SPORTS DON’T HEM HER IN
Needham senior stars in lax, field hockey
NEEDHAM — Callie Hem’s conquests on the lacrosse field are well documented. Hem made a name for herself as a sophomore at Needham by helping the Rockets capture a Division 1 state title, and with her commitment to continue her lacrosse career at Northwestern, she became even more highly regarded.
But during the middle of each summer, lacrosse takes a back seat as Hem exchanges sticks in preparation of the upcoming field hockey season.
The change in sports makes no difference. Hem stars regardless and looks to shine again during her senior year by first leading a surging Needham field hockey program.
“It’s fun to just change it up a little bit and play something else,” Hem said. “Lacrosse dies down by August. I take August as a good opportunity to practice (field hockey) and tune up on it if I haven’t played in a little while. I don’t think it’s too hard (to play both).”
The 5-foot-10 center midfielder nearly does it all for Needham. Hem bears the responsibility of playing a taxing position that requires her to get involved offensively while also locking down the opposition defensively.
But by utilizing an endless motor and stellar field awareness, Hem excels even with the heavy workload. While she only tallied two goals and three assists last season, her impact defensively and ability to set up teammates earned her the Bay State Conference Carey MVP award.
“It is a lot, but I think players like her love it. They want to be involved in everything,” said Needham coach Stephanie Magni. “You can always count on her. It’s a tough position to play because you are expected to be in both areas, but I’m never afraid that she’s not going to get back on defense. A lot of times players go up on offense and sometimes they’re too tired to get all the way back. She’s not like that. She will do everything in her power to get back.”
Aside from her physical talents, Hem possesses leadership skills evidenced by her selection as a captain for her final season.
“It’s a nice reward for putting in a lot of hard work,” Hem said. “There are a lot of great leaders on this team, so it’s good to be recognized as one of them.”
Hem’s success is coupled with the ascendancy of the Rockets under Magni, who enters her seventh season at the helm.
Since 2013, Needham has gone 83-16-8 and with Hem paving the way last year, the Rockets claimed a fifth straight BSC Carey crown.
Hem credits the team’s rise to the players who came before her. As a sophomore, she played alongside and learned from former center midfielder and conference MVP Kendall Milligan.
“Just learning from players like Kendall and experienced players in the past couple of years has just helped me continue to grow as a field hockey player,” Hem said.
The accolades have piled up in both sports for Hem, especially last spring when she earned U.S. Lacrosse All-American and AllAcademic honors.
And she already has won a state title, but it would be sweet to get another one with a different stick in hand.
“She wants to win every game,” Magni said. “She wants to go far. She wants to win a state championship, so she does whatever it takes to get there.”