Written by Kaileigh Grieb '25
- Endicott Athletics Student Beat Writer

BEVERLY, Mass. — Change is something that all people face at some point in their lives.

Whether the change is small or major, it can be scary to face. Only some people can see change as a new beginning, versus an insurmountable obstacle. 

Emma Antkowiak's '25 (Sandown, N.H.) college experience has been subject to change since she arrived at The Nest a handful of years ago, but she's never run away from it.

Antkowiak has been an integral member of Endicott's field hockey program since being recruited as a defender from Timberlane Regional High School.

Now a junior, Antkowiak has taken over a new role for the 2023 season, transitioning from player to team manager, and in the process becoming an even more vital member of the squad.

"I loved field hockey when I came to Endicott and I automatically came into a great team environment. Our freshman year team was the year when we won the CCC Championship and everybody was just awesome. I immediately felt like I found somewhere I belonged," reflected Antkowiak on her time playing for the Gulls.

But as many athletes can agree with, Antkowiak had felt many ups and downs while playing the sport.

The ups were good, but the downs began to pile up.

"I've always been someone who is Endicott field hockey committed, but mentally it wasn't working on the field anymore. It was hard for me to keep playing and I felt like I was falling out of love with the sport," Antkowiak said.

The mental health of athletes continues to be a prevalent issue in sports today. Many athletes search for outlets to gain the help they need to move forward and not once did Antkowiak feel unsupported in her transition to team manager.

Antkowiak, being the strong-minded person she is, was determined to fall back in love with the sport that brought her to Endicott.

"I felt like I had to make a change for myself. I still loved the team, I love my coaches, I love my teammates, but I needed to make a change for my mental health for me to keep my journey going at Endicott in a different way."

So, she took the initiative to do what was right for herself, and with the support of her coaching staff and team, they rallied behind her.

Endicott field hockey head coach Jodi Cipolla has watched Antkowiak make her transition from player to team manager seamlessly and has admired her ability to adjust to change as quickly as she did.

"What's great about having someone who has transitioned from a player to manager is that she understands our day-to-day. She knows how our practices run, she knows how our locker room runs, she just gets it."

The energy that Antkowiak has had on the field has yet to dwindle even off the field as she remains all in on the team and is admired for it by all of those around her.

"She's our fire. She has always been huge in the locker room, she's got the music going, and she's the first to say the right thing at the right time to either break up a tense moment or to give energy to someone else... She's the light for us, she is our fire, she gets the girls going," said Cipolla.

EMERGING LEADER

Antkowiak's new off-field role as team manager includes helping goalie coach Kayla Raneri warm up the team's netminders (even jumping into drills for old times' sake to help with pre-game prep), organizing team dinners for away games, ensuring all equipment is accounted for, helping the gameday manager set up for home contests, and running all of the team's social media accounts.

Due to her involvement with social, Antkowiak was asked to become an ambassador for the School of Social Sciences, Communication & Humanities.

This role has given Antkowiak a leg up in her eventual post-graduate career search.

"I've always wanted to work in sports media, whether it's broadcasting or social media, so doing this has helped me from a behind-the-scenes standpoint. So, I can see myself doing a community relations role of some sort after this experience."

When asked to meet for an interview, Antkowiak was seen surrounded by support from her entire team, who all eagerly awaited their chance to give their two cents about their favorite "MGR", short for manager, as the team has nicknamed her.

"My entire grade are my best friends. I feel like everyone always talks about how their team is their family and that they're there for them, but with the field hockey team there is such a strong connection of people," Antkowiak said. "I've been through such hard personal experiences and my friends on the field hockey team were there for me."

Senior captain Jenna Seibold (Reading, Mass.) has had a front-row seat to watching Antkowiak's transition from player to "MGR" and couldn't stop smiling when thinking of all the great things she has accomplished, both on and off the field.

"There's a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that we sometimes take for granted [as student-athletes] and that we don't need to worry about, like having food after a game, or our jerseys being out on our bench when we walk onto the field for a gameday. Everything is done for us and Emma plays a major role in all of it," Seibold said, gratefully.

Seibold then laughed alongside her teammates when explaining how Antkowiak is seen as the glue for the team, saying:

"We never have to worry about her not showing up. If she ever had a bad day, you would never know, she's dedicated. We would not be the same team without her. She's loud in a good way, if the sideline is ever quiet we can count on her to bring us up."

FOREVER A GULL

And that connection is seen on and off the field, you would rarely find one field hockey player straying too far away from the pack.

Her teammates, who have supported her since day one in her new position within the program, have made sure that she has felt their support in all aspects as Antkowiak is still included in all team activities.

The team also stresses that once you're a Gull, you're always a Gull, with alumni frequently returning to support the team, highlighting the values that Antkowiak believes start at the top and trickle down throughout the team. 

When asked for one word to describe Antkowiak's personality on the team, the positive response was overwhelming.

Words were shouted out from seemingly every angle, words like consistent, persistent, goal-driven, high-energy, driven...

But the saying that stuck out the most was "fourth pair of eyes".

This means that Antkowiak serves as a manager and almost a second coach/mentor to her teammates.

Antkowiak explained this meaning on a deeper level, saying:

"Sometimes my teammates will come up to me and ask what they need to work on in games, asking 'What did you see out there?' and 'What should I do?' and so I'll make sure to help them."

Seeing the outpouring of love and admiration that the Endicott field hockey program has for Antkowiak is infectious and if you were to walk into the locker room, you could feel the respect from all corners.

Junior midfielder Brooke Yabroudy (Nashua, N.H.) couldn't slow herself down when asked about what Antkowiak means to their program.

"I don't think our culture would have been the same without her," explained Yabroudy. "Our team culture is energetic and loud and she leads that in so many different ways. We could all be having a bad day and we would know Emma is there to pick us up."

Antkowiak has demonstrated how life can work in interesting ways. Just because you may plan on heading down one path, doesn't mean that life won't pull you down a different one.

She has kept an open mind and a level head with every direction life has pulled her, especially lately, and all the while has remained loyal to the program that has given her everything. 

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(Photo Credit - Mazzie Hinsdale '26)