Francesca Daniels is putting together an impressive career at Valley Regional and she’s only in her junior year. Voted a quad-captain of the field hockey team for this season, Francesca has helped lead the Warriors to their best record in over a decade at 11-3-0-2 from her central forward position. Francesca and her teammates have also clinched Valley a spot in the Shoreline Conference Tournament for the first time and she believes these results are directly correlated to the closeness of her squad.

“We have a very talented team that loves to play the game and everybody wants the best for each other,” says Francesca, who captains Valley with seniors Lindsey McKeon, Katie Amara and Brianna Adams. “We have a tight-knit group that has developed a great bond and we all love and respect each other. I have an older brother, but I always wanted an older sister, too. Now, I have a team of them.”

As the focal point of the Warriors’ offense, Francesca leads the conference in points with an astounding 60 behind her 21 goals and 18 assists for the regular season. Francesca started varsity her freshman year and more than held her own against the veterans by scoring nine goals en route to Second Team All-Shoreline Conference honors. Francesca was voted to the Second Team again as a sophomore and also made Second Team All-State by netting 17 goals. For her career, she now has 47.

Francesca says her dominance on the field largely stems from her sheer love for the sport.

“I think my passion is the key driver to my performance. From that passion, comes hard work and success,” says Francesca, an Essex resident. “During the season, as well as the spring and fall, I am always looking to improve my game.”

Hard work and passion are great attributes. According to many scholars and theorists, they create success by using the qualities above and applying them to a certain task for many hours. What that equation doesn’t explain is Francesca’s natural athleticism and intellect on the field. Valley doesn’t have a youth field hockey program or middle school squad and so Francesca didn’t pick up a stick until 7th-grade intramurals. Nevertheless, Warriors’ Head Coach Beth McCabe Powers knew Francesca was going to be something special from the first moment she saw her on the field.

“She’s quite possibly the most talented athlete I’ve ever coached. I saw her when she was in 8th grade and you could just tell. She has amazing awareness, body control, and does things in a month that would take others years to learn. She’s easily the most prolific athlete I’ve had in my 10 years here as coach,” McCabe Powers says. “Franny can play anywhere on the field. She processes information so quickly from a coaching standpoint and applies it on the field immediately. Her fluidity off the ball is impressive and, on ball, it’s just natural. She can look down the field, while still controlling the ball like a point guard in basketball. She just has another skill level that most don’t have.”

Speaking of basketball, Francesca also plays point guard for the Warriors and has averaged 11 points per game for her career. She’s not only Valley’s floor general, but will captain the squad this winter, as well. In the spring, Francesca runs track, competing in the 400 and 800, plus the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. Somehow in the midst of all this, she also finds time to play tenor sax in the school’s band and jazz band. If that isn’t enough, Francesca has made high honors every term at Valley and wants to study pre-med as she’s fascinated by health and biology. At the present moment, though, Francesca is aligned with her teammates on focusing on a singular goal.

“We knew we would have a strong team this year with 10 seniors. Everybody works hard and we feed off each other. Coach is our rock and is always there to push us when we need it or help us in any way,” says Francesca, who’s being recruited to play field hockey by some of the best academic schools in the country. “I think we learned a lot from playing in states last year and that experience will help us with our goals to win Shorelines and states.”

Francesca’s talent will be key if the Warriors are to achieve these big-time objectives. Her ability to both score goals and share the ball have reached a new level every season and this year is proving no different.

“My scoring ability comes from hard work and perseverance. I’m always looking to build my skills and range of shots. Field hockey is in my blood. I love the sport. I love the intensity, I love the strategy and technique involved, and I think that is why we have played so well together this year as a team,” she says. “We know our opponents, what they do well, what they don’t, and how to attack those weaknesses. Our coaches are able to put players in the best spots for success and use their skills and assets to make everyone else better.”

Making others better is something Francesca Daniels excels at. Whether it’s setting up her teammates with assists or helping groom the Warriors’ underclass athletes, Francesca is always giving her time for the betterment of others—a trait that is certainly appreciated by her coach.

“Franny and our captains come to junior varsity practice and help teach the younger players. That shows her selflessness, and her leadership qualities are undeniable,” McCabe Powers says. “She’s just a very well-rounded, thoughtful, and driven person on the field and in her academics and she is always looking to improve—whether it’s asking questions on how to be a better player or going to camps to expand her skill level. She’s just a wonderful young lady.”