Making time for both, a Field Hockey promise
One day, a Queens field hockey player finished a clinical shift at the hospital and walked straight onto the team bus for a road trip. With classes starting next week, creating a schedule that balances demanding coursework, rigorous training, and competition travel is a job that Head Coach Brandi Kist is proud to take on for her athletes.
Kist has built the program on three values: discipline, respect, and joy. "This is a close-knit, inclusive team that is intentional about cultivating a positive experience for each other while maintaining high standards each day on the field," she says. Those standards don't stop at the sideline either.
Madison Destefano '28 shares, "Being a student-athlete at Queens has taught me that academics are just as important as what happens on the field." Her coaches and teammates hold her accountable, helping her stay on top of her schoolwork and manage her time well. "There is an expectation that we come prepared and put in the same effort academically that we do athletically," she says.
That mindset comes from what the sport itself demands. "Field hockey has taught me a lot about resilience, discipline, and how to keep going even when things don't go the way you planned," Destefano says. There have been plenty of moments when she's been tired, frustrated, injured, or disappointed, and she still had to show up and give her best, the same resilience that carries into a demanding semester.
That kind of flexibility from the coaching staff extends across the whole roster. Kist is proud to say that Queens is one of the few Division I field hockey programs that not only allows but encourages players to pursue Nursing, one of the most demanding majors on campus with long clinical days. Coaches work with athletes, offering flexibility around their clinical hours, exactly the kind of accommodation that once got a teammate off a hospital shift and onto the bus without missing a beat.
The commitment to empowering their athletes to be students first shows up in the gradebook, too. The program has carried an average cumulative GPA of 3.48 since 2015, and set a program record of 3.67 in 2025-26.
Her time as a Royal has also shown Destefano how to rely on the people around her. "Being part of a team has taught me how important it is to trust the people around you and understand that everyone has a role to play," she says. Her teammates have become a core part of her college experience, and being surrounded by people working toward their own goals has pushed her to work harder toward her own.
Behind their success stands the supporters and donors who have paved the way. From those who made the sport-specific facility possible to those who invest in an academic system that fosters a healthy balance between the classroom and competition, generosity of others plays a key role for field hockey.
Get Involved This Year
This kind of support doesn't happen without a community behind it. Royal Ralliers, our new way for fans, families, and alumni to show up for the Royals jersey, launches this fall: cheer from the stands, share a post, or start a conversation with a fellow fan. Learn more and sign up today.
We also invite you to mark your calendars for October 2-9, when the Queens Athletics community joins together in support of our student-athletes for Investing In Champions, the annual week of giving. Early giving starts now, and your support unlocks benefit tiers and Royals Club membership. If you’re interested in building momentum and increasing the impact of your gift, reach out to us at athletics@queens.edu to set up a giving challenge.
