On a breezy, overcast afternoon, the Alexandria Country Day School practice field is littered with cones, athletic bags and field hockey sticks. Alex Purganan unloads equipment from a black car with stickers on it. Inside it is a purple logo that says “AVA Magic”.
Mr. Purganan is the owner and co-founder of AVA Magic, Alexandria’s first year-round field hockey club. Mr. Purganan co-founded the club with his eldest daughter, Philomena Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald is a local field hockey legend in her own right. She grew up in Alexandria and attended T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School), where she was recently inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Fitzgerald returned to Alexandria after college, where she works for the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, where her role is to help small businesses access resources.
The club launched its first clinic in 2022. There were three people on the field that day: a coach and two players, one of whom was Fitzgerald's sister.
Two years later, the club has grown beyond what the father and daughter team could have ever imagined. There are 72 players this season.
“I think a lot of the appeal for a lot of the returning players is that not only do they feel like they're improving on the field, but they're building trust with each other and building trust with their coaches. I think so,” Purganan said. “Many of them have truly grown to love and enjoy the sport.”
Lucy Teed, 13, has been playing AVA Magic since the fall of 2021. She has four years of field hockey experience, starting in the Arlington Recreation League. Her AVA Her favorite thing about Magic is participating in tournaments and getting to know her teammates. She says this club has more personality compared to the rec league that her parents coach.
“They ask what you want to work on,” Lucy said. She said: “It's a more personalized experience.”
The main reason Ms. Purganan and Ms. Fitzgerald decided to start this club was to give children like Lucy the opportunities that were not available to Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was introduced to field hockey through her middle school's summer league, but when she and her parents were looking for a way to level up, there were no club options nearby. She ended up driving to Washington, D.C., multiple times a week to play on her club team.
Ten years later, Fitzgerald's sisters were also looking for a place to play sports. Alexandria didn't have a club yet, so Fitzgerald and his father decided to start their own.
Now that women's sports are in the spotlight, Fitzgerald says a lot has changed since her days as a high school and college athlete. When she decided to play Division I field hockey at the College of the Holy Cross, she and the other female athletes had to fight to be given a signing date just like the male athletes.
Fitzgerald and Puruganan's goal is to foster a community of players where girls can hone their skills in a supportive environment. After all, part of what first got Fitzgerald hooked on the sport was the close-knit community around his hockey field.
“We want to create that same environment: supportive, fun and safe,” Fitzgerald said. “Our values are tied to being more than just a field hockey player. Learning how to be a good teammate is something you'll need to know for the rest of your life.”
Learn more about AVA Magic and upcoming opportunities, including beginner and intermediate clinics in late May and early June, summer clinics, and fall tryouts. avamagicfhc.com.
