By Sowmya Krishna, Appmaster
Kiley Allen, a 2017 Conestoga graduate and a 2022 Harvard alumna, joined the Harvard field hockey coaching staff as an assistant coach this past summer.
Allen played varsity field hockey all four years during her time at Conestoga and served as captain during her senior year. At Harvard, she served as captain during her final year and alcontributed to the team’s success by starting in 67 of her matches.
Allen began her field hockey career at 12 years old at her local church’s team thanks to the influence of her older sister – who also played field hockey at Conestoga and Harvard.
“I just started naturally loving (field hockey), and I really took to it,” Kiley Allen said. “I loved it because it was social. It was fun. I always have loved (to play) sports.”
Progressing from her church team, Kiley Allen naturally progressed to play for a club team – WC Eagles, where she quickly improved her field hockey skills. These skills set her up to be one of the two freshmen that were selected to play on the varsity team at Conestoga in 2013.
’Stoga field hockey proved to be a valuable experience for Allen, providing her with a support system to help her through high school.
“I genuinely think that everyone (on the team) helped each other out a lot just by being there,” Allen said. “You’ll have girls saying, ‘Hey, good job,’ and it can actually just turn around your whole day, even if everything else is going downhill.”
Allen committed to play field hockey at Harvard at the beginning of her sophomore year, where she joined her older sister on the team. Her sister playing there was an influential factor in her decision to continue her athletic career at Harvard. Allen’s mother was especially happy to hear of Kiley’s commitment to Harvard.
“I felt so much joy as a parent, knowing she wanted to be with her sister and be up (at Harvard) and kind of continue their relationship,” Kiley Allen’s mother Jean Allen said.
Kiley Allen graduated from Harvard with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and went on to be a sales representative at an artificial intelligence company in New York. However, after being let go along with the rest of her colleagues, she decided to interview for the assistant coaching position at Harvard Field Hockey after a phone call with the head coach. Following a hiatus from field hockey, Kiley Allen decided she wanted to get back into the sport.
“I just felt like after leaving Harvard field hockey, just that spark, that competitiveness, that motivation, just wasn’t the same,” Kiley Allen said.“My whole life, I’ve always loved coaching, teaching, that sort of thing.”
Now, as a coach, Kiley Allen dedicates her efforts to fostering a familial environment on the team. She hopes to provide the girls with a rewarding field hockey experience and leave an impact on both the girls and the team in general.
“I had a great time at Harvard,” Kiley Allen said. “But as a coach, I can help these girls have an even better time.”
Sowmya Krishna can be reached at [email protected].
