Couch, now a senior, leads the way. She earned all-Big Ten honors in 2019 by leading IU with 21 points on 10 goals and an assist. She sat out last season because of health concerns during the pandemic.
"She's good," Bashore says. "She's been out for the whole year, so it will be exciting to see her back on the turf. She's a real threat at the forward line in goal scoring."
Three other seniors are set to make major contributions -- Mary Kate Kesler, Jes McGivern and Peyton Becker.
"Mary Kate is a solid, all-around player in terms of attacking opportunities," Bashore says. "This year she will play defense. She's very versatile in that way. She's our corner striker on corners. She's a threat there.
Overall she works hard. She's one of our work horses. She puts in the effort. She goes the extra mile.
"Jes is a great leader. She sets a good example. She's a good teammate who has an impact on the field. Her growth in the last year and a half has been great to see, to watch her confidence soar. She's also very versatile.
"Peyton turned the corner a year and a half ago. She has become a lot more confident. She's a great teammate. She plays her role really well. She'll do anything for the team. She's the first one to sacrifice or help any of her teammates."
IU has a pair of promising goal keepers in Arabella Loveridge and Shannon McNally.
Loveridge, a freshman from New Zealand who was invited to attend her country's U-18 National Camp, has plenty of potential.
McNally, a sophomore, started 11 games last season. She had 64 saves.
Bashore has not yet named a starter. Both will likely see significant action.
"They're both training really well," Bashore says. "Healthy completion is making them better. It's a good problem to have to make a decision like that.
"They're learning from each other. We'll have to see as the trainings and the season unfolds.
"They have different strengths. With Shannon having one season under her belt, she has more experience, but Arabella is strong in some aspects, the technical parts. We'll see where they fall."
IU opens its season Friday at Central Michigan.
"We're excited to play different teams again to travel again," Bashore says.
"The players are excited for the season and to get out there and compete and see the benefits for all the work they've put work they've put in the last two years."
That work is set to pay off -- all without a miracle within sight.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Kayla Bashore didn't come home to work miracles.
For one thing, she doesn't need them.
For another, field hockey, as in so many Indiana sports these days, is rich in potential.
Bashore, a former Hoosier field hockey All-America, is driven to do special things starting her third season as the program's fourth head coach, and if the challenge is great -- a 2-30 Big Ten record over the past four seasons -- the reward can be greater.
"It's a different role and challenge," Bashore says of the evolution from player to coach. "I feel very lucky to be able to do this. It's great when you come to work, but you don't feel like it's work because it's something you love to do."
Love means seeing opportunity where others see frustration. It means building a foundation – much as Tom Allen has done with Hoosier football – that will withstand any challenge.
"I'm excited with the resources that are available to (the players). What they have here is so different from what we had. They have so much at their fingertips to help them be successful in anything they want to be successful in.
"This is great place to build a program, to have a winning program. The university is great. The athletic department is wonderful to be part of. Our players have everything they need to be elite athletes and be successful."
Do they ever. There's a victory over a ranked Michigan State team from Bashore's debut season in 2019, an All-Big Ten player in Hailey Couch, a new home field playing surface and plenty of resources and optimism from the newly launched IU Women's Athletics Excellence under athletic director Scott Dolson.
There's also a history of success since the program made its Hoosier debut in 2000.
Amy Robertson was the first coach and delivered NCAA tourney appearances in 2005 (Bashore's senior season) and 2009. The Hoosiers have won as many as 18 games and finished second in the Big Ten three times, the last in 2009.
That success didn't last. Bashore was hired to, in part, return the program to the NCAA tourney ways it enjoyed when she was a two-time All-American.
The pieces are falling into place, she says.
"What I love about this team is that they are in it to win it. They have the drive to do big things. They're all on the same page about that.
"Everyone brings their own 'It' factor to the team. Whether it be the on-field performance or just always encouraging each other. Everybody has something they're contributing in a valuable way.
"The culture of the team is coming together. They like each other. They get along. They have fun personalities. They're all a little bit different. It's nice to have."
Beyond that, Bashore says, "They have an internal drive as a group. It's their ownership. They own the program. You have to have that. Coaches lead it and teach the skills, but the players have to hold each other accountable and motivate and have a drive to be better.
"That's something we're looking to add to this year."
Field hockey will get a boost -- as will all 13 IU women's athletic programs -- through the Indiana University Athletics Women's Excellence, a fundraising effort designed to elevate the student-athlete experience through improved facilities and equipment as well as personal growth through IU's Excellence Academy.
It reflects Dolson's commitment to women's sports.
A tangible benefit for field hockey is its new playing surface. Installation was complete in time for the Hoosiers to train on it at the start of August camp.
"We get to train on a great surface thanks to Scott," Bashore says. "The Women's Excellence program he put in place to add extra touches for our girls to give them the confidence to be winners and be successful on and off the field."
Installation of the new playing surface, combined with the pandemic that moved last season from the fall to the spring, meant IU didn't have a home game last spring.
Throw in a Big Ten teams-only schedule and you had a brutal run the youthful Hoosiers weren't ready for.
But despite the 1-14 record -- 12 games were on the road, three were on neutral sites -- IU came out better because of it, Bashore says.
"In the spring, we didn't have a full field to train on. We would travel on Wednesdays to have a full-field opportunity for games on Friday.
"It was a grind. The girls did a good job. They took it one day at a time. That's our motto. At any point, you don't know what's going to happen – if people will be out or anything. You have to take it day by day.
"I'm proud of them for the way they finished the season. That was a big victory. They had to work through all that adversity and all the obstacles to play the games.
"It wasn't always a W, but we knew going in this is a good opportunity to learn and grow as a group. To play the best teams in the country the whole spring, that's going to be hard, but that's how we get better."
IU's lone victory came by a 3-2 score over Michigan State in overtime.
"You wouldn't want to draw that up," Bashore says about the tough schedule, "but that was the cards we were dealt.
"They went right in, head first into the storm. That's a great opportunity to grow. You wouldn't choose that, but it was a great outcome for us. I wouldn't have changed anything."
Benefits are coming, Bashore insists.
"Last year they gained grit to get through all that was thrown at them. Now we have the tools for things that are hard. Nothing will probably be as hard as what we did in the spring.
"They will have to use those things they gained and tack on that momentum for the fall. Then it's just having wins to give them more confidence that what they're doing is working. So they can see the fruits of their labor."
Building a strong program demands elite recruiting, made more challenging because the state of Indiana doesn't offer varsity field hockey at the high school level. That forces Bashore and her staff to get creative and wide ranging (players from England, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and New Zealand are on this season's roster) in recruiting without targeting any one area, although there is a strong Pennsylvania presence.
"We recruit from all different areas," she says. "I like to keep it diverse. It's important to have players from different areas and countries. Everyone brings their own style. They learn from one another.
"We have people from the Midwest, from Pennsylvania, from North Carolina and four to five different countries. We don't pigeonhole ourselves so that everyone coming from one area."
Couch, now a senior, leads the way. She earned all-Big Ten honors in 2019 by leading IU with 21 points on 10 goals and an assist. She sat out last season because of health concerns during the pandemic.
"She's good," Bashore says. "She's been out for the whole year, so it will be exciting to see her back on the turf. She's a real threat at the forward line in goal scoring."
Three other seniors are set to make major contributions -- Mary Kate Kesler, Jes McGivern and Peyton Becker.
"Mary Kate is a solid, all-around player in terms of attacking opportunities," Bashore says. "This year she will play defense. She's very versatile in that way. She's our corner striker on corners. She's a threat there.
Overall she works hard. She's one of our work horses. She puts in the effort. She goes the extra mile.
"Jes is a great leader. She sets a good example. She's a good teammate who has an impact on the field. Her growth in the last year and a half has been great to see, to watch her confidence soar. She's also very versatile.
"Peyton turned the corner a year and a half ago. She has become a lot more confident. She's a great teammate. She plays her role really well. She'll do anything for the team. She's the first one to sacrifice or help any of her teammates."
IU has a pair of promising goal keepers in Arabella Loveridge and Shannon McNally.
Loveridge, a freshman from New Zealand who was invited to attend her country's U-18 National Camp, has plenty of potential.
McNally, a sophomore, started 11 games last season. She had 64 saves.
Bashore has not yet named a starter. Both will likely see significant action.
"They're both training really well," Bashore says. "Healthy completion is making them better. It's a good problem to have to make a decision like that.
"They're learning from each other. We'll have to see as the trainings and the season unfolds.
"They have different strengths. With Shannon having one season under her belt, she has more experience, but Arabella is strong in some aspects, the technical parts. We'll see where they fall."
IU opens its season Friday at Central Michigan.
"We're excited to play different teams again to travel again," Bashore says.
"The players are excited for the season and to get out there and compete and see the benefits for all the work they've put work they've put in the last two years."
That work is set to pay off -- all without a miracle within sight.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Goalkeeper
/ Field Hockey
Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Goalkeeper
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