Get to know Mainland Regional HS girls field hockey coach Jill Hatz

LINWOOD, N.J. — Jill Hatz had an outstanding run as head field hockey coach at Mainland Regional High, building the Mustangs into one of the better teams in the Cape-Atlantic League. Mainland was a perennial state playoff qualifier under her leadership, so it came as a shock when Hatz decided to step down after last season. She led the Stangs to 28 wins in her final three seasons.

But the program hasn’t missed a beat this fall, as former Mainland standout player and assistant coach Erin O’Connell has taken over for Hatz. Through their first 11 games the Mustangs were 4-6-1, but with a young roster and a new head coach, there is plenty to build on.

O’Connell said she hasn’t had to change much because Hatz built such a successful program, and she’s trying to take the wisdom she learned in five years as an assistant under Hatz to help formulate her own vision for the future of the program.

“She left me in good hands. In five years of coaching under her I learned a lot. I love coaching this team,” said O’Connell, 27, who went on to play at Fairleigh Dickinson University after her playing days at Mainland ended following the 2012 season. “The biggest thing I learned from her is understanding that my players are high school females and that there is a lot more to life than this. Sometimes I have to take a step back and remember that there are so many other outside factors that go into this. I think the biggest thing we can do as coaches is take a step back and realize that there may be something else going on (with a player).”

O’Connell said she believes her familiarity with the program and its players played a big role in her feeling so comfortable guiding this team in coaching her first season. She also has some great help with assistants Angela Robbins and Taylor Klever.

“I think overall it’s been positive. I’m keeping a lot of the same traditions, and the transition has been pretty seamless,” O’Connell said. “I think when the girls heard Jill was stepping down that can definitely be shocking for rising seniors, especially. I think they were excited to hear (much of the staff was returning). Taylor has been on staff and I’ve been on staff for the past couple of years, so I think it’s been a good transition.”

O’Connell, who teaches eighth-grade English in Upper Township, said she was nervous for her first gig as a varsity head coach, but wasn’t about to show any trepidation in front of her players when summer practice began.

“I was nervous, but I didn’t let them see that,” she said. “It was seamless because I had been here and the girls on the team know me, so it was just stepping into a new role and them understanding I have bigger decisions to make as head coach. They did a really good job of adjusting to that.”

Having understanding parents is a huge advantage for a first-year coach, and O’Connell said her field hockey parents have been nothing but supportive.

“The parents have been great. As a coaching staff we do a lot in getting the girls to advocate for themselves. If there is a problem or a conflict, they do a good job of communicating that.”

When asked about the biggest difference between being an assistant and running the show, O’Connell points to the need to pay attention to all things, big or small.

“I find myself noticing more things as a head coach. Not that I wasn’t noticing things as an assistant, but now I’m really paying attention to things like, OK, we worked on that in practice the other day and they were able to do it in the game, that’s great,” O’Connell said. “Or I’ll see something and say to myself that we need to make sure we’re working on that the next day in practice. As an assistant, your role is different. As a head coach, I find myself noticing a lot more things.”

One thing Mainland field hockey fans likely will notice for a long time to come is O’Connell roaming the sidelines as head coach of the Stangs. She’s not planning on giving up this job anytime soon.

“I love this team, I love the girls, and I love this sport,” she said. “I couldn’t do it without my assistants, Angela Robbins and Taylor Klever. I would not have been able to take over this program had it not been for them.”

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