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Alexis Ruiz

@lexruizfh

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Assistant Coach | @molloyfieldhockey
Mentor & trainer for athletes
Helping grow & shape Long Island field hockey

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Hey everyone!
I’m Coach Lex, a former D1 field hockey player at Long Island University and now a Graduate Assistant Coach at Castleton University. Field hockey has shaped my life, and I’m excited to share my journey with you!

This page is all about my life in field hockey, the experiences, memories, and the impact this sport has had on me. But it’s also about giving back and growing the game, especially in Long Island’s field hockey community.

I’m dedicated to helping young athletes develop, build confidence, and reach their goals. I also offer private training sessions to help players take their game to the next level. Stay tuned for training updates, tips, and opportunities.

Whether you’re a player, or parent, or anyone who loves the game,I’d love for you to follow along and be part of this journey. Can’t wait to share what’s ahead! by @lexruizfh

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2 years ago

Conference season and the girls who make it special 💌 by @lexruizfh

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a day ago

Lead them. Believe in them. Push them. Be there for them. Happy National Coaches Day! 🦁🏑 by @lexruizfh

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10 days ago

National Field Hockey Day

I thought the greatest gift field hockey gave me was the opportunity to play Division I but I’ve realized it was the people the game gave me.

I’m so grateful for everything this sport has given me, from playing to now coaching, and for all of the coaches and mentors I’ve had along the way. But this year I want to dedicate this post to my teammates.

When I committed to LIU, I never realized how international this sport was or how lucky I would be because of it. I had teammates from so many different countries, and that became one of the most special parts of my college experience.

They taught me so much more than field hockey. I learned different styles of the game, different ways to communicate and how to play alongside people who learned the sport completely differently than I did. But I’ve realized the lessons off the field meant even more.

They taught me to put myself out there, open myself up to new people and appreciate different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Some of the most important people you meet in life may come from a completely different world than yours, and you’ll never know how much they can teach you unless you open yourself up to knowing them.

I also have so much respect for the sacrifices many of them made, leaving their families, friends and homes thousands of miles away to come here and play the sport they loved.

Now as a coach, I carry those lessons with me. Pieces of what they taught me about hockey have made their way into what I teach my own players, but more importantly, they taught me to know my athletes as PEOPLE and understand that everyone has their own story.Field hockey made my world so much bigger. It gave me people I probably never would have met otherwise and somehow brought us all to the same place, wearing the same jersey and playing for the same team. I realized I am blessed because of the people I got to play it with. 🤍 by @lexruizfh

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a month ago

New season, new chapter.

Back home, with a new group of girls, stepping into another chapter of coaching at the collegiate level. There’s something really special about being able to continue growing in this game, but now from the other side of it.

I’ve known Ellis since I was 13 years old. From playing for him through club, to being recruited to play at Long Island University, and now getting the opportunity to coach alongside him , it’s definitely a full-circle moment. I’ll always be thankful for everything he has done for me and for the game opening the door to some of the best friendships and memories of my life.

And Tony, I’ve learned so much hockey from him in just the past two weeks. From double sessions, film, breaking down hockey IQ, and scrimmages, I’ve been able to see the game from a completely different perspective. His knowledge of the game and the way he coaches and teaches is something I truly admire and hope to continue learning from.

But the most important part of this new chapter is the girls.

As a former college athlete, I know how quickly these four years go by and how much they can shape you. The practices, bus rides, film sessions, hard conversations, wins, losses, laughs, friendships, all of it becomes part of your story. Now being on the coaching side, I understand even more how important it is to make sure these girls know they are supported, challenged, believed in, and cared about beyond just the player they are on the field.

No matter the division, the school, or where you are coaching, the impact you leave on your players matters. I want these girls to look back on their college experience knowing they grew as athletes, but even more importantly, as people.

Grateful to keep learning, grateful to be back home, and excited to see what this group can accomplish together. Here’s to a new season, new conference and a new chapter. 🏑❤️‍🔥 taken in Molloy University by @lexruizfh

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2 months ago

No one really talks about this part.

The adjustment.

You spend so much of your life preparing for what’s next, graduation, the next season, the next opportunity that you never stop to think about what happens when you finally get there.

No one tells you how strange it feels to wake up without the routine that shaped your life for years.

No one tells you that you’ll miss the ordinary moments more than the big ones. The familiar faces. The conversations you’d have every day. The structure. The feeling of knowing exactly where you belonged.

And no one tells you that coming home can feel unfamiliar.

Not because home has changed.

Because you have.

You come back to the people you love most, and that’s a gift I’ll never take for granted. Being with my family again has meant everything. Seeing old friends, catching up, and being close to home has been so special.

But everyone is in a different chapter now.

Life kept moving while we were all growing in different places. Friends have new jobs, new routines, new priorities. My family has gone through seasons of their own. And I’ve changed too.

I’ve found myself learning how to slow down, how to create a new routine instead of following one that was already built for me, and how to find purpose outside of what once defined my everyday life.

It’s uncomfortable.

It’s emotional.

It’s exciting.

And sometimes it’s all three in the same day.

I don’t think this season is about trying to recreate the life I had before.

I think it’s about taking everything those years taught me and learning how to build a life that reflects who I’ve become.

Maybe that’s what this adjustment is really about, not going back to who you were, but giving yourself permission to grow into who you’re becoming.

And I think that’s a beautiful place to be. 🤍 by @lexruizfh

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3 months ago

Had the best time working with the Garden City Field Hockey team this summer! 🏑 I loved being able to work with you all and be a small part of your preparation for the season ahead. Wishing you girls nothing but success this fall, can’t wait to see all of your hard work pay off! 💪🏻 by @lexruizfh

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2 months ago

A new chapter, back on Long Island ❤️‍🔥

So grateful for the opportunity to join Molloy University as Assistant Coach and continue doing what I love every day. Vermont gave me experiences, memories, and lessons that helped shape me so much both as a coach and person, and I’ll always be thankful for that chapter. Excited to bring everything I’ve learned into this next journey back home. 💪🏻 by @lexruizfh

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5 months ago

It’s the people that make the place

As I get ready to leave Vermont after two years, I’ve realized the reason this place became so special to me was because of the people I met along the way.

The people here changed me in ways they’ll probably never fully realize. From my players, students, mentor teachers, coworkers, friends, and everyone who supported me throughout this journey, every single person played a role in helping me grow into who I am today.

I’ve realized 20 pictures could never capture all the people who made this journey what it was for me. 💚 by @lexruizfh

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5 months ago

None of this would have been possible without the man above and these two incredible people who have loved, supported, and believed in me every single day of my life.

If you know me, you know my mom and dad. We are a trio. We do everything together, and they have always been my best friends. They’ve never just been my parents, they’ve been my biggest supporters, my safe place, and the people who have always believed in me, even during the moments I struggled to believe in myself.

When I decided to move to Vermont, it wasn’t easy for any of us. We’re such a close family, and being away from them was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. But they never once stood in the way of my dreams. Instead, they encouraged me to chase them, even when it meant sacrificing their own comfort.

No matter how far apart we were, they were always with me. Through every phone call, every moment of doubt, every accomplishment, and every setback, they reminded me why I started and why I couldn’t give up. They celebrated every victory with me and carried me through every challenge. Their love never changed, and neither did their belief in me.

Walking across that graduation stage may have been my name on the diploma, but this degree belongs to all three of us. My parents graduated with me. Every sacrifice they made, every prayer they prayed, every mile they traveled, every encouraging word they spoke, and every ounce of love they poured into me helped make this moment possible. I truly don’t know where I would be without them.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” God gave me the strength to keep going, but He also blessed me with the greatest parents I could have ever asked for. They have shown me what unconditional love, selflessness, faith, and perseverance look like.

Mom and Dad, thank you for believing in me before I believed in myself. This diploma may have my name on it, but this achievement is just as much yours as it is mine. I hope I’ve made you as proud as you’ve always made me feel. 💚🏑 taken in Castleton Spartan Stadium by @lexruizfh

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4 months ago

Congratulations to our GA Lex on completing her student teaching seminar and pinning ceremony! 💚🎓 by @lexruizfh

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5 months ago

Younger me would be so proud. I think about her a lot… that little girl who just loved the game, who smiled without hesitation, who didn’t question if she was good enough, she just played, she just believed. She didn’t know how fast life would move or how heavy things could feel sometimes… but she trusted it all anyway. And I carry her with me every single day.

There are moments now where I wish I could tell her, “You’re going to be okay. You’re going to figure it out. Everything you’re dreaming about right now… it’s going to turn into something real.” Because I’m living it.

I’m student teaching a third grade class in Vermont, and these kids mean more to me than I can even put into words. The way they look at me, trust me, learn from me… it’s something I don’t take for granted. And at the same time, I’m showing up for my team, the same game I fell in love with at eight years old is still a part of my life, just in a different way now.

And what means the most to me is helping the women on CUFH see their worth. Not just as athletes, but as people. I want them to feel confident in who they are, to walk into any room knowing they belong there. I want them to carry that confidence into their lives outside of hockey, into their futures, their relationships, their careers.

I’m managing a lot. There are days where I feel stretched thin, where I question if I’m doing enough or being enough for everyone. But then I think about her…the younger version of me, and how badly she just wanted to get here. And it grounds me.

This life I’m living, everything I’m balancing, everything I’m pouring into, it’s everything she hoped for, even if she didn’t have the words for it yet.

And I hope she knows… we made it somewhere she would be really proud of. by @lexruizfh

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6 months ago