“I don’t have any regrets. I feel proud of myself because I accomplished all there was to accomplish,” senior field hockey star Sammy Haan said.
In her four years on the girls’ varsity field hockey team, Sammy won three Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championships, made the All-League Second Team as a sophomore and won Player of the Year as both a junior and a senior. However, growing up, Sammy’s primary sport was actually soccer.
“I didn’t start playing field hockey until the summer going into eighth grade,” Sammy said. “I started by [participating in] a camp at [Marin Catholic], and then I began to practice with a local club called the Rippers.”
Arriving at Redwood with little experience playing field hockey, Sammy relied primarily on her athleticism for her success but lacked many field hockey-specific skills.
“When Sammy first arrived at Redwood, she was an athlete playing field hockey. She was not a field hockey player because she didn’t have enough time to develop the stick and dribbling skills and everything [else],” Sammy’s father, Tom Haan, said.
Competitiveness has been one of Sammy’s defining traits since childhood. Tom has seen Sammy’s competitive nature in every aspect of her life, matched by a diligent work ethic that allows her to succeed.
“Sammy’s defining characteristic is her competitiveness, so she wants to win in everything she does. That drives in this really strong work ethic, and she’s willing to put in the work it takes to succeed,” Tom said.
It isn’t just the practices and games at Redwood that have made Sammy who she is on the field; she has played travel field hockey and traveled to the East Coast for training camps, paving the way for a breakout high school career. In her junior year, Sammy finished with 20 goals and 18 assists, ranking her fifth in California with 58 total points. Her almost even goal-to-assist ratio is a testament to her leadership skills and strong passing abilities.
“Many of my teammates would say I’m the loudest player on the field. I love to communicate and encourage them, and I always try to get the whole team involved,” Sammy said.
From the sideline, Tom also sees Sammy’s strong passing ability and leadership shine through.
“She has great awareness, which makes her a great passer. When other teams bring two or three people at her because she scores so much, she can pass to her teammates and get assists,” Tom said.
After she graduates from Redwood, Sammy will be attending UC Berkeley, where she hopes to play for their club field hockey team.
“I’ve had so many great memories at Redwood, especially winning two MCAL championships in overtime. But I’m also really excited about my future,” Sammy said.
