Field Hockey Family: The Westera Sisters

If you ask the student-athletes at Old Dominion how they would describe their team, many of them would say "family". You hear it all the time in both collegiate and professional sports, as the athletes share a locker room, facilities, fields and even housing together, their bond eventually becomes as strong as the bond between siblings. 
 
There are some cases however, where your sister on the field is the same sister that you grew up playing with as a child. This fall, ODU field hockey player Ilse Westera will experience what it's like playing Division I field hockey with her sister, Fien Westera, who is going to be a freshman on the team this season.
 
"I'm very excited to be playing on the same team as Fien," Ilse said. "Fien is my little sister and also my best friend, and of course sometimes we fight, like all sisters do, but I think playing together on the same team with her is just so special."
 
"I'm really excited to play on the same team as Ils," the younger Westera explained. "I think this is a special experience for both of us, playing together with your sister on the same team in a country so far away from home."
 
Ilse, who is entering her junior season with the Monarchs, and Fien hail from the Netherlands. For spring break, Ilse flew back home to surprise her sister for her birthday and has been there ever since due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sisters are taking advantage of their time together, as they each have a training partner to get ready for the 2020 campaign. 
 
"We always work out together," Fien said. "Ils taught me how to lift weightsbecause I've never done that before. It's always a lot of fun and we motivate each other."
 
Although their genetics are almost identical, the two Monarch sisters have differing styles of play.
 
"It's hard to compare us because we're both very different players," Isle explained. "I'm more of a playmaker in the midfield and I like to use my skills and speed. Fien is a very strong defender and has a powerful pass. I do think we both read the game really well."
 
In her two years with the ODU field hockey program, Ilse has scored four goals on 14 shots while patrolling the Monarch midfield. In the Netherlands, Fien has been actively playing with a U-18 team where she helped lead the squad to the International HDM Easter Tournament. 
 
It's hard enough to play Division I field hockey, but when a student-athlete comes from another country, the situation can be very intimidating. However, Fien seems to be up for the task.
 
"I think it will be a good challenge," she said. "I know for sure that I will learn a lot hockey-wise, but I think I will grow as a person in general. I'm really excited to join this amazing team and make my American dream come true."

Lucky for Fien, her older sister already took that step two years ago, and can help her with every step, including recruitment. 
 
"Because of Ils, I already had contact with the coaches," Fien said on how she caught the eye of head coach Andrew Griffiths and associate head coach Natalie Holder. "I made a video of myself with gameplay footage and sent that to Andrew and Nat and they liked it!
 
"Ils and I have always been very close, and hearing about her experience and stories made me decide I wanted this too."
 
The older Westera does have some advice for her younger sister. 
 
"Work hard and have fun," Ilse said. "A first year is never easy, but all of the new experiences, memories and friends are so worth it! 
 
'Work hard, dream big and make it happen.' This has been our favorite quote over the last year, when Fien was still working hard to get to play D1 Field Hockey and go to college in the United States."
 
Although these two grew up playing the sport they love together, this will be the first time the Westera sisters will actually be wearing the same uniform.
 
"Me and Fien never played together inthe same team, but we've always been playing hockey together for fun." Ilse said. "I know exactly what she's good at on the field and her way of playing the game, so we'll see if this gives us an extra advantage."
 
 The Monarchs are coming off of a season where they finished runner-up in the BIG EAST Championships, and barely missed the cut for the 2019 NCAA Championships. With the addition of their recruiting class of 2020, including Fien who has had help from her DI sister, the Monarchs are looking forward to improving this upcoming autumn.