Page 148 - WHS FH 2014 Memory Book - Megan Cunningham

"I know they're 100 percent there to support me. They have my back," said Lizzie Cooperstone, Staples High
School's senior fly. "You're always communicating."

The fly, however, is the key to it all. "It's crucial," said Norwalk head coach Kyle Seaburg. "You have to do it
fast, but you have to be in control. You need speed, you need smarts and you need to slow yourself down when
you need to. You disrupt the play and that allows your trail to clean up the mess." Each and every fly knows
there is danger in the job, but just like race car drivers who never think accidents are going to happen to them,
the thought of getting hurt can't enter into the equation. "You can't be scared when you're running out there,"
said Cooperstone. "You can't jump away from the ball. You need to be right in front of the hit, no matter how
hard it's going to be."

Added Norwalk High sophomore fly Marissa "Mouse" Mastrianni, "I'm not scared of the ball. I've been hit so
many times in field hockey and lacrosse. It's just bruises. There's nothing to be scared of." In the ideal situation,
the fly is going stick-first at the ball with her body off to the side and out of the way of the shot. High school
field hockey being what it is, though, not every hard-hit shot is
going to go straight on goal.

"You have to have that fearlessness," said Fazio. "You need a gritty,
tough, quick player." True "flys" love their job and can't wait to do
it again. Others will try it and find it not to their liking very quickly.
"A lot of girls get hit once and they can't do it again," said Staples
coach Ashley DelVecchio.

Players like Vineyard, Cunningham, Mastrianni and Cooperstone,
however, love the job.

"It is a little scary and we get hit sometimes, but it's kind of fun,
too," said Vineyard. "It's a lot of pressure, but I find it more
enjoyable than being stuck back there on post. I don't want not to do
it. It's something I like doing."

Even if, as Maddy Vineyard knows, it sometimes can be a pain in
the neck.