On April 23, 2005 as part of the Rotunda Rededication events the university has kindly allowed us to include a special alumni game to be played to recognize the closing of Barlow Field. For years the area on campus that we know as Barlow Field, has been the site of many highly competitive field hockey event, many a player has come of age on that field and others have retired in glory. Games have been won and games have been lost and lifelong friendships have been forged through the hours of practice it took to hone individual skill into a team effort. There are funny stories, most seem to be about team antics whilst on the road, and there are sad stories, those times when we have to say goodbye to retiring seniors or loved and respected coaches. Barlow Field has been a part of the life of anyone who picked up a stick over the years since 1926, when field hockey first came to Longwood.
Field hockey has moved on since those early days, and the changes in the game, and now the university’s reclassification to NCAA Division 1, means that we can no longer play on the Barlow’s fast Bermuda grass surface, one of the best in the state, but must move to an artificial turf field. Plans are now in hand for this, and we will keep you updated as to the construction progress in the next few months. The present team is excited at the prospect of playing on turf at Longwood, but I am sure they will miss those extra skills they needed to acquire to play on Barlow Field. We will miss the real home advantage of playing so close to the spectator bleachers and team benches; of adjusting stick skills to deal with the walls when hitting the ball in; the hot manhole covers of the heating fuel tanks that kept hands warm during those late October practices, and our most secret weapon, what came out of the smoke stack over all those years!
So it seemed fitting that on April 23 at 3:00 PM, after Longwood’s signature building had been rededicated, we said good bye to Barlow Field with friends and team mates and reflected on the good times that were enjoyed there during your Longwood experience. We welcomed back both players and spectators on the day and while the weather did not cooperate, members of our many successful past teams were prepared to again entertain, in the Longwood style of speed and skill.
I have asked past team captains to again lead your team to make this one of the biggest alumni athletic events ever to be held on campus. Even though this has now passed, please use the link below to help us reunite you to your past team members, and if you weren’t able get to Longwood on the day, send a message for us to pass on to them.
We look forward to hearing from you,
Nancy Joel
Head Coach
