FARMVILLE, Va. - Stacey de Grandhomme had been in the United States just a few weeks as a Longwood freshman when she spent the Thanksgiving break with a field hockey teammate in Massachusetts – a fitting location for her introduction to the time-worn holiday.
"It was freezing. It was a long way to go," said de Grandhomme, who grew up in a much warmer Cape Town, South Africa. "But it was a great experience. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving at all in South Africa."
Now a Longwood senior, de Grandhomme remembers watching pro football that first Thanksgiving in the States and "eating a lot of food. I still don't know much about American football," she says. Since then, she has marked the Thanksgiving holiday with teammates closer to campus in Virginia.
Nearly three years since that first Thanksgiving in this country, de Grandhomme, who had a team-high 17 goals and 38 points for the Lancers last year as the NorPac East Division Player of the Year, is winding down a stellar four year career in Farmville.
She has brought not only an offensive threat to the Lancers, but a different perspective on the sport – and the world – during her stay at Longwood.
Longwood head coach
Iain Byers can certainly understand what she has gone through, as he grew up in England and has been coaching in the United States for several years.
"She has been a great asset to the program. She took a year or two off (between high school and college) and I think that maturity has really benefitted the team," said Byers, now in his sixth year as head coach. "She has allowed the team to progress on the field from a team concept point of view. She has set new standards."
de Grandhomme played a variety of sports growing up in South Africa, including soccer, tennis, golf, track and field, cricket and swimming.
"I pretty much played all different sports and all athletic competitions," she said. "I pretty much started playing (field hockey) because I went to see my brother play at a school game. That is why I started."
She comes for an athletic family. Her father, Maurice, played field hockey for Rhodesia. Her cousin, Colin, played cricket for Zimbabwe and New Zealand, and her grandfather, Norman, played cricket and field hockey for Northern Rhodesia. Her brother now works at a golf course in England.
Her grandfather, who is still living, likes to tell stories of his playing days. "Sports in South Africa are more of a social thing" than in the States, said the Lancers' standout. "It is obviously very competitive." But hanging out with teammates is just as important as the actual competition, she noted.
de Grandhomme missed the first several games of her freshman year while waiting to be cleared by the NCAA. She made a grand entrance with a hat trick in her first game against La Salle and she went on to garner NorPac Maria Whitehead Rookie of the Year honors, as she scored 10 goals with three assists.
She started all 22 games as a sophomore and led the team with 14 goals and 30 assists. In the first seven matches this season she led the Lancers in goals (6), points (13) and shots (30).
"I think we have great potential. We are a young team. I think a lot of people are stepping up," she said of this year's team, which began the season 3-4.
Has she felt more responsibility as a senior this year? "A lot of people have stepped up and taken care of certain areas," she said. "I don't think I have had to change anything personally."
Byers learned about de Grandhomme from Andi Bernstein, a friend of his who has been a coach in South Africa.
"I think training-wise it is a lot more intense here," she said. "At home we practice two times a week. It is not a huge thing. We play club sports there. Club sports here are very different; the level of hockey (in South Africa) is very high, but you don't practice as often."
She is not the only international player with the Lancers this season. Senior goalie
Kaye Goulding is from England and sophomore forward
Kim Ruiter is from The Netherlands. Byers said he likes to have a few international players on his team, but also doesn't want to have too many because it would limit the opportunities for Americans to play at the Division I level. And Byers has had two former Lancers play internationally – in Argentina and England.
de Grandhomme is on track to graduate in December as a business administration major, with a minor in retail. She has plans to return to South Africa, but is unsure what is next; she does have interest in marketing. "I honestly don't know. I will see what comes up when I get home," she said.
At the very least she will experience one more Thanksgiving in the United States. And Longwood field hockey has taken her to California, the Carolinas and Boston, among other locations.
Byers said he would love to see de Grandhomme try out for the national team when she returns to South Africa. "She played at a high level in South Africa. She is one of the best athletes we have ever had. I have never seen anyone run through a brick wall so often," Byers said.
Editor's Note: Special consultant David Driver is a Virginia native and has covered college sports in the state for more than 20 years. He has been a staff writer for newspapers in Arlington, Springfield and Harrisonburg and has contributed to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Washington Post, Stafford County Sun and The Potomac News in Woodbridge. He was also the first sports editor for the daily Baltimore Examiner. He will continue contributing special feature content to longwoodlancers.com throughout the upcoming 2013-14 academic year as well. A former Division III baseball player at Eastern Mennonite University, David can be reached at www.davidsdriver.com.
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