Heistand ready to raise bar at Slippery Rock
Hamburg grad Rayell Heistand excited about first chance as a head coach with The Rock
High expectations are nothing new for Rayell Heistand.
She excelled in field hockey at Hamburg and the University of Connecticut and earned a spot on the U.S. Women’s National Team.
As an assistant coach she helped put her imprint on Division I programs at Lafayette and the University of Miami (Ohio).
Heistand plans to carry those same high standards to Slippery Rock University, where she has been hired as field hockey head coach starting on June 1.
Although she will be working with Division II athletes, including a handful from Berks County, Heistand said her expectations have not changed.
“I think what I expect from the players is the same,” Heistand said. “I’ve always expected for athletes to show up to preseason ready to play, in shape and mentally ready to go. Then you always expect them to do well in the classroom. The expectations are the same for me whether you’re Division I, II or III.”
Slippery Rock is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, one of the most competitive NCAA Division II conferences in field hockey. Heistand hopes to get The Rock competitive with the top schools in the conference, such as West Chester, East Stroudsburg and Kutztown. The Rock finished 2-8 in league play last season and 5-13 overall.
“I think it’s exciting to be in a competitive league where you’re going to be challenged every game and every day,” Heistand said. “My intentions are to become competitive in the PSAC. It could take time but I’d like to get there.”
First, Heistand would just like to get to know her players, a group that includes Gov. Mifflin graduates Sami Karmonick, Abby McKay and Kayla Del Vecchio, Wilson grad Taylor Border and Conrad Weiser grad Elise Cole. Due to COVID-19 and other restrictions, Heistand said she has had just one Zoom meeting with the whole team and one meeting with each player.
“It’s interesting trying to get to know the players over Zoom,” Heistand said. “It is kind of challenging to get to know them. But it will be good.”
Heistand, the daughter of former Tulpehocken coach Diane Heistand, has had her sights set on becoming a head coach since she graduated in 2008 from Hamburg, where she also swam and ran track.
She was a four-year starter and two-time All-American at UConn, helping the Huskies win three Big East championships and qualify for four straight NCAA Tournaments.
After spending three years training with the Women’s National Team and playing in nine international games, Heistand spent one year as an assistant at Lafayette before a five-year stint at Miami.
At Miami, she helped the Red Hawks qualify for the NCAA Tournament three times. She also earned a master’s degree in sport leadership in 2019 to go with the bachelor’s degree in allied health she earned at UConn in 2012.
“I’ve learned a lot from every step that I’ve taken in life,” Heistand said. “You can always learn things from where you’ve been. You’re hoping to take all of that and put it into one package to use.”
Heistand is ready to take all she has learned to become successful in the career choice she has long pursued.
“It’s definitely been one of my goals to become a head coach,” Heistand said. “This opportunity came up and it was a great fit.
“It will definitely be different because you have more on your shoulders, more accountability. I’m looking forward to it. I”m excited to make some decisions.”