Where Are They Now?

Heidi Papoosha

Field Hockey, 1989-92

In life there’s no predicting what may come next. Every year, freshman students enroll at colleges with their academic majors decided upon and their futures planned out like stories.

Arguably the most important aspect of going to college is one’s personal change through things experienced.

Former UConn field hockey standout Heidi Papoosha exemplifies change through experience perfectly. While a member of the UConn field hockey team, Papoosha lived out a childhood dream of playing field hockey at the collegiate level while also discovering a new game that would change her life after college.

Upon finishing an outstanding 20-0 senior field hockey season at Branford High School in Branford, Conn., Papoosha verbally committed to playing field hockey at Old Dominion before reconsidering and formally signing with the Huskies of UConn.

Drawn to UConn by a close friendship with former Husky and Olympian field hockey player Tracey Fuchs as well as a desire to win a national championship, Papoosha changed her mind and came to UConn.

In her four year career, she became a Huskies co-captain her senior year, a NCAA All-American third team selection and a United States Junior National Team and National Team member. Making these prestigious teams was not an easy feat for Papoosha, “Field Hockey came easy to me, but I had to work hard to make those teams. It was very rewarding”.

Much of the enjoyment Papoosha got from attending UConn came from being on an athletic team.

“When you’re an athlete you have friends immediately. It’s almost like a sorority, you get a lot of support, it was a great experience,” says Papoosha.

Papoosha is still an avid fan of UConn athletic teams and keeps in touch with current field hockey coach Nancy Stevens.

Once she graduated from UConn, Papoosha spent a year on the United States National Team before returning to be an assistant field hockey coach for three years at UConn. At that time, she was also required to teach a course at the university and she taught golf.

Golf came to Papoosha unexpectedly during her undergraduate days but now was serving as a partial occupation. In 1998, Papoosha got information on how to become a golf pro and enrolled as a student through the LPGA to become professional teacher.

“I always had a great time playing golf and I love to teach. I wanted some kind of change and warm weather and I found out that golf can take you anywhere,” Papoosha explains.

After six years of attending classes, seminars, and apprentice work, Papoosha became a Class A golf pro in 2004.

In the meantime, Papoosha also spent two years at Yale as an assistant golf coach. Today, she is the director of the golf academy at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield, Conn., where she spends her summer months.

In the fall and winter, Papoosha heads south to Marco Island, Fla., where she is the head golf pro at Hideaway Beach Club. There is no question though that her allegiance and home still lie in Connecticut.

“I love Connecticut, my main home and close family are here, Florida is a vacation spot.”

There’s no question that the ideologies of golf and field hockey vary greatly. Field hockey is a team sport that thrives on the unity of a collective group; golf is individualistic in nature where the only person you have to fall back on is yourself.

“Golf is an individual sport, it was a really hard transition because you’re all by yourself and no one to blame, it was hard to get used to,” Papoosha said while recounting her early days as an assistant coach at Yale.

While loving the team aspect of field hockey Papoosha tried to fashion a team atmosphere on the golf team while at Yale.

“At Yale, we tried to make team chemistry by lifting weights and practicing together. Everybody has a role on the team whether you make the cut for tournaments or not.”

Coming in as a premier field hockey player, Papoosha let life take its course at UConn while pursuing her dream of playing collegiate field hockey. Most impressive about Papoosha are not the games she won as a Husky or the prestigious teams she made, but the way in which she’s teaching and enhancing lives while doing something she loves professionally.

--Curran Kennedy