Bard will play at Ohio State

Most high school field hockey players that want to continue their careers on the next level will traditionally play their senior season, wait a little while, and then sign their letter of intent to play on the next level at the school of their choosing. With Pleasant Valley senior Hannah Bard, however, that wasn't the case.

During the pre-season of her senior year, the starting goalie went down with a fractured hip that sidelined her for the next nine weeks. Not only did that include a majority of her senior season, but also went by incredibly slowly. Regardless, returning to action about halfway through the season, she finished out the Bears' season strong and had caught the eye of people from Ohio State University.

From her accomplishments up to that point, and after that point, Ohio State University saw something in the senior student-athlete that convinced them to offer Bard a partial scholarship to continue tending goal on the next level in a Division-I program.

"I'm just really happy that all of the hard work has paid off," Bard admitted after the signing Monday in the Pleasant Valley High School Library. "I've been working at this for a couple of years now, so it's a great feeling to have it pay off in the end."

When asked what it was that attracted Bard to the Buckeyes' team, Bard seemed to impart that it was a no-brainer. "They have a really great (field hockey) program there," she continued. "There are great people there, and it's a successful program so I'm excited to be a part of it. The coaches are great to work with and Ohio State is just a great program overall."

The idea of playing any sport at a Division I school is hard to attain for athletes. However, in Bard's case, it isn't all about the sport because she will definitely benefit from a Division One school's education. Bard will be majoring in the institution's Exercise Science program.

"That major at Ohio State is ranked in the top five in the country, so it's a great chance," she said. "I'm just excited about the opportunity. I realize that I'll be getting a high quality edication and I do not intend to waste it."

Hannah's mother, Barbara reiterated that point, "The major she's going into, they have pretty great facilities. In fact, they are some of the best available for that area of study."

With the brains, on top of the braun, Bard's intellect not only is apparent in the classroom, but came in handy during the field hockey season, as well. According to assistant Pleasant Valley coach, Colleen Dinan, it was a benefit to have her on the team, even if she wasn't in goal.

"I've seen her grow up through the program, pretty much," Dinan admits. "She's just a great person overall and talking to her, you get the sense that you're not talking to a teenage girl. She's very relatable and even when she was injured, it was like having another coach there. Also, this was the first season where it really felt like we were a family and Hannah had a big part to do with that feeling."

With plenty of options, Bard made the choice of Ohio State over Bryant University and East Stroudsburg University and decided to settle on the challenge of attending the Buckeyes' campus.

"It's very intimidating," she stated. "I have some pretty high standards to live up to, but I know I'm going to work my hardest to try and contribute in any way I can."

"The atmosphere out there is unreal," she continued. "People dream of playing at a division one school and to play in the Big Ten, too? It's an opportunity that I hoped to achieve."

Up to this point, the hard work ethic and dedication came from within, for Bard. However, she was quick to admit that it wasn't all her own doing. "I'd definitely like to thank God and my parents (Marvin and Barbara), for getting the opportunities that I've had," she stated. "Also, I want to thank my teammates and coaches over the years because they helped me get through these years. So when I get out there, I do not want to let any of them down."

Considering the amount of people that she has let down to this point (zero), it's hard to imagine that she will start disappointing now.