Competition Is Just Part of the Game

By Pete Guiney

Sports Media Relations Intern

It seems like senior Judy Collins has always been on the move. Not as in moving from town to town, but from field to field. Collins, a Walpole, Mass., native and now the co-captain of Harvard's field hockey team, enjoyed a childhood that included playing basketball, softball, soccer, track and field, and, of course, field hockey.

Few days would pass when she wasn't competing in at least one sport, and many included a practice in one, a stop home for a quick change of clothes or bite to eat, then out the door for the next. When you're one of eight children, competition is part of the game.

"Playing sports was all we did when we were younger," says Collins, a Spanish concentrator residing in Cabot House. "Things were pretty competitive when I was growing up because everyone was so good. But, as time went on, a few of us just excelled at some sports."

Along the winding road of her athletic career, Collins has accomplished a great deal and is on the threshold of accomplishing even more. At Walpole High School, she played for two state champion basketball teams and led the Rebels to the 1994 state field hockey crown. Twice she was league MVP in field hockey.

Here at Harvard she has secured her place in the record books as one of the most dominant offensive players ever to step onto Cumnock Field. In her sophomore season, she set school records for goals (13) and points (30). Six of those goals were game-winners, helping the Crimson to an 11-8 overall mark, including a 5-1 Ivy record, and a second-place finish at the ECAC Championships. Deservedly, she was chosen Third Team All-America and First Team All-Ivy.

In a 3-1 victory over New Hampshire on Oct. 13, Collins netted two goals, breaking the Harvard career records for goals and points that were previously held by Kate Martin '83. Collins now has 37 goals and 14 assists for 88 points, and she has at least five games left in this season.

But scoring prowess is only the tip of the iceberg. What sets Collins apart from the rest of the pack is her leadership.

"Judy's a gamer," explains Harvard field hockey coach Sue Caples. "Every year that she has been here, she has had very high expectations, especially on herself.

"She has strong leadership skills and sets a good example by how she plays in games and in practice," continues the 11-year Crimson mentor. "She is almost like a pied piper, in that people are naturally attracted to her and want to follow her."

Her competitive nature was evident at a young age. When she was just six, while most kids were learning to tie their shoes, Collins was running her first 10-kilometer race. From there, she's run to all fields of play.

"I can't imagine not being on a team," admits Collins. "During my freshman year at Harvard, I didn't play junior varsity basketball because I thought that it would be too much. But going through a winter with nothing to do drove me crazy. I've been playing ever since."

Collins' competitive spirit was on full display last year. In September of 1997, Collins was on the United States Junior National field hockey team, which competed at the Junior World Cup in Seongnam, Korea. Collins returned to the Crimson in time for the third game of the season. In the fourth game, she scored two goals to spark a 5-0 win over Columbia, starting her on the way to a six-goal, five-assist campaign that garnered her a unanimous First Team All-Ivy selection. Two months later, she was waking up at the crack of dawn for JV basketball practice.

Collins, who Caples describes as a "great role model at Harvard and in her community," almost didn't make it to Cambridge. After receiving several scholarship offers, Collins made a verbal commitment to Virgina's Old Dominion University, which has one of the dominant programs in Division I field hockey.

"It all happened so fast," explains Collins of her decision to come to Harvard. "I never really thought that I could get into Harvard, so I didn't bother applying. But at the last minute, my father told me to look into it, and when I found out that I was accepted, I realized that I couldn't pass up a Harvard education."

As in all the athletic endeavors throughout her life, Collins is leaving her mark on the Harvard field hockey program and adding to the rich tradition of Harvard athletics. Beyond being one of the greatest field hockey players in school history, she will be remembered for her competitive nature and leadership.

After graduation, Collins envisions a career in international business or marketing, so she can travel and put her Spanish training to good use.

That only seems fitting for someone who is always on the move.