Growing up in the suburbs of Boston, senior field hockey midfielder Julia Ryan spent as much time as she could outside. Her childhood was filled with games in the driveway and on the field, where she played everything from street hockey to touch football. Yet, when she picked up her first hockey stick, it wasn’t because she had field hockey in mind. At first, she just wanted to keep up with her older brother, Johnny.
“He played the sports and I wanted to play the sports he played,” Ryan said. “He was kind of a role model.”
As Ryan experimented with sports, she also developed her own competitive spirit that elevated her to the collegiate playing field. She started making progress toward that goal when she joined a club field hockey team in eighth grade. By high school, she decided that she was going to go all in on field hockey, chasing a dream she had always imagined for herself.
“Since I was little, I always knew I wanted to play a sport in college,” Ryan said. “My goal was always [that] I want to play a sport, professionally or just in college, however long I can play.”
But she had to be flexible as she navigated a virtual recruiting process during the pandemic. All she knew about Penn field hockey was from meeting with girls on the team over Zoom. When she finalized her decision, she had never even set foot on Penn’s campus. Nevertheless, she knew she wanted to explore past Boston, and University City was the perfect blend between an urban atmosphere and the suburban familiarity she grew up with.
Once she committed, she kept an open mindset. While she decided to pursue field hockey as her main sport, her diverse athletic background has shaped her experience as a Quaker, allowing her to remain versatile and dynamic for the team. Though she entered with mainly defensive experience as a freshman, she recognized that the team needed more scoring opportunities and didn’t hesitate to shift into a role that highlighted her offensive abilities. Ryan switched into playing midfield and has continued to do so as an upperclassman. Now, she’s a constant presence in the midfield and has started in every game since her sophomore year.
"Any position works for me. I came in more defensively as a freshman and stepped into a more offensive role as I've gotten older, which has been fun. Wherever the team needs me is where I'm playing," Ryan said.
Throughout her time playing for the Red and Blue, she’s made her mark both on the field and on the team.
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Last season, Ryan was the team's leading scorer and team leader in shots. This fall, she currently holds a team high total of five goals for the season, notching one most recently against Dartmouth.
At the same time, she prioritizes building a sense of community and makes sure she also spends time with teammates. Whether it’s sitting down for dinner together or going on a spontaneous ice cream run, she appreciates the fact that strengthening relationships also strengthens teamwork.
“I think she leads by example for the most part,” said coach Scott Tupper. “Her teammates trust in her because they see how much she cares about the team being successful.”
As a senior, Ryan is determined to make her last season with the Quakers count. She has continued to develop her technical skills with the new coaching staff, including Tupper, and intends to contribute as much as she can for the rest of the season. Most of all, she wants to support her teammates for the remainder of the season.
“Penn field hockey is going to continue to go and grow,” said Ryan. “So [I’m] making sure that I’m able to build my teammates’ skills and kind of leave the program a little bit better than I came in.”
While this fall will wrap up her collegiate field hockey career, it won’t be the end of her athletic journey. Just as she grew up juggling any sport she could get her hands on, she’s interested in staying active by joining club ice hockey or club lacrosse while pursuing a career in real estate.
“I’ll definitely continue to keep being competitive just because I love to be,” Ryan said.
