Turf or Ice? Ohio State’s Webster Does Both
by Caitlin Rubsamen, USA Field Hockey’s College Content Intern
By the time she was seven years old, Makenna Webster knew what a stick in gloved hands felt like, how the cold air felt on her lungs when she was tired, and the sounds her skate blades made across a sheet of ice. She grew up playing ice hockey because her cousin and older brother played. And from an early age, Makenna knew that ice hockey was something she would want to do for a long time. But a year later, she was in gym class when she discovered a new passion for hockey – this time, field hockey.
“One day in gym class, my teacher was a field hockey coach at Gateway in Saint Louis, and during gym class we were playing and she told me I had a lot of potential.”
From that moment on, Makenna grew to love the two sports, and dedicated herself to excelling in both.
When Makenna got to high school, she knew she wanted to play ice hockey in college, and Wisconsin was her top choice. She even left her high school in Missouri to attend a boarding school, Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault. Minn., where she was able to focus on ice hockey. The one caveat of both the boarding school and Wisconsin – they didn’t have a field hockey team.
Makenna’s time as a Badger was more than exceptional. In her freshman season, she played in all 21 matches, helped lead her team to an NCAA National Championship, and was named the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player. But after two years of playing ice hockey at Wisconsin, Makenna felt that the chapter of her life that included playing field hockey had not yet closed. So, she entered the transfer portal.
“I really wanted to go to Wisconsin, that was kind of my top choice. And then went for two years, and then was kind of thinking about it, and realized if I had the opportunity to play both sports, I should try to take it. And from there, I went in the portal and looked at a few schools, and then decided Ohio State was the place.”
Now a graduate student at The Ohio State University, Makenna has thrived both on the field and ice for the Buckeyes. She currently serves as a captain of the field hockey team and an assistant captain for the ice hockey team. Last fall, the field hockey team finished 14-6, picking up the most wins in a season since 2010. Makenna led the team in points (47) with 17 goals and 13 assists. In March of this year, the ice hockey team defeated Wisconsin to win the National title, with Makenna named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.
As many student-athletes know, there is a great deal of balance and time management that goes into being both a successful student and athlete. For Makenna, time management is something she has learned well, and the support system at Ohio State helps make balancing everything possible.
“The resources that Ohio State has given me, and my great coaching staff and athletic trainers have made me be able to be successful and balance both sports. I can’t exceed four hours of practice a day, so the Athletic Director, trainers, coaches, and other staff members have done a great job helping me manage that.”
Since the ice hockey and field hockey seasons overlap, there are a lot of moving parts to helping Makenna play and succeed in both. Depending on the travel, a typical weekend in October could include two field hockey games and an ice hockey match.
“I would say I really focus on recovery. I just feel like our athletic trainers have been so great, and there's so many resources at Ohio State, like a float tank and Normatec, but it's hard on the body to play the three games, but I feel like I've done it a lot this year. I'm getting used to it.”
Something that becomes clear after talking with Makenna, even just briefly, is her unshakeable can-do mindset. Whether on the ice or turf; in the classroom, training room, library, or wherever else she might be, Makenna gets it done.
While Makenna leads her field hockey team in the statistics book and is a key contributor on the ice, she is also a team player, and has learned how to connect with her teammates on both sides – even when she can’t always be there.
“The number one thing that’s difficult is that I am not able to be at everything at all times with both sports - and it’s just hard not being around. I want to be at everything all time, so I think sometimes it’s just tough for me to miss those moments with the teams.”
Despite this, Makenna noted the joy she gets from being able to be a part of two different teams.
“I’ve made so many friends and I’ve met such amazing people. It’s incredible to see how different they are in such amazing ways, and I’ve enjoyed kind of connecting both field hockey and ice hockey players together which has been awesome.”
Makenna has been key in uniting the two teams – ice hockey supports field hockey and vice versa when they are able to make the games.
With plans to graduate from Ohio State in the spring, Makenna is optimistic about her future, which could include both ice hockey and field hockey. With the groundbreaking establishment of the Premiere Women’s Hockey League, Makenna now has a great opportunity to play professionally in the United States, but she is not hanging up her turf shoes just yet either.
“The goal right now is seeing how this year goes in both sports. Playing professional hockey and then staying in the United States pool for field hockey is my current plan, and I hope to be able to represent my country in field hockey as well.”
As Makenna reflected on her time as a two-sport athlete for the Buckeyes, she noted that ice hockey has taught her the value of leadership and the importance of learning from others.
“I've learned a lot from others and ways to help a team be successful on and off the ice. And I think it's a really important role, and when everyone has that value, your team will be successful.”
Meanwhile, she noted that field hockey has taught her the importance and value of a team.
“I think field hockey is a sport where you need everyone at all times because one mistake could lead to something not great, and you all have to be connected at all times on the field. Learning this sport and that each little role a person plays is so huge and that everyone knows the value and importance of each of their teammates.”
Being a two-sport Division I athlete is, as Makenna notes, a unique experience. It’s not for everyone, but she encourages all who may find themselves with the opportunity to take advantage of it.
“Being a multi-sport, collegiate athlete is definitely hard, but it's such a unique opportunity, and I would recommend anyone who has opportunity to do it, to do so. Obviously it's not going to be easy, but if you have great support and great resources, you'll be able to do it.”
