Wake Forest Athletics
SPOTLIGHT: Anna Kozniuk
12/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
This Q&A originally appeared in the Wake Forest football gameday program.
Anna Kozniuk: Field Hockey
Why did you choose Wake Forest?
My older sister played field hockey at Boston College and once I saw how high the caliber of field hockey was in the ACC conference and it certainly helped drive my focus and goals towards playing for an ACC institution. Once the opportunity to play in the ACC became a reality, this helped narrow down my process in finding a well-rounded academic school that catered to my career ambitions. After visiting Wake Forest, for me personally, it was clearly the whole package from the field hockey program and its supporting staff, to the academic opportunities and atmosphere of the campus. I've loved every minute of being a Demon Deacon.
What do you love most about field hockey?
I love the creativity aspect of field hockey, there are plenty of talented players especially in the ACC, which makes the competition a lot of fun because there's a huge variety in skill level. It's interesting to see how the skills and style vary amongst the conferences and the different outlook international players bring in as well. Tactically it's fun to see how quickly the different player dynamics develop and how the coaches strategize to exploit the opposition's abilities.
What games do you look forward to most during the season?
I look forward to all of the ACC conference games. The ACC hosts the best field hockey in the nation which means these games always have a lot of pride riding on them. These games also bring the bigger fan bases, both for home and away games, so the atmosphere drastically changes and tensions can get a little heated on the field and the effort becomes a lot grittier and exciting in the attacking ends. However, since moving down to Carolina I've really started to adapt the distaste for UNC and Duke while studying down here so those two games are usually highlights during the fall season.
What do you like about playing at Kentner Stadium?
I love playing at Kentner Stadium. It's such a luxury to have our field in the middle of campus. At any point of the day between classes or studying were able to walk in to the locker room and grab a bucket of balls to work on some individual skills or use it as a release from school work. Home games in Kentner are by far the best part of season, the grand stands are pretty big and for most of our games they get pretty full with passionate fans. The wall behind our bench is always packed with some our best friends and most supportive faculty and staff which is always fun to have during our ACC battles are at home.
What degree(s) are you pursuing and what are you looking to do after school?
I'm pursuing a Communication degree with a media concentration and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise. Post-graduation I would love to stay involved in sports in some measure, ideally I would like to pursue a career in sports marketing and or management.
What's your favorite thing about Jen Averill as a coach?
There are a lot things I've loved about playing for Jen Averill, looking back on my four years here at Wake there a lot of unexpected life lessons and experiences that each year our team has gone through but they've been instrumental in shaping our culture and Individually well be able to carry with these with us beyond this program and Wake Forest.
What I cherish most in Jen's coaching philosophy is that she genuinely listens to her players. Her open door policy allows her players to communicate their opinions and she evaluates the feedback and makes the appropriate changes. In training sessions, Jen doesn't hold back critiquing mistakes and holding high standards and if those aren't met than she certainly won't hesitate to make you are aware but she'll be the first to help pick you back up and get you up to that level.
This year one of our team motto's was "I am, because we are" which touches on the humility of knowing that individually we are a part of something greater. Jen was one of the first to buy into the motto, which says a lot about her as a coach and her connection with the team. As a senior looking back on past years you begin to see the measures that Jen has sacrificed for us individually and truly appreciate that "we are, because she is..", some days your best friend, mother, the biggest pain in neck, but always your biggest supporter.
What is your favorite restaurant in Winston-Salem?
During my first two years at Wake I could usually be found on the back patio at 6th and Vine at least once or twice a month, which I think I beat that menu in to the ground. I was here all summer with the Summer Management Program and was able to explore some new favorites; I'm still getting acquired to the southern cuisine but Sweet Potatoe on Trade is definitely a new favorite and my roommate from Texas introduced me to The Porch and Cantina in the West End which has a really fun social atmosphere.
Which do you prefer, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram? Why?
Instagram. I'm a very visual person and I think it allows you to be more personal and creative with what you choose to post. I love to share photos of where I've been, what I've been up to, and I also like to see what my friends are keeping busy with. It's also an easy way to share some experiences with my family and friends from home since our schedules and time zones don't always overlap.
Pregame superstitions?
My home game superstition; I always grab a pregame cup of Krankies coffee from either Camino's or campus grounds, and depending on the weather, Kali Vicars and I will walk up to the press box on top of Kentner Stadium and kill time watching people around campus from the tower.
Best place to go on vacation?
I've been pretty fortunate to travel through sports and spend time in over 20 countries but I'd have to say I'm pretty spoiled and proud of being from Vancouver and these days it seems like my summer and winter breaks are vacation's there. In the winter our family heads up to Whistler, BC, which is an hour north of the city, it's a really fun ski town with some beautiful mountains. In the summers I usually try to spend a few days at my friend's cabin off the coast of Vancouver Island and take the paddle boards or skim boards out to the beach.
If you couldn't play field hockey, what other sport would you play?
I grew up in Canada where my parents had my siblings and I playing every type of hockey there was so I definitely would say Ice Hockey. I played Boys high performance hockey from when I was 4-16, I got a beat up a little bit playing road hockey with my brothers and neighbors but I was fortunate to play with the u18 Canadian female national team and briefly considered playing both in college.
