Maryland's appearance at the Paris Olympics is a testament to the dominance of the field hockey program and its ability to produce the best players in the country. Maryland has won eight NCAA Tournament championships, seven of which have come under Meharg's tenure as coach.
Emma said playing field hockey at the University of Maryland and being coached by Meharg and other staff members has had a major impact on her preparation to compete internationally after graduating in 2022. Katie Bam was an assistant on the University of Maryland staff from 2017-2021 and coached three of the University of Maryland's four Olympians. She was a student-athlete at the University of Maryland who won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's best female collegiate field hockey player in 2010 and 2011. Bam was also a member of the University of Maryland's 2008 national championship team before representing the United States at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Another Olympian and current assistant, Scott Tapper, has also coached all but one of Maryland's 2024 Olympians. Tapper brought a wealth of knowledge to the table with his extensive Olympic experience. Tapper has competed in three Olympics (2008, 2016, 2020) and holds Canada's Olympic goal record with five goals in Rio 2016.
“I just encouraged all the girls to take good care of themselves in the lead up to the game,” Tapper said. “Rest when you need to, take time for yourself, know when you need to put your feet up and turn off your phones. The lead up to the game can be exciting and stressful but it's important to make sure you arrive fully charged when you get to the village. Once you get there, just have fun. There will be ups and downs but take each day the right way and don't get too excited about a win or too depressed about a loss. Have fun, play hard and leave it all on the field.”
