Natalie Hunter Cyrus is working to earn a degree while helping coach Maryland field hockey.
Coaching at a Division I field hockey program is difficult. Just the thought of long hours, a complex schedule and the mounting pressure of teaching some of the best athletes in the sport induces anxiety.
Doing all this while simultaneously working to earn a degree seems virtually impossible.
But for Maryland field hockey goalie specialist Natalie Hunter Cyrus, it’s a reality.
Hunter Cyrus — who won two national championships as a player with the Terps — has balanced coaching a top team in the nation while also being a physical therapy student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
She was brought on by 37th-year head coach Missy Meharg after the departure of Noelle Frost, who accepted an assistant coaching position at Towson last February.
“The whole thing just fit at the right time,” Meharg said. “It’s been amazing having [Hunter Cyrus] back, and I know [the importance] for those guys having their own goalkeeper coach since it’s not always that way in college programs.”
Hunter Cyrus, a former All-ACC first team selection, noted how studying physical therapy has helped her grow as a coach. She is currently in her second of three rotations — an 11-week commitment at an outpatient clinic.
“Physical therapists are movement specialists, so as I’ve gone through my education, I can now look at my goalkeepers, [and] I’m seeing things differently,” Hunter Cyrus said. “I’m able to better break down skills … see where the issue [is] in the movement. I wasn’t as sharp with that prior to being a physical therapy student.”
With junior Paige Kieft and freshman Alyssa Klebasko splitting time, Maryland’s goalkeepers have a .791 save percentage this year, a 20% increase from this time last year.
“It’s been an honor also to work with two amazing goalkeepers,” Hunter Cyrus said. “They compete every day to push each other to be better, but at the same time, they’re extremely supportive of one another, which is more than I could ask for in a goalkeeping unit.”
The goalkeepers have combined for four shutouts, and each highlighted Hunter Cyrus’ importance to their development.
“It’s always nice having an alumni come back,” Kieft said. “I think she offers a great perspective, understanding our team culture and what it takes to win a national championship.”
“She’s been a big part in helping me get acclimated and learning the Maryland way,” Klebasko added. “… She’s been crucial in helping me grow as a player on the field.”
Hunter Cyrus ultimately hopes to combine her passion for physical therapy and experience in athletics into a career path upon her graduation this May.
“Having the opportunity to coach high-level, elite athletes as I’m going through school has just been the best opportunity I could ask for,” she said.