Meet Ashley Sessa, Montco's Field Hockey Teen Phenom

SCHWENKSVILLE, PA — One key attribute to being an elite-level athlete is an unquenchable thirst to progress. Every accolade brings about a new objective. Every skill improved upon leads to another area to further develop.

Ashley Sessa had herself an incredible summer on the field hockey pitch. In late June, the Schwenksville resident was named tournament MVP of the Indoor Pan American Cup, in which she scored what would hold up as the game-winning goal in the finals as Team USA won the title 3-0 to qualify for the FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup. She participated in the 2021 Young Women’s National Championship in Virginia in June, and was also announced as one of 36 members of the US Women’s National Team for the first time. In August, Sessa and her teammates traveled to Santiago, Chile, where the US took third in the U-22 Junior Pan American Championships.

But like all athletes who reach the international stage, Sessa is not one to rest on her laurels. She is always looking to improve her game, and to prove to herself and to others that she belongs among the best in the country and in the world.

“My mindset is that each practice, each game is a tryout,” Sessa said. “I never think to myself, ‘I’m on the team.’ In my mind, it’s a tryout. I’m still trying to get better.

“I am my harshest critic. I have people tell me to calm down and take the pressure off myself. I do put a lot of pressure on myself, but it helps me to improve. There’s always something to work on.”

As a newer selection to the team, Sessa kept her eyes open and tried to learn from the veteran members of the squad.

“I was so honored to be selected,” she said. “I’ve worked so hard and put in so many hours of work, it all paid off for that moment.

“A lot of those players have had more experience than me, so it was important for me not to be intimidated. I’m getting to learn from the older players Madeleine Zimmer, Charlotte De Vries, having them pull me in on the international level, learning how to play against players with that speed along the skills. It’s such an honor to play with them and against them and help develop my game.”

Sessa has pretty unique way of making sure her game is always at its best. A senior at Episcopal Academy, her school commitments preclude her from consistently practicing with the Women’s National team, which meets in Charlotte, North Carolina. It won’t be an issue next year, when Sessa begins her freshman year at University of North Carolina, but for now, getting to practice with the National Women’s team isn’t easy.

Fortunately, though, the National Men’s team practices in nearby Spring City.

“Training with the men’s team, their speed and skills are impressive, and that helps me improve my hockey education and mindset, just getting to train with them helps me improve my skills,” she said. “I’m 5 foot, 110 pounds, so they can easily knock me to the ground if I’m not on my game. Being able to practice with the men’s team helps me improve my skills, helps me hold my own.”

Next up for Sessa and the US Women’s Team will be training for the Indoor World Cup in Belgium in February 2022. Selections for the team will be announced shortly after training begins. And the 2022 Junior World Championships in South Africa are also on Sessa’s radar.

When she swaps out her Team USA uniform for that of Episcopal Academy, Sessa finds herself on the opposite end of the experience spectrum. The senior—who also plays as well as coaches and referees for the elite WC Eagles Field Hockey Club in Pottstown—is being looked to as a seasoned, experienced leader for the current Churchwomen team. It’s a challenge she is eager to accept.

She’s clearly doing her part. Sessa has been an integral piece both on and off the field, helping to lead the Churchwomen to an 8-1 start and a 2-0 record in the Inter-Ac League heading into this week.

Despite being an athlete who has already amassed a decorated resume at an international level, Sessa said it is her highest priority that there are no barriers between her and the rest of the team. She wants younger teammates to be comfortable in talking with her, and she is eager to help those underclassmen improve their games, in much the same way that her teammates on the National Team helped her to improve hers.

“I like being one of the leaders on the team, it’s a position I’ve been looking forward to,” Sessa said. “I’m usually very outgoing, I try to bring supportive energy on and off the field. And I want the younger kids to know we’re out there supporting them. We’re there for them and to help them improve so they have more confidence when they play.

“Even before the season, I would always try to talk to the younger kids in school. I like to have conversations with them outside the hockey field as well, just making sure everyone is comfortable, going up and joking around, trying to loosen some nerves. I obviously know what it’s like to be one of the newer players on the team. I want to help them the way other girls helped me this summer.”

And, as expected, Sessa has set lofty goals for her teams and for herself in both the immediate future and the long-term.

Not surprisingly for an elite athlete, her ultimate goal would take her to the highest and most prestigious level of international competition.

“I’m excited to play my senior season at Episcopal,” Sessa said. “I’m looking forward to trying to win the league and play in the PAISAAs and hopefully winning.

“I’d like to win a National Championship with UNC. I want to help grow the game throughout the country, and I see myself playing in the 2024 and 2028 Olympics. I want to go to Paris to play in the Olympics.”