All-American Southam takes over as Fox Lane field hockey coach

Sofi Southam takes over as the new head varsity coach for Fox Lane field hockey. (Jim MacLean Photo)

By JIM MACLEAN

As a player, she reached the pinnacle of her sport.

Now, Sofi Southam is ready for the next chapter taking over as the new head varsity field hockey coach at Fox Lane.

She is certainly a great example for young field hockey players to follow and learn how to play the game. Southam grew up in Argentina, where field hockey is the number one sport played by young girls. She went on to become an NCAA Division 1 superstar, a four-year varsity player at the University of Michigan, a first team All-American, Big Ten player of the year, finished second in the nation in scoring, and then made the U.S. National team.

Then came marriage and a family, with twin sons and then another son in a matter of a couple of years. Her playing career is on pause, starting her new life with a family and focusing on a new path as a coach to carry on her passion for the sport of field hockey.

“It’s a handful, three boys, but it’s great,” Southam said of her three little ones. “My husband is from Carmel, so I’m familiar with high school sports in this area and I love it here, the Hudson Valley is beautiful. I’ve been coaching since I was in high school and I like teaching everything there is to teach about the sport of field hockey, the techniques, the stick skills, once you get the hang of it, it’s so much fun.”

Southam got to know some of the Fox Lane girls this summer working as a coach with the Bedford-Katonah youth field hockey club run by John Jay coach Debbi Walsh. She also runs her own field hockey program called Swift Field Hockey offering private sessions, summer and winter clinics and travel teams.

She wants to bring to Fox Lane and the community what she had as a young girl growing up in Buenos Aries, a country crazy about the sport of field hockey with Argentina and the Netherlands often competing as the best national teams in the world.

“In Argentina it’s basically the number one sport girls play, super popular and everyone follows the Argentina girls national team. I want to focus on individual players and what they want to get out of the sport of field hockey, produce good field hockey players and that will lead to winning teams. Fox Lane is a good athletic community, well-rounded students and multi-sport athletes, these girls are awesome, a lot of energy, and we’re really looking forward to the season.”

Southam was an All-American at the University of Michigan.

She knows she has her work cut out for her taking over a young team that was hit hard by graduation. Fox Lane lost a core group of senior veterans to graduation, including one of the best field hockey players in Fox Lane history in Samantha Reder, who is now starting her collegiate career at the University of California in Berkely, and former goalie Kayla Santos is now at SUNY Cortland.

The Foxes will be a young team with just one senior on the roster in returning starter Georgia Webb. There are six returning juniors on the roster, including Sara Renz, Emily Kalarchian, Annabel Kelly, Sofia Valente, Shizuki Herzog and Katie Berisha.

Southam takes over the program from coaches Kim Gigante and Melissa Ponzio. Joining Southam on the coaching staff this year are Jen David as the junior varsity coach and Joyce Guevara as the varsity assistant.

“I heard some awesome players graduated from last year and two of them are playing in college and we’re excited for them,” said Southam. “On to next year, that’s high school sports. We have all new coaches and it’s a very young team, we have only one senior, we’re rebuilding, but we’re excited. I look forward to building on the strong foundation and team culture that coach Melissa and Kim dedicated so much time to develop. With my energy, commitment, and vision, I’m excited to continue moving the program forward while inspiring our players to reach their potential.”

It helps that the enthusiasm is high for the program with 32 players already signed up, many of them coming to optional work outs during the summer with the first official practice not taking place until August 25.

“A lot of the girls the first time I met them was today,” admitted Southam after an optional workout. “I coached some of them this summer at the clinic and got to know them. I really like this group of girls, they are super positive, they take feedback very well and they are very eager to play. We have a good group of juniors, and a big group of eighth graders. They’ve come to every single optional practice, and it’s awesome to see how much they want to learn and grow. My mission is to grow the game at Fox Lane and in the area, and to make Fox Lane a powerhouse.