SECTION IV FIELD HOCKEY: NEW TIOGA COACH GETTING TO KNOW HER TEAM IN FIRST WEEK OF PRESEASON (16 PHOTOS) (2019-08-22)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER "” First-year coach Jodi Riggs is getting to know her new charges in the opening days of the preseason for the Tioga field hockey team, and so far likes what she sees.

Riggs played field hockey collegiately at Wells College, and then with the Cornell Club team, and has some coaching experience as well.

"I coached Newark Valley JV for a couple of years, and helped get Ithaca's program started," said Riggs. "I'm looking forward to working with this program."

Riggs said the numbers aren't what she hoped.

"Fifteen signed up, and 14 showed up," said Riggs. "We have enough to play, but we already have a couple of injuries.

"Our junior high numbers are about the same," she added.

Riggs said a lot of the preseason will be about the new coach and team getting acquainted.

"A lot of the preseason will be the girls getting to know me, and me getting to know them," she said.

"I'm getting a feel of what this team is all about. We have five seniors, so we have a really strong foundation.

"We're kind of re-grouping. We have really good energy, and a lot of positive people. I'm happy about that," Riggs added.

She notes the first four days have been productive.

"It's going well so far," said Riggs. "I'm very pleased so far with our progress in the first week.

"I'm not gonna lie," she laughed. "I kind of vetted them out in class ... I've had at least half of them in my art classes, so I knew it was going to be an awesome group."

With a small roster, Riggs knows her girls will need to be in shape.

"Conditioning is the main focus of the preseason. I need to make sure these girls can run the entire time, and be as strong as they can until the end.

We have three brand-new players, so we're also working on technique," said Riggs.