Erin Simons to lead return of field hockey to Bishop Ireton

Coach Erin Simons will lead the Cardinals back into field hockey. Simons, a 2004 Longwood University alum, was a four-year forward in college.

Bishop Ireton athletic director, Bill Simmons, announced the School has signed Erin Sixsmith Simons as the Cardinals’ new head coach for field hockey. The team will play an abbreviated 2011 schedule before joining the WCAC for a full varsity schedule in 2012 in conjunction with a move to the new Witter Field complex near the Cambridge Road campus. Simons will bring her former coach, who also is her mother, Betty Sixsmith to her staff for the inaugural season.

“I am thrilled to be back in coaching and with Bishop Ireton” said the 2004 Longwood graduate who played her high school hockey not far away at West Potomac High School. “Academics and athletics work together, hand-in-hand, to develop good time management skills and Ireton has a strong reputation for doing just that for its graduates.”

Simons played forward for the majority of her career in high school and college, seeing some time on defense in her final campaign in Farmville.

“I want to develop an upbeat, smart, and a disciplined style of play for our teams.” explained the Cardinals’ newest head coach. “I am excited about building a new program, new traditions, and establishing a great hockey culture at BI, and I hope the girls are thinking that way too! We are going to work hard, the girls need to come ready to practice everyday. Field hockey is a finesse game and we are going to outwork people this fall. ”

The search for a coaching staff was a difficult one according to Cardinals’ AD, Bill Simmons. “Field hockey is a growing sport in the area and qualified coaches are in high demand. As July turned into August, Mr Brown and I were almost literally looking everywhere to find a good candidate, including when we were out socially. The suggestion to contact Coach Simons and Coach Sixsmith came just last week and we are fortunate that they were ready to come back to coaching at a time when field hockey and Bishop Ireton really need them back. I don’t think we could have found better coaches honestly, and their references were glowing!”

An interest meeting for all girls who will tryout is scheduled for Friday, August 12th at 6pm in room G221. Tryouts will begin Monday, August 15th, with the players gathering at Bishop Ireton’s Godley Gym before being bussed their practice site. The City and School continue their discussions about a suitable practice site and the schedule remains to be finalized.