“[Nina’s] one of the toughest athletes I’ve ever coached.” Sproul said. “She’s always game ready…and never quits. She’s one of those athletes who gives 100 percent effort whether she’s competing against the toughest or weakest opponent.”
Gallagher described an occasion in Kucharczyk’s senior lacrosse season that portrayed her athleticism and competitive spirit in “a nut shell.”
The team was taking one of its biggest rivals and, as a defender, Kucharczyk would have the opportunity to match up against West Babylon High School’s best player. But, when her opponent was held out with an injury, Gallagher noted her star player’s disappointment.
“Nina was physically upset because she couldn’t guard the best player and shut her down.” Gallagher said. “In her eyes, that was her job...That’s exactly the kind of competitor she is. She never backs down from any challenge, and goes full throttle in every practice and game.”
While Kucharczyk clearly possesses the fire to compete in Division I, she still faces the challenge of learning the technicalities of both sports—the plays, the rules, and the formations—in an environment where most of her teammates focus on just one skill set.
“Our coach is adamant about [freshmen] gaining the new information to play at a more physical college level.” Halpern said. “Nina is taking in all the information and is putting it to her game.”
“[Nina] has been working as hard as she possibly can to learn the technicalities of field hockey in the last month,” Goodman-Bacon said. “She has a great positive attitude and perseveres through everything.”
Kucharczyk knows this positive attitude is essential for success.
“To be an athlete at this stage, you really have to be driven to win.” Kucharczyk said. “I don’t have the stick skills of the other girls on the field hockey team, but I definitely want to win and am willing to work my butt off to make that possible.”
With such a drive to win and a love for sports, Kucharczyk willingly accepts the difficulties of a busy schedule, and has the potential to not only manage, but to thrive.
Above all, she keeps her mother’s advice for success in mind: “At a place like Harvard with so many choices, you just have to love what you do, and you’ll do it well.”