Madeline Hubbard | Head Sports Editor
It’s the beginning of the academic year here at Smith, and with it comes a fleet of new students filling campus with their passions for learning. Among these students, there are many new Graduate Assistants in the athletics department here to coach and get their degrees.
One of Smith’s newest coaches is Katy Jankura ’20, who works alongside head field hockey coach Jaime Ginsberg and assistant coach Brooke Marshall. Jankura hails from Guilford, Conn., and graduated last Spring from Eastern Connecticut State University. There, she majored in English with a concentration in Secondary Education; she received many accolades for her schoolwork, one of which deemed her a NFHCA Scholar of Distinction. At ECSU, Jankura also stood out on the field hockey pitch. She was a four-year starter and, later, captain on a team which made it to their conference playoffs for the entirety of her college career. With a resume like that, the Smith field hockey team is lucky to have Jankura as part of the squad.
When asked why she chose Smith, Jankura replied, “[T]his program not only allowed me to gain experience in coaching, but it also gave me the opportunity to complete my master’s. The combination is rare to find and I am thankful that the ESS program provides [both].”
Jankura came onto the field hockey team this August preseason and immediately started helping the team find success this season. Her goal this year is to make the team “[play] as a unit.” She believes that “when the team truly works together as one … they will accomplish their own team goals.” Her personal goals for the next two years here at Smith include “gaining valuable experience and confidence to be a head coach, as well as building [her] resume as a coach and a teacher to find a career in athletics.” Jankura also “hopes to network and build relationships with the whole athletics department, and of course, be an asset to the team’s goals.” After Smith, Jankura plans to work as a coach and eventually become an athletic administrator.
Currently, Jankura’s biggest challenge so far has been “learning and observing how to be an asset to the coaching staff and the team.” On the flipside, Jankura’s favorite thing about Smith has been getting to know the team during their preseason trip to Argentina. Besides the trip, she has enjoyed getting to know each member personally and helping the team, as a whole and individually, to work towards their goals. These interpersonal relationships are a big part of Jankura’s leadership style. Even as a captain and starter on her college team, she built close relationships and knew her teammates’ needs. She believes that leadership is about “having accountability and putting the team before yourself.” Jankura is now steering the Smith College field hockey team with this mindset.
Jankura describes her coaching style as “always changing. I find it exciting to learn from every[one] … picking and choosing which ‘style’ I want to embody works well for me.” In her experience, Jankura found that the most impactful coaches gave her honest feedback and supported her development as an athlete, and she strives to emulate these qualities for her new team.
As a recent graduate from college, Jankura has some words of wisdom for Smith students graduating in May: “Enjoy every moment! You’ll miss living in walking distance from your friends and having certain opportunities that you take for granted as a college student.” She advises “get[ting] a calendar and a planner and plan[ing] your schedule by the hour so that you can find time to get work done … [and] relax and enjoy your college experience.”
When Jankura is not coaching or in class, you can find her relaxing with her friends or watching Le’Veon Bell, her favorite player, play football for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next time you’re in athletics, stop by to give her a warm welcome.
This Saturday at noon, you can find Jankura on the pitch leading the Pioneers for the team’s first NEWMAC contest this season against Wheaton College.
