Accountability Becomes Key
9/13/2017 10:29:00 AM | Field Hockey, Student Athlete, Features
By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications
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As defined on Vocabulary.com, "accountability is a noun that describes accepting responsibility, and it can be personal or very public."
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No matter the circumstance or situation, whether it's personal, public, individual or as a team, taking accountability for one's actions is the foundation for success.
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"If you're not willing to do the work when no one is watching, then you're not really willing to do the work at all," said Lehigh field hockey senior Jackie Renda.
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Renda puts in the work, and as a key leader of a Lehigh field hockey program in the midst of a culture shift, that's an especially important characteristic. She is also bringing her teammates along with her, leading the Mountain Hawks with her focus on accountability.
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"Accountability is an important characteristic of any successful team or athlete," said Lehigh head coach Caitlin Dallmeyer. "We have worked hard this past year as a team to better understand what accountability looks like and how we hold both ourselves and our teammates accountable for all actions, on and off the field. After this past year, the team has proven that they understand the importance of holding each other to a high standard, and have seen the positives that result from it."
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"If we're really tired, it might be easy to slack off and not get the best out of the practice, but knowing we have goals we're trying to achieve makes us hold ourselves to a higher standard," said Renda. "Also knowing that we're working towards common goals together makes us aware that slacking off would let our whole team down."
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Accountability is a characteristic that translates into all aspects of life, which is certainly true for Renda. This summer, she didn't have anyone directly holding her accountable, but still thrived as an intern at Brand Strategy, LLC in Union, N.J. - a global distributor that works inside the travel retail and wholesale club industries.
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"The company connects larger brands to retail spaces inside airports," said Renda, a finance major. "I still don't know what I want to do after graduation, so working at a startup company was a great way to touch every side of the business world."
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Because the company is so small, Renda had an opportunity to make an especially significant impact. She was also trusted to get her work done; Renda took accountability in what she did to make the most of the experience.
Â
"I reported to a supervisor who would give me a project for the day," she said. "He wasn't looking over my shoulder, but I made sure I was putting in the best work that I could. I could have done whatever I wanted, but I chose to work hard and make sure I was giving him back the work he wanted."
Â
If she "slacked off," Renda wouldn't have weighed down anybody but herself, but she choose to hold herself to a high standard. Even though she had success working independently, she thrives in the team environment within Lehigh field hockey.
Â
"I'm so used to having teammates, getting a task and tackling it as a group of people," said Renda. "It was good to see that side of things (working independently), but I like being able to get everyone's ideas and bounce them off each other."
Â
An All-Patriot League and Academic All-League honoree last season, Renda is a strong leader because of many reasons, not only her accountability, but also, her self-awareness to continually improve.
Â
"When you want to be a great leader, being able to genuinely self-reflect and identify areas of improvement is a critical component to your development," said Dallmeyer. "Through our Leadership Academy, Jackie has been able to become more self-aware and figure out how to compensate for her weaknesses and further accentuate her strengths."
Â
Following Lehigh's season full of progress in 2016, Renda looks to keep the Mountain Hawks on the right track this season. In Dallmeyer's first as Lehigh head coach, the team won its most games since 2011 and finished with its most home victories since 2004. Renda plays an integral role in on-field success, but her leadership is even more important than any statistics.
Â
"I'm always pushing people, keeping up the energy and making sure everyone is always doing the right thing," she said. "If something needs to be done, I make sure that I'm telling people… and I'm doing it myself. One of my main goals at practice is to have a balance; If I'm giving critical feedback to teammates, then I'm also encouraging when they do something right."
Â
Renda is one of five members of the leadership council, a group that was formed to help encourage leadership across the entire team.
Â
"Jackie is well-respected because she leads by example and works to be her best self at all times and in every situation," said Dallmeyer. "Over the last year, we have seen her grow into a more vocal leader that's not hesitant to have the tough conversations when teammates are not holding themselves to the same standards that the team has set."
Â
With so many newcomers on the 2017 Mountain Hawks, the goal is to grow as a cohesive unit.
Â
"Coach always says, a team that's close on and off the field and can trust each other is a team that's going to win," said Renda.
Â
You can't trust each other without accountability. Renda needs to know that people around her are doing what they need to do, and they need to feel the same way about Jackie.
Â
"No matter how tired you are or how many tests you have coming up, you need to be able to put that aside, give it your best and make sure you're not disappointing your teammates," said Renda.
Â
Long after she graduates, Renda's impact will be felt for many years to come. She has helped change the culture of the current program, and set a standard for Lehigh field hockey moving forward.
Â
"Every program needs that one phenomenal leader that comes through every few years to be the example for their teammates of what true, selfless leadership should look like. For this program, that person is Jackie," said Dallmeyer. "When you work for your team, your teammates will work for you and we see many team members using Jackie as a role model for what they hope to become through their time in this program."
Â
"Everyone wants to be here, everyone wants to give their all and hold themselves accountable," said Renda. "Knowing the program is in the hands of people who want it so much and knowing the program is moving in the right direction is what I really care about."
Â
Â
Â
As defined on Vocabulary.com, "accountability is a noun that describes accepting responsibility, and it can be personal or very public."
Â
No matter the circumstance or situation, whether it's personal, public, individual or as a team, taking accountability for one's actions is the foundation for success.
Â
"If you're not willing to do the work when no one is watching, then you're not really willing to do the work at all," said Lehigh field hockey senior Jackie Renda.
Â
Renda puts in the work, and as a key leader of a Lehigh field hockey program in the midst of a culture shift, that's an especially important characteristic. She is also bringing her teammates along with her, leading the Mountain Hawks with her focus on accountability.
Â
"Accountability is an important characteristic of any successful team or athlete," said Lehigh head coach Caitlin Dallmeyer. "We have worked hard this past year as a team to better understand what accountability looks like and how we hold both ourselves and our teammates accountable for all actions, on and off the field. After this past year, the team has proven that they understand the importance of holding each other to a high standard, and have seen the positives that result from it."
Â
"If we're really tired, it might be easy to slack off and not get the best out of the practice, but knowing we have goals we're trying to achieve makes us hold ourselves to a higher standard," said Renda. "Also knowing that we're working towards common goals together makes us aware that slacking off would let our whole team down."
Â
Accountability is a characteristic that translates into all aspects of life, which is certainly true for Renda. This summer, she didn't have anyone directly holding her accountable, but still thrived as an intern at Brand Strategy, LLC in Union, N.J. - a global distributor that works inside the travel retail and wholesale club industries.
Â
"The company connects larger brands to retail spaces inside airports," said Renda, a finance major. "I still don't know what I want to do after graduation, so working at a startup company was a great way to touch every side of the business world."
Â
Because the company is so small, Renda had an opportunity to make an especially significant impact. She was also trusted to get her work done; Renda took accountability in what she did to make the most of the experience.
Â
"I reported to a supervisor who would give me a project for the day," she said. "He wasn't looking over my shoulder, but I made sure I was putting in the best work that I could. I could have done whatever I wanted, but I chose to work hard and make sure I was giving him back the work he wanted."
 If she "slacked off," Renda wouldn't have weighed down anybody but herself, but she choose to hold herself to a high standard. Even though she had success working independently, she thrives in the team environment within Lehigh field hockey.
Â
"I'm so used to having teammates, getting a task and tackling it as a group of people," said Renda. "It was good to see that side of things (working independently), but I like being able to get everyone's ideas and bounce them off each other."
Â
An All-Patriot League and Academic All-League honoree last season, Renda is a strong leader because of many reasons, not only her accountability, but also, her self-awareness to continually improve.
Â
"When you want to be a great leader, being able to genuinely self-reflect and identify areas of improvement is a critical component to your development," said Dallmeyer. "Through our Leadership Academy, Jackie has been able to become more self-aware and figure out how to compensate for her weaknesses and further accentuate her strengths."
Â
Following Lehigh's season full of progress in 2016, Renda looks to keep the Mountain Hawks on the right track this season. In Dallmeyer's first as Lehigh head coach, the team won its most games since 2011 and finished with its most home victories since 2004. Renda plays an integral role in on-field success, but her leadership is even more important than any statistics.
Â
"I'm always pushing people, keeping up the energy and making sure everyone is always doing the right thing," she said. "If something needs to be done, I make sure that I'm telling people… and I'm doing it myself. One of my main goals at practice is to have a balance; If I'm giving critical feedback to teammates, then I'm also encouraging when they do something right."
Â
Renda is one of five members of the leadership council, a group that was formed to help encourage leadership across the entire team.
Â
"Jackie is well-respected because she leads by example and works to be her best self at all times and in every situation," said Dallmeyer. "Over the last year, we have seen her grow into a more vocal leader that's not hesitant to have the tough conversations when teammates are not holding themselves to the same standards that the team has set."
Â
With so many newcomers on the 2017 Mountain Hawks, the goal is to grow as a cohesive unit.
Â
"Coach always says, a team that's close on and off the field and can trust each other is a team that's going to win," said Renda.
 You can't trust each other without accountability. Renda needs to know that people around her are doing what they need to do, and they need to feel the same way about Jackie.
Â
"No matter how tired you are or how many tests you have coming up, you need to be able to put that aside, give it your best and make sure you're not disappointing your teammates," said Renda.
Â
Long after she graduates, Renda's impact will be felt for many years to come. She has helped change the culture of the current program, and set a standard for Lehigh field hockey moving forward.
Â
"Every program needs that one phenomenal leader that comes through every few years to be the example for their teammates of what true, selfless leadership should look like. For this program, that person is Jackie," said Dallmeyer. "When you work for your team, your teammates will work for you and we see many team members using Jackie as a role model for what they hope to become through their time in this program."
Â
"Everyone wants to be here, everyone wants to give their all and hold themselves accountable," said Renda. "Knowing the program is in the hands of people who want it so much and knowing the program is moving in the right direction is what I really care about."
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Players Mentioned
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