The following is a spotlight profile on Victoria Kammerinke, one of two Saint Joseph's University nominees for the prestigous NCAA Woman of the Year award. The Atlantic 10 had 15 institutional nominees for the award (READ MORE). Each weekday until July 22, the Atlantic 10 will profile one of the institutional nominees.
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SNAPSHOT
Sport: Field Hockey
Position: Goalkeeper
Major: International Business, Finance
Hometown: Kaarst, Germany
SAINT JOSEPH'S BIO |
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Victoria Kammerinke
PROFILE
Victoria Kammerinke led the Saint Joseph’s Field Hockey team to three Atlantic 10 Championship titles in goal for the Hawks and was named Defensive Player of the Year twice. She holds program records for most wins and most shutouts, and she earned multiple All-America Honors. She graduated magna cum laude and top of her class in International Business. She was named the Most Outstanding Senior Student Athlete with the Saint Joseph’s Class of 1950 Award, Inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the International honor society for undergraduate and graduate business students, the highest academic honor in the Haub School of Business, and earned the PNC achievement award from the department of athletics. She has been named to the SJU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, The A-10 Field Hockey All-Academic Team, and the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Kammerinke also won first place at the International Business sustainability competition and volunteered at Hub of Hope in Center City Philadelphia and the Project Sunshine Chapter at Saint Joseph’s.
STORIES
SJU ATHLETICS: Written Feature on Victoria Kammerinke
Q&A WITH Victoria
What are three words your teammates would use to describe you, and why?
For this question I wanted to consult with my teammates, however it turns out we are all on the same page. Three words that would describe me are reliable, disciplined and passionate. Reliable because I never forget what is expected of me and I am always there to help when needed. Disciplined because I always put my team and academics first. I know exactly what needs to be done to reach a certain goal and the individual steps on how to get there. Lastly, I am passionate and put 100% effort into everything I start. I absolutely love field hockey and have my heart in the game at all times. Through my voice, presence and actions I show it every day at practice and games.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? The worst?
The best piece of advice was given by my teammate Kathrin Bentz. During my freshman year I struggled a lot and was stressed out about my academics, which didn’t allow me to bring my full potential at practices. One day, she showed me a video on YouTube which can be translated to the graphic pasted below. I was worrying about all the things I could not control. This took away my focus and most of my energy. Once I understood however, that worrying about those things is useless if I can’t change anything about it, I might as well use my energy and focus on the things that are within my scope of control. I was fully present in practice, leaving all non-hockey related worries outside once I stepped on the field and learned to compartmentalize. We showed this video to our athletic trainer Nate Miller and shortly after, a big printout of the graphic below was hanging in our athletic training room. Every time someone walked in and started stressing out, we simply asked “do you have a problem in life?”, went through the scheme and had a laugh.
The worst piece of advice I received was from my dad, ironically. When I laid out to him the different options for my master’s degree at Durham University in the UK, the only thing he said was: “Like Nike said,
Just Do It”. While this made me laugh, of course this was nothing like the answer I had hoped for. At the same time, it reminded me that at the end of the day I have to make the decision that ultimately makes and happy.
What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
My Junior year during preseason, a teammate told me that she thought about quitting the team. I knew it was serious however she asked me not to tell anyone. This put me in an incredibly difficult position as I wanted to honor what was asked of me, while also knowing that this piece of information was crucial to the team. Being a leader to me means to sacrifice for the greater good. Here, I knew that her decision to potentially quit the team this shortly before season started had a tremendous impact on our success moving forward. I made the decision to talk to my coaches about it. Further, I sat down with my friend and explained my reasoning behind this step. Luckily everything worked out well in the end and she understood. That was one of the toughest decisions I had to make. As a leader you represent the team, even if that means to sacrifice. Personally, I put my friendship, trust and respect my teammate had for me on the line, however, I knew this was the right step for the team moving forward.
Pick one song that would describe you and one that would describe your team
One song that would describe me is “Home” by Jack Johnson. He sings “home is wherever we are if there’s love here too”. I moved around quite a bit, went to three different high schools, and lived in different cities and countries. To me, family is the most important thing and coming home to Germany and seeing my family is always special. Over the years however, I experienced that indeed home is where people are who love and care about you and for one another. I found this especially on Hawk Hill, with my field hockey team which I am lucky enough to call my family.
One song that would describe my team is “Greenlight” by Pitbull ft. Flo Rida. In the song it says, “Give me the green light and I’m ready to go”. We played this almost before every game and on A-10 Championship weekends. A green wristband, meaning Go, served as a reminder that once we step on the turf and the whistle blows, it is time for us to dominate. That shift in focus in incredibly important and this song represents a group of young, talented female athletes who don’t shy away from the biggest challenges.
What Was your favorite class/professor and why?
It is impossible for me to choose one favorite professor simply because all professors I had at Saint Joseph’s University were outstanding in their own way of teaching. However, I have to point out Dr. McDevitt, Dr. Porth and Professor Erkis in particular. These three supported us student-athletes on our academic journey and went above and beyond to make sure we succeeded. From promoting our field hockey games in lectures to cheering us on from the sideline and holding extra office hours, the support from faculty I experienced is truly outstanding and my academic success would not have been able without them.
My favorite class however was “Business Policy” – it is the Capstone class every Business student has to take their senior year at Saint Joseph’s University. Essentially, in a group of five you choose a company and throughout the semester analyze that particular company from every aspect to identify strategies that can help the company grow. At the end of the semester we had to present a business plan to the class and our professors. I liked this class especially because it incorporated everything we learned over the four years at the undergraduate level ranging from Finance, over Marketing and Strategy to Business Intelligence.
What is something you wish more people knew about you?
Most people automatically connect me to field hockey, which is great. It is my passion and the game that has opened so many doors for me. However, there is more to me than field hockey only. I love to swim, bike, hike, ski and explore nature. In 2017 I hiked the Alps from Bavaria in Germany, all the way through Austria, to Italy and it is my big dream to one day climb Mont Blanc in France and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Beyond that, I like Jazz and have played the saxophone since I was eight years old. It is always my fun fact when I tell that in kindergarten, I recorded two songs with a children's music artist that you can actually listen to on music streaming devices.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Besides the academic and athletic achievements, including winning the A-10 Championship for the third time in a row, what I am most proud of is my personal development. When I came to Saint Joseph’s University, I was a good field hockey player, but at that point I did not know what I was capable of yet. It was on Hawk Hill where I learned the core values through the field hockey team and the lessons that will continue to guide me through life. I learned how to work hard and push myself beyond my comfort zone. I know my values, what I am capable of and what I need to do in order to achieve a goal.