Behind every great scoring offense is the on-field support system - the midfielders and defenders - who work hard to get the ball up the field, while not necessarily recording the gaudy statistics. Boston College's senior midfielder Caitlyn Young works tirelessly to set up shots for her teammates, while netting a few goals of her own along the way - including two last weekend. Young has started every game for the past two seasons and competed with USA Field Hockey's New England team in last year's National Championship Tournament. She also works tirelessly in the classroom and is a three-time winner so far of the Athletic Director's Award for Academic Achievement and a two-time NFHCA Academic All-American.
How did you get started playing field hockey?
Seventh grade was the first year we could play field hockey. It was a decision between that and cross country; I picked field hockey. I played on the high school team and also played on a team called "Jersey Intensity". With them, I went to a festival out in California. I also did Futures, which is another field hockey development program.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as an athlete?
Boston College didn't enter the ACC until my sophomore year, so we came in as the underdog. I think as a whole, our team really stepped up and played to the best of our ability and really made an impact on the ACC.
How was the transition from the Big East to the ACC?
It was kind of weird, actually. When we came into the ACC, we didn't really see ourselves as "up-to-par" with the rest of the competition. There's a huge difference between then and now. When we first started playing ACC games, we went into games afraid. We were just playing not to lose, but now we're going into games and focusing on winning. Not just winning, but winning big and doing the best that we can. We go in with a lot more confidence now than we used to.
You and (high school teammate) Brittany Angellella (Syracuse) went off to college thinking you would be playing against each other for these four years in the Big East. Have you gotten to play against her since moving to the ACC?
No, we haven't - just my freshman year. And when we did, the entire high school team drove up to Syracuse, which was really nice. Britt and I are hoping to get nominated for the Senior All-Star Game during the Final Four in Maryland. It would be great if we were both there to play with each other or against each other for the last time. (My high school coach) Mrs. Snyder still comes up to games sometimes, too. She was up here for our Senior Day a couple weeks ago, and it was great to see her.
Was there an adjustment from being a forward and the go-to goal scorer in high school to being a midfielder in college where you set up the shots for your teammates?
It was definitely a change. When I came in freshman year, I was just happy to be on the field at all so I took whatever spot they gave me. I've really come into the midfield position and gotten used to it. I think I would definitely rather be there than as a forward right now. I had never played midfield before I got to college, so it was definitely a change to get into it, but sometimes it's nice to just get the ball up the field and let our forwards do the scoring. I do the background work, but I love it.
What is it like playing every day in a conference like the ACC?
(laughs) It's actually really hard! We do a lot more traveling, so it's a big time commitment. It's tiring because when you travel that far to games, you don't want to waste the weekend and play just one game. We play two games in a weekend most of the time. A lot of hard work goes into it and you're tired after the weekend, but it's definitely worth it.
What do you still hope to accomplish?
In field hockey, one of my goals has been to be an All-American. I don't know if that's actually going to happen, but I go out and play every ball as if it's just as important as the last and practice hard to try to accomplish that goal.
What would you say is the best advice you've ever received?
I'd say the best advice has come from our coaching staff - just go out and play one game at a time, play the full 70-minute game, and never let down on any ball or any game.
Who is your most influential role model?
Definitely my parents. They're the ones that support me in everything that I do. They come to all of my games, even though they live in New Jersey. They drive over five and a half hours to all of our games! I would also say my coach (Ainslee Lamb). She just tries to make me a better player every single day.
What is your most memorable moment in sports?
We beat Duke last year in overtime. (Duke was No. 4 in the country at the time.) It was such an emotional game, and at the end, it was the greatest accomplishment we could have thought of at that moment.
Why did you choose Boston College?
When I came on my official visit when I was being recruited, I kind of just knew as soon as I saw the school. I came during the Notre Dame weekend, which is a huge, huge game here. The atmosphere was just great.
Is there anything in particular that you're taking away from your career at BC?
We lost a really bad game a few weeks ago because I don't think we were taking it as seriously as we should have been. So, I think most of all, the idea that you can't ever let down. You have to take everything seriously and work as hard as you can and you'll get places.
Do you have any plans yet for after graduation?
I would really like to go into sports management and athletics. I'm applying to a few different grad schools for that, and seeing what kinds of options are out there. I know there's a great ACC internship! I'd like to apply for that too.
Caitlyn Young and the Eagles return to the field on Sunday (10/21) when they travel to New Hampshire for a non-conference match-up starting at 3 p.m. They continue the New England road swing with a trip to Connecticut next Wednesday (10/24) at 7 p.m.
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