Editor’s note: Baltimore Watchdog reporters enrolled in a sports journalism course conducted group interviews with Towson athletes in late October. Below are their profile stories.
By Tommy Parker
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Jenna Florenzo has had many happy moments in her field hockey career. But one of her most vivid memories comes from a match she’d like to forget. It was her junior year at Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville, Maryland, and her team was in the playoffs. She was a defender and her team was in a tight battle with The Bryn Mawr School. She dribbled up the middle of the field, and made an ill-advised move, leading to a turnover and a decisive goal for Bryn Mawr.
What happened after she cost her team the game sticks with her years later.
“That was a silent car ride home,” Florenzo said. “I was crying, my mom was crying, [my dad] was at the car. My dad didn’t say a word, I didn’t really want to talk.”
That playoff loss, as tough as it was in the moment, helped to shape her into the player and person she is. Florenzo learned to be resilient.
“I saw how much it affected me,” Florenzo said. “You can’t let it beat you up.”
She stopped playing as creatively as she once did. Even though she played defense at the time, as a forward she is working on pushing herself away from that mindset and being more of a risk taker on the field.
Her parents’ reaction also stuck with her. “I [learned] how not to react,” Florenzo said. “I realized I never want someone to feel worse based on my reaction.”
Florenzo, now a junior on Towson’s field hockey team, has put that into practice — helping her teammates overcome adversity on the field and assuming a leadership role.
“Jenna has always been a powerful athlete,” said coach E.A. Jackson. “She’s really grown into an effective communicator…She’s become someone that we count on to pick the team up and remind everyone of our team goals.”
Florenzo wasn’t always focused exclusively on field hockey. She played sports from a young age and comes from a family of athletes. She started playing soccer, basketball and lacrosse at around 6 years old. She dropped soccer for field hockey in fourth grade when her friends on lacrosse team convinced her, and she joined the club team in sixth grade. Throughout high school she played club field hockey and club lacrosse year-round. The demanding schedule of having tournaments in different states at the same time helped prepare her for being a college athlete.
Florenzo couldn’t decide which sport she liked more and what she wanted to play at the next level. She was more heavily recruited for lacrosse than field hockey. After her last field hockey tournament of her senior year, she emailed the coaching staff at Towson and was offered a spot on the roster.
At the time, Towson was searching for a new head coach, and when the school hired a new one, the assistant who recruited her was let go. That meant Florenzo had to fight for a roster spot.
“It was truly a tryout and I knew that coming in,” Florenzo said. “Some girls got cut.”
Towson was originally a backup school Florenzo. “I didn’t even visit [campus] beforehand,” Florenzo said. “I drove by on York road and looked at the front building.” She thought it looked nice and it turns out she loves the school, loves the team and loves the program.
“It’s awesome,” Florenzo said about coming to a school close to home. “I’m a homebody.” Her parents come to all of her games and she goes home once a week during the offseason to see her family and her dog.
Florenzo’s biggest influence is her father, Dan, who is 1 of 10 kids. “They were hard-asses and hard workers,” she said. Her father coached her growing up and brought out her competitive side. “[He told me] I can do it if I put my mind to it.”
Added Jackson: “Jenna is competitive and driven. “Jenna is the one who pushes us all to give our best every day.”
Jackson’s first year with the program was also Florenzo’s, and they have grown together. “We continue to make tremendous strides and demonstrate continuous improvement every year,” Jackson added. “I expect our record to will continue to improve next year.”
Florenzo’s schedule is packed with classes, practices, lifts and allotted study times. As if playing a Division I sport isn’t hard enough, Florenzo is a double finance and accounting major.
Florenzo would like to stay connected to field hockey after she graduates. “If I can coach on the side I would absolutely love to,” she said. She said she “couldn’t imagine” her life not being on a field at least once a week.
With an injury having sidelined Florenzo for the end of the season she got a chance to practice some coaching and motivating. In the spring she had shin splints, and during the season had a bruised shin bone which aggravated her shin splints. An MRI recently revealed that there was a lot of inflammation that could have led to a stress fracture had it not been caught as early as it was.
“I have to contribute in any way I can,” Florenzo said. Being a leader and a captain, she said she can’t be selfish about the injury. “I’m going to help any way I can,” she added. “Even when I’m not [on the field].”
Jackson said she’s expecting big things from Florenzo next year: “I’m super excited for Jenna’s senior year.”
By Brendan Straub
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
It’s fall in Baltimore, and the 2015 high school field hockey playoffs are in full swing. The Bryn Mawr School is hosting Mount de Sales Academy. Defender Jenna Florenzo dribbles up from her free hit position and tries to make a move at midfield when she commits a turnover with about a minute to play.
Bryn Mawr moves tactically down the field and looks to score as Florenzo dives to try and save the goal. The ball trickles into the net, the game ends soon thereafter and Florenzo stays on the ground, agonizing over the season-ending loss.
After the game, her father, Dan, has already left to sit quietly in the car. Her mother, Cassie, comforts her as tears roll down both of their faces. The car ride home is silent, and Florenzo stews on the loss all offseason.
This is all a memory now for Florenzo, a forward for Towson’s field hockey team and a double major in accounting and finance. But the moment sticks with her all these years later.
“I realized how much that game affected me and that you can’t let it beat you,” said Florenzo. “I never want someone to feel even worse based on my reaction and I want to show other girls that it is a learning opportunity if you do make a mistake.”
Florenzo has had many highs and lows over her long athletic career. She started playing club field hockey when she was in the sixth grade on an indoor hard court. As she played, she loved the pace of the game and how much fun it was, so she decided to start playing all year-round while also playing club lacrosse as well.
During her senior year of high school, she was playing in her last field hockey tournament for her club when an assistant coach for Towson’s field hockey team saw her play. A few weeks later she got an email from the coach offering her a spot on the roster even though she had never stepped foot on Towson’s campus.
By the time Florenzo started at Towson, she was playing under a new coach, E.A. Jackson.
“I wasn’t on scholarship or anything, so it was truly a tryout,” said Florenzo. “But after the making the team, I realized I loved the school and the program, so it worked out for the best.”
Now in her third year at Towson, Florenzo is part of the leadership council on the team. However, a shin splint injury that healed from last spring got reaggravated in a game against Georgetown when she took a ball to the shin. This has left her in a walking boot and on crutches for the foreseeable future.
Despite the setback, Florenzo feels she still needs to contribute in any way that she can. Even if she is not on the field with her team, her positivity from the sidelines is something that she tries to bring to each game. Jackson, now in her third year as coach, is excited for the growth of the team moving forward.
“I’m super excited for Jenna’s senior year. We are only graduating one athlete who’s spent meaningful minutes on the field, so this entire team is returning to play together again next year.” Jackson said.
The team struggled again this season, winning just three games. Still, that win total is the most since 2011 — and Towson has scored more goals this year than in years past. On the defensive side, the Tigers allowed fewer goals than last year, and Jackson expects their win/loss record to improve next year as well.
Florenzo hopes to continue her success so close to home in Baltimore as she graduates from her five-year program. With there being no professional field hockey league, Florenzo hopes she can continue to play whenever she can after finishing her field hockey career.
“I would absolutely love to do coaching on the side and play in some adult leagues and things,” said Florenzo. “I can’t imagine my life not being on a field at least once a week so I don’t know what I would do with myself.”
By Robert Sobus
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
The horn sounds, and a devastated field hockey defender is on her knees on the turf with tears rolling down her face. It’s her junior year of high school, she’s in enemy territory and her team has just been bounced from the playoffs — in part because of an ill-advised decision that led to a turnover and a goal for the other team just moments later.
Jenna Florenzo, a graduate of Mount de Sales Academy, remembers this moment vividly. With less than one minute on the clock in a close game, she decided to dribble up the middle and lost the ball.
“Turnover,” Florenzo said. “I ran down the field and tried to catch the girl, she shot and scored, end of game. We lost by one. I found myself on my knees because I was trying to save the goal. When the game was over, my dad had already walked to the car. I was crying and my mom was crying. We got to the car and my dad didn’t say a word. That car ride was silent all the way home.”
Florenzo, now a junior on Towson’s field hockey team, knows the pressure of being an athlete. She has been surrounded by sports her entire life. The Howard County native grew up in a family that cared deeply about sports and valued competitiveness.
“My dad played football, basketball and baseball growing up,” said Florenzo. “My mom was a swimmer, did gymnastics and was a cheerleader in high school. My sister played soccer and lacrosse. My brother, Mike, played a year of basketball and a year of football. But all four years played lacrosse and soccer in high school. My brother, Joe, played lacrosse and soccer.”
At 6, Florenzo started playing soccer. She had passion for playing and wanted to try other sports. She picked up field hockey in sixth grade and developed a passion for the sport. In high school, Florenzo played two club sports (field hockey and lacrosse).
“I couldn’t pick between the two sports and which one I liked more, so I played both,” Florenzo said. “I turned down some recruitments because I could not decide.”
Florenzo originally wanted to attend Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She had many options for college, but ended up choosing Towson, in part because it was close to her family and affordable.
“My last tournament in my senior year, Towson saw me and offered me a spot on the roster,” she said. “It turns out that I loved the school, the team and the program. So it worked out for the better.”
Florenzo fell in love with field hockey in large part because of the frenetic style of play.
“I like the cohesiveness of the ball movement around the field,” Florenzo said. “I like that selfness and speed of the game. I learned to like that aspect of the game.”
While many individuals in Florenzo’s family influenced her playing career, one constant has been her dad. He is one of 10 siblings, and the boys played football. Her dad picked cherries and peaches to help pay for his education. So he knew the value of hard work — and he had high expectations for his kids on the field.
“He coached me in all my sports,” Florenzo said. “He’s always been the one to push me and say you gotta do what you gotta do. You can do it if you put your mind to it. He is the one who brought out my competitive side.”
That competitive side was on display back in 2015 during the devastating high school playoff loss. Florenzo still thinks about the experience.
“I realized how much a reaction or a moment can positively or negatively impact someone,” Florenzo said. “I never want someone to feel hurt based off my reaction. I learned how to help kids or other teammates in the future when they make a mistake to bounce back and make it an opportunity. I realized how much I love the sport because that hurt me the most.”
Many players and coaches around Florenzo see her growth and how she makes an impact on the field.
“Jenna has always been a powerful athlete, but she’s really grown into being an effective communicator on the field,” head coach E.A. Jackson said. “She’s become someone that we count on to pick the team up and remind everyone of our team goals for the season.”
By Nick Sterling
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Jenna Florenzo saw her opportunity to strike. She was then a junior in high school at Mount de Sales Academy, and her field hockey team was playing The Bryn Mawr School in a pivotal playoff game. With just over a minute remaining in regulation, a Bryn Mawr player committed a foul, giving her team a free hit. Florenzo, playing right-back, was tasked with taking that free hit. She was always taught never to dribble the ball right up the middle.
So what did Florenzo do?
She decided to dribble up the middle after realizing she had no outside passes. She lost the ball in the middle of the field, and Bryn Mawr scored the winning goal.
“I dropped to my knees because I was trying to save the goal,” Florenzo said. She remained on the ground after the game ended — unable to bring herself to face the loss.
“I walked off the field and my dad wasn’t even there, he had walked to the car already,” Florenzo said. “I was crying, my mom was crying. I said ‘where’s dad?’ she said ‘he’s in the car.’”
The car ride home was silent, and Florenzo remembers stewing over that loss for some time.
But Florenzo has learned a lot since that fateful day. Mainly about how to react to a situation like that.
“With my parents’ reaction, I realized I never want someone to feel even worse based on my reaction,” Florenzo said.
She even admitted to playing more conservative after this but soon realized that style wouldn’t work so she went back to her creative style and took risks. That free-wheeling style was, in part, what drew college coaches to Florenzo, who is now a junior on Towson’s field hockey team.
Florenzo was a four-year varsity athlete in field hockey and a three-year athlete in lacrosse at Mount de Sales. She was the captain of each team her senior year and even won an athletic leadership award.
She initially wanted to go to Saint Joseph’s College but chose Towson after they offered her a spot on the field hockey team as a forward.
She chose field hockey over lacrosse for a variety of reasons. She enjoyed her teammates and coaches more, she liked how it was more of a team sport, and most importantly, she had more love for the game — a game she fell in love with in eighth grade.
Florenzo was always a multi-sport athlete. She played soccer until fourth grade, where she replaced it with field hockey because of her friends. She also played lacrosse all the way up until college.
The athlete gene runs in the family. Her mom, Cassie, swam, did gymnastics and cheerleading. Her dad, Dan, whom she credits as her inspiration, played football, baseball and basketball. He coached her in basketball and field hockey. Her brother, Mike, played soccer and lacrosse. Her other brother, Joe, went to the University of Scranton for wrestling.
Florenzo not only brings toughness to resilience to Towson’s team — she brings spirit.
“It’s funny, sometimes we’ll have a mini-dance party,” Florenzo said of her teammates. One of my teammates has one of those party lights so we’ll turn that on.”
This season, Florenzo dealt with shin splints that kept her off the field. Despite this, she tried to contribute any way she could.
“Girls look to me for guidance and so I can’t let them down,” Florenzo said. “I’m going to talk as much as I can to help and just be positive for them.”
E.A. Jackson, Towson University’s field hockey coach, has seen a lot of growth in Florenzo at Towson.
“Jenna has always been a powerful athlete, but she’s really grown into being an effective communicator on the field,” Jackson said. “She’s become someone that we count on to pick the team up and remind everyone of our team goals for the season.”
Jackson is excited for not only Florenzo but for the rest of the team come next season.
“I’m super excited for Jenna’s senior year,” Jackson said. “We continue to make tremendous strides and demonstrate continuous improvement every year (more wins this year than since 2011, more goals scored this year than in years past, and less goals allowed against us) and I expect our win/loss record will continue to improve next season.”
Florenzo wants to stay in the sport after college, even if that doesn’t mean playing.
“I plan to get a job,” Florenzo said. “If I can do coach on the side, I would absolutely love to and I’ll try and stay in with sports. I can’t imagine my life not being on a field.”
By Jordan Tacey
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Towson wasn’t near the top of the list of schools Jenna Florenzo wanted to attend. In fact, she admits it was her safety school. But Florenzo, a junior on Towson’s field hockey team, has no regrets about her college choice.
And E.A. Jackson, Towson’s field hockey coach, is glad that Florenzo made that choice.
“We all lead in our own way, but Jenna is the one who pushes us all to give our best every day,” Jackson said. “She’s become someone that we count on to pick the team up and remind everyone of our team goals for the season.”
Florenzo, from Howard County, Maryland, is one of four siblings — all of whom are athletes. Her parents, Dan and Cassie, also played sports. That meant lots of rides to and from games and practice. Jenna Florenzo played lots of sports growing up, from soccer to lacrosse to field hockey.
Throughout high school and now in college, her family has watched her play. Florenzo said her dad is her biggest influence on the field. He coached her in every sport she played even if he didn’t know the sport.
“He has always been the one to push me and tell me you gotta do what you gotta do,” she said. “He’s definitely the one who has brought out my competitive side, so I have to give credit to him.”
That competitive side, however, sometimes led to painful moments — and tough love. During her junior year in high school, Florenzo’s high school team lost a playoff game in part because she committed a turnover with one minute left. Florenzo didn’t find comfort with her dad, who silently went to the car and didn’t talk the whole ride home.
“When we got to the car my dad did not say a word. That car ride was silent all the way till we got home,” said Florenzo, recalling the defining moment.
The loss and her parents’ reactions made Florenzo realize how she wanted to respond to those tough losses in the future. She said she wants to be someone her teammates can turn to for guidance and support. She realized how much a moment can define a person and how other people’s reactions can really impact a person’s view of themselves.
“I sort of realized I never want someone to feel even worse based off my reaction if I was not the one doing the act or had the mess up,” Florenzo said.
Florenzo believes it is important to take the mistakes and use them as learning moments. She uses her spot on the leadership council to make sure her teammates are the best versions of themselves.
“I’ve learned how I want to then help kids or other teammates in the future when they play, or if they make a mistake to then bounce back and treat it as a learning opportunity and not an opportunity to beat them,” she said.
After she graduates, she hopes to coach on the side. Florenzo has always taken pride in being a leader. She wants to be able take what she’s learned from her experiences and help others both with their highs and their lows.
“ I can’t imagine my life not being on a field at least once a week. I don’t know what I would do with myself,” Florenzo said.
Added Jackson: “The story of this team really is one of belief, tenacity, and determination to improve. Jenna is one of the leaders who keeps us moving in that direction every day.”