Coming into her own
9/22/2016 5:41:00 PM | Field Hockey, Student Athlete, Features
By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications
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Growth on the playing field is one of many components of student-athlete development. Success in one area often leads to success in other areas.
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Lehigh field hockey junior Laura Yuh is thriving in multiple ways. On the field, she has come into her own as a key member of the Mountain Hawks' surging defense. She is also coming into her own off the field, due in large part to the unique opportunities afforded within Lehigh Athletics.
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Early this past summer, the Voorhees, New Jersey native traveled to Belgium as part of the Lehigh in Belgium program, marking her first-ever trip to Europe. She studied abroad at one of the only times of year possible for a student-athlete, and she took full advantage.
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"Traveling is definitely something I've always wanted to do. I really wanted to go abroad, since teammates had gone before and really enjoyed it," said Yuh. "Former teammate Kat Kneizys recommended Lehigh in Belgium and said it would also help fulfill my major."
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More than what Yuh learned in the classroom, the marketing major experienced being on her own in a different culture, which can be intimidating.
Â
"I didn't know anyone else that was going, so it was great to meet people who I may not have otherwise met," she said.
Â
While in Belgium, Yuh didn't experience the typical classroom setting. She had class three days per week - taking classes on global marketing and reverse innovation - while another day, she went on a field trip.
Â
"We traveled to different cities within Belgium, learned about the cities' history and how it applied to our classes," said Yuh. "Over the weekends, we also got to travel independently."
Â
Yuh ended up traveling to Paris, London and Barcelona in her approximately one month overseas from mid-May to mid-June.
Â
"They were three pretty different places, but we were honestly excited to do all the touristy things," she said. "I was able to see places I had dreamt of one day seeing."
Â
Amid classes and traveling, Yuh didn't totally forget about field hockey, finding creative ways to stay sharp. She didn't have a stick with her, so she focused on conditioning.
Â
"I really enjoyed running through the cities," said Yuh. "When I went to the park, there was a turf field and people were playing field hockey. Field hockey is so big over there and it was neat to see it as someone's sport of choice."
Â
The trip allowed Yuh to improve her time management, which is especially important for student-athletes.
Â
"I had to really figure out time management with traveling, my schoolwork and seeing Belgium itself," she said. "I had to plan out how I was going to do everything efficiently, and well.
Â
"Translating the experience to Lehigh, I definitely feel better prepared with school, and field hockey. I can really manage my time better now."
Â
In August, Yuh came back to preseason camp better than ever. Her month overseas didn't negatively affect her on the field. If anything, it helped.
Â
"Laura came from a really strong high school program in Jersey, Eastern High School," said Lehigh head coach Caitlin Dallmeyer. "One of the first things I noticed about Laura was that her fundamentals were very strong. Her tackling, her sweeps, her ability to see the field and her understand where she wants to go with the ball was all in place."
Â
Dallmeyer was looking for Yuh to take the next step.
Â
"This season, we're trying to get her to be a little bit more aggressive and a little bit more confident so she can take more of a leadership role in the backfield," said Dallmeyer.
Â
Several weeks into the 2016 season, a more aggressive Yuh has come to the surface.
Â
By traveling to Belgium, Yuh was aggressive in making a decision to put herself in an uncomfortable situation. On the field, she's been asked to do something just as intimidating, being forced to step outside her comfort zone and do something that doesn't come naturally to her.
Â
Yuh has begun to thrive.
Â
"Laura has been more aggressive this season, which I don't think is in her nature," said Dallmeyer. "She's definitely a thinker and we've had to get her to trust her instincts and really go for the ball. When she does, she's phenomenal."
Â
Yuh has started from the get-go, but she was especially strong against Bucknell and Providence when she led a strong team defensive effort as the Mountain Hawks allowed just three goals over two games. Lehigh has also allowed just one goal to Rider and La Salle, and only two at Penn.
Â
"A major component of being a defender is having confidence, since we play in a make-or-break area of the field," said Yuh. "Prior to this season, I would overthink a lot of my play-by-play decisions. This season, I've really started to trust my instincts and I've worked to grow into the more aggressive player that coach needs in the backfield.
Â
"Putting myself in situations off the field, like traveling abroad and participating in Lehigh's leadership programs like Student-Athlete Mentors, has really helped me translate the abilities to act with confidence and trust my instincts on the field."
Â
By having a big-picture approach, Lehigh Athletics encourages growth in all areas, just like Yuh has seen. While many coaches would be fearful about allowing a player to go overseas knowing they wouldn't pick up a stick for a month, Dallmeyer knows it's beneficial and she knows her student-athletes will find ways to stay sharp.
Â
"Lehigh is unique in that it encourages student-athletes to go abroad and utilize all the different resources and opportunities that Lehigh has to offer the entire student population," said the first-year head coach. "As coaches, we certainly support them having those experiences and encourage them to go after those opportunities."
Â
While Yuh was encouraged by Kneizys, Yuh is now encouraging many of her teammates the same way.
Â
"Laura learned a lot from her experience and we were happy she was able to come back and share what she learned with her teammates," said Dallmeyer.
Â
"I've definitely recommended to our underclassmen to take advantage of the opportunities Lehigh provides," said Yuh. "
Â
Even though the summer is technically a student-athlete's "offseason," there truly is no offseason in college athletics. Every day is an opportunity to improve, but Lehigh Athletics realizes that improvement doesn't just come on the field. Improvement comes off the field as well.
Â
It is possible to focus on oneself off the field, like Yuh did in Belgium, without sacrificing athletics.
Â
"I wasn't giving up my entire summer of being here and training," she said. "I had a lot of time there to train, take classes, travel the way I wanted, come back and still have plenty of time to condition, keep playing and get ready for preseason.
Â
"I know my friends from home who don't go to Lehigh were so jealous of the opportunity to travel with a Lehigh professor, earn credits towards my major and not have to worry about anything else."
Â
Â
Growth on the playing field is one of many components of student-athlete development. Success in one area often leads to success in other areas.
Â
Lehigh field hockey junior Laura Yuh is thriving in multiple ways. On the field, she has come into her own as a key member of the Mountain Hawks' surging defense. She is also coming into her own off the field, due in large part to the unique opportunities afforded within Lehigh Athletics.
Â
Early this past summer, the Voorhees, New Jersey native traveled to Belgium as part of the Lehigh in Belgium program, marking her first-ever trip to Europe. She studied abroad at one of the only times of year possible for a student-athlete, and she took full advantage.
Â
"Traveling is definitely something I've always wanted to do. I really wanted to go abroad, since teammates had gone before and really enjoyed it," said Yuh. "Former teammate Kat Kneizys recommended Lehigh in Belgium and said it would also help fulfill my major."
Â
More than what Yuh learned in the classroom, the marketing major experienced being on her own in a different culture, which can be intimidating.
Â
"I didn't know anyone else that was going, so it was great to meet people who I may not have otherwise met," she said.
Â
While in Belgium, Yuh didn't experience the typical classroom setting. She had class three days per week - taking classes on global marketing and reverse innovation - while another day, she went on a field trip.
 "We traveled to different cities within Belgium, learned about the cities' history and how it applied to our classes," said Yuh. "Over the weekends, we also got to travel independently."
Â
Yuh ended up traveling to Paris, London and Barcelona in her approximately one month overseas from mid-May to mid-June.
Â
"They were three pretty different places, but we were honestly excited to do all the touristy things," she said. "I was able to see places I had dreamt of one day seeing."
Â
Amid classes and traveling, Yuh didn't totally forget about field hockey, finding creative ways to stay sharp. She didn't have a stick with her, so she focused on conditioning.
Â
"I really enjoyed running through the cities," said Yuh. "When I went to the park, there was a turf field and people were playing field hockey. Field hockey is so big over there and it was neat to see it as someone's sport of choice."
Â
The trip allowed Yuh to improve her time management, which is especially important for student-athletes.
Â
"I had to really figure out time management with traveling, my schoolwork and seeing Belgium itself," she said. "I had to plan out how I was going to do everything efficiently, and well.
Â
"Translating the experience to Lehigh, I definitely feel better prepared with school, and field hockey. I can really manage my time better now."
Â
In August, Yuh came back to preseason camp better than ever. Her month overseas didn't negatively affect her on the field. If anything, it helped.
Â
"Laura came from a really strong high school program in Jersey, Eastern High School," said Lehigh head coach Caitlin Dallmeyer. "One of the first things I noticed about Laura was that her fundamentals were very strong. Her tackling, her sweeps, her ability to see the field and her understand where she wants to go with the ball was all in place."
Â
Dallmeyer was looking for Yuh to take the next step.
Â
"This season, we're trying to get her to be a little bit more aggressive and a little bit more confident so she can take more of a leadership role in the backfield," said Dallmeyer.
Â
Several weeks into the 2016 season, a more aggressive Yuh has come to the surface.
Â
By traveling to Belgium, Yuh was aggressive in making a decision to put herself in an uncomfortable situation. On the field, she's been asked to do something just as intimidating, being forced to step outside her comfort zone and do something that doesn't come naturally to her.
Â
Yuh has begun to thrive.
Â
"Laura has been more aggressive this season, which I don't think is in her nature," said Dallmeyer. "She's definitely a thinker and we've had to get her to trust her instincts and really go for the ball. When she does, she's phenomenal."
Â
Yuh has started from the get-go, but she was especially strong against Bucknell and Providence when she led a strong team defensive effort as the Mountain Hawks allowed just three goals over two games. Lehigh has also allowed just one goal to Rider and La Salle, and only two at Penn.
Â
"A major component of being a defender is having confidence, since we play in a make-or-break area of the field," said Yuh. "Prior to this season, I would overthink a lot of my play-by-play decisions. This season, I've really started to trust my instincts and I've worked to grow into the more aggressive player that coach needs in the backfield.
Â
"Putting myself in situations off the field, like traveling abroad and participating in Lehigh's leadership programs like Student-Athlete Mentors, has really helped me translate the abilities to act with confidence and trust my instincts on the field."
Â
By having a big-picture approach, Lehigh Athletics encourages growth in all areas, just like Yuh has seen. While many coaches would be fearful about allowing a player to go overseas knowing they wouldn't pick up a stick for a month, Dallmeyer knows it's beneficial and she knows her student-athletes will find ways to stay sharp.
Â
"Lehigh is unique in that it encourages student-athletes to go abroad and utilize all the different resources and opportunities that Lehigh has to offer the entire student population," said the first-year head coach. "As coaches, we certainly support them having those experiences and encourage them to go after those opportunities."
Â
While Yuh was encouraged by Kneizys, Yuh is now encouraging many of her teammates the same way.
Â
"Laura learned a lot from her experience and we were happy she was able to come back and share what she learned with her teammates," said Dallmeyer.
Â
"I've definitely recommended to our underclassmen to take advantage of the opportunities Lehigh provides," said Yuh. "
Â
Even though the summer is technically a student-athlete's "offseason," there truly is no offseason in college athletics. Every day is an opportunity to improve, but Lehigh Athletics realizes that improvement doesn't just come on the field. Improvement comes off the field as well.
Â
It is possible to focus on oneself off the field, like Yuh did in Belgium, without sacrificing athletics.
Â
"I wasn't giving up my entire summer of being here and training," she said. "I had a lot of time there to train, take classes, travel the way I wanted, come back and still have plenty of time to condition, keep playing and get ready for preseason.
Â
"I know my friends from home who don't go to Lehigh were so jealous of the opportunity to travel with a Lehigh professor, earn credits towards my major and not have to worry about anything else."
Â
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