In only her first week at the Upper School, freshman Josefina “Fini” Mendoza Pena found herself on the front hall announcement board as Athlete of the Week.
Fini, a member of Latin’s varsity girls field hockey team, fell in love with her sport in the summer after fourth grade. “I first realized I really liked it [when] I wanted to try out for travel,” she said. “It was a fun opportunity to play more, and when I made it I was so excited.”
Fini plays for Rise Field Hockey’s travel team. She started with the U-12 team in fifth grade, advanced to U-14, and now plays for the U-16 team. Her travel season begins in the winter and involves multiple in-state and out-of-state tournaments.
In her years of traveling for field hockey, Fini’s favorite tournament was her first Pumpkin Classic in U-14. The Pumpkin Classic is a tournament in the Chicago suburbs, and also a commonly sported sweatshirt for many field hockey players at Latin. “It was one of the first tournaments I won, and it was a really great moment for my team because we all bonded over that.”
Over the past summer, Fini awaited a different team experience: playing for her school. While the pressure of varsity tryouts weighed on her mind, she prepared mentally, displaying her skills and talent but ready to accept any outcome. While over 20 girls tried out for varsity, the coaches selected only three freshmen, including Fini, to join the team.
“I was so excited and really happy. It was also fun, because some of the other freshmen who also tried out made it, and I was really excited to play with them.”
Fini is no stranger to success, however. Since joining Latin’s varsity team, she’s led them to victory multiple times, scoring nearly every game. She even scored three goals, known as a hat trick, in her recent game against North Shore Country Day.
The first game of her Upper School career was against Lake Forest Academy. “I was so excited to play. I love playing that game,” she said. Fini felt welcomed by her teammates and excited to represent her school. Exhibiting her energy on the field, Fini shined by scoring two goals, solidifying the Romans’ victory. “Scoring those goals added [to the] fun and [excitement of] that first game.”
Fini looks forward to the rest of the season, especially the Homecoming game. “The environment will be really fun,” she said. “Everyone will be so hyped for the game, and that’ll make [playing] so much more exciting.”
