Could Ryleigh Heck be the Caitlin Clark of field hockey?
U.S. Women’s Field Hockey Athlete Ryleigh Heck is pictured in the women’s home game versus Ireland. Photo: USA Field Hockey
Female Athlete News and AllIn recently had the pleasure of talking to Ryleigh Heck, a U.S. Women’s Field Hockey athlete, in a collaborative interview.
Heck, an energetic and charismatic individual, shared her insights on field hockey, work ethic, and sports.
Heck’s name has become increasingly recognized due to her consistent success as a field hockey athlete. Many believe she has the potential to significantly impact the sport, much like the notable women's basketball star, Caitlin Clark.
Both Heck and Clark received the 2024 Honda Sport Award in their respective sports, recognizing them as outstanding female athletes. They've also both set impressive records at their universities: Heck at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Clark at the University of Iowa.
"I feel like Ryleigh Heck is to the field hockey world like Caitlin Clark is to the women's basketball world,” founder of AllIn Angela Teeple said during the interview. “I've heard her speak a lot and she's the same as (Heck). She's very humble. She wants to play the game. She wants to be left alone, and you know, they force her into the spotlight. I mean, it's not forced because she's talented, but Clark, overall, stays very humble."
Heck’s exceptional performance in the 2023 season, mirroring Clark’s, earned her significant recognition. Her notable statistics include leading the Tar Heels with 34 points (13 goals, 8 assists) and scoring the game-winning goal in the 2023 NCAA Division I title game against Northwestern in a sudden-victory shootout.
Clark, known for her dedication and consistent hard work, has significantly boosted the popularity of women's basketball, particularly through her rivalry with Angel Reese of Louisiana State University. Clark’s influence has now extended into the WNBA, where she continues her court dominance, and where basketball fans thrive on the continued college turn pro rivalry between Clark and Reese.
It remains to be seen if Heck will achieve the same level of visibility and create a similar "Ryleigh Heck effect." As a senior at UNC, Heck is now also representing the U.S. in the red, white, and blue uniform, having recently earned her first international cap – a significant personal and professional milestone.
She was most recently part of the roster for an FIH-sanctioned series between the U.S. Women's National Team and Ireland, which marked the first home game for Team USA in 19 months.
Heck not only made her mark as an international athlete on the senior squad but also scored the lone goal in Game 1 and her second goal in Game 2. The United Eagles tied 1-1 in Game 1 and won 4-0 in Game 2.
Heck is also on the roster for the upcoming Cathy Bessant International Series against New Zealand at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte on July 5-6.
The following is the Q&A with Heck:
Q: What was it like to play in your first international game?
A: “I didn’t know I was going to get selected to play. So I was, one, pumped that I was selected. Two, I was just pumped to be there, not just to be selected, but to also play. They’re all amazing athletes and people. So, I mean, just the feeling of getting that first goal, was insane, because I just did not expect that. I was just expecting to be sprinting the whole time. I don't know. It's a different pace than I've ever really played before. So, I was just super grateful just to even get my first international cap. And like, luckily, my first goal was actually passed to me by my best friend and roommate from school. Her name's Dani Mendez, and she's an amazing player…It was kind of fun how it all happened, how she just passed the ball. And, I just glided it in. It was a super great feeling.”
Q: How is playing internationally different than playing in Division I?
A: “When you get to the international level, it's like you're playing against the best in the world from each country. And the speed is like no other. And, our team approach is based off of equal running and sprinting. So, like when you're playing, you're literally sprinting the whole time because it's that fast of pace, ball speed’s faster, people are thinking way faster. And we're just thinking ahead. You’ve got to be locked in on it every second. And, you know, I'm a bit new to it, because it was my first international game. But you know, from the help from my teammates, and just kind of just being aware of how they do it. I learned kind of quickly.”
Q: Mental prep is huge for you. How do you get rid of the guaranteed noise that life brings, and the pressure from big games, crowds?
A: “I literally go back to, I've done this maybe a million times before. It's no different than just doing it in practice or by myself. So, I don't really think about who's around, because if there are a million people around, I would do the same thing. If you do it so many times, it's like muscle memory to me. So, it just becomes so easy that if you mess up, yes, you can mess up, but like, if you do it, a pull right, or a spin, or a hit. If you do that so many times it becomes so easy. It's like speaking. I would compare it to reading. If you do this a hundred, one million times, then you won't be messing up a speech. So, I mean, I think it goes for anything in life. But I mean for field hockey, I just go back to, okay, I've practiced this a billion times. I can't really think about everything else. Just go back to the basics and scratch out every noise around me.”
This post was sponsored by AllIn.
All In is a personal and professional development company dedicated to building stronger minds, empowering growth, and uniting communities through mindset coaching, impactful experiences, and authentic connection.
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