The laps were called looeys. They started and ended on the grass near the scoreboard outside of Comet Field.
All of Penn Manor’s athletes ran them at the start of summer practices. Each trip was about three-quarters of a mile and offered a chance to get into shape with the fall sports season fast approaching.
Brooke and Emma DeBerdine, like everyone else who wore blue and gold uniforms, used to hate those early-morning jogs. They’ve grown nostalgic about them as years have passed.
Looeys are part of their field hockey experience, which has taken them from winning PIAA championships in high school to qualifying for the United States national team that will compete at the Paris Olympics next month.
The sisters made every step part of their sibling rivalry. They didn’t run for a time or to get more fit. They ran to beat each other.
“My goal was to keep up with Brooke and not to lose,” Emma said. “I lost a lot, for sure, but it definitely made me faster.”
The good old days weren’t so long ago for the DeBerdines. Brooke graduated from Penn Manor in 2017 and Emma followed two years later.
Their family lived on George Street and could walk from their backyard to the turf field at Millersville University. That’s where their father, Mike, taught them to pump their arms when they ran. It’s where they discovered sports and something inside of themselves.
“My dad definitely helped us with getting competitive with each other,” Brooke said. “We’re still playing together and still pushing each other to this day.”
By middle school, much of their athletic energy was directed toward whacking a ball with a stick. They didn’t migrate to field hockey in the order one might expect.
USA's Jill Witmer (10) pushes the ball upfield against Chile during first half action of a Pan American Cup womens semifinal game at Spooky Nook Sports Complex in East Hempfield Twp. Thursday August 10, 2017.
Following in footsteps
The sisters developed their skills at Jill Witmer’s chicken coop. That’s where everyone played in those formative years. It was an indoor field, not quite full size, and it was believed to be the first of its kind in Lancaster County.
Witmer was Penn Manor’s original Olympian. She represented the U.S. at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. The makeshift practice facility was built on the family’s farm.
“It was really cool,” Brooke said. “When you would walk in, they would have flags for all the girls who trained there. Which college they went to. Looking back on it, it’s amazing how many hockey players came out of a place like that.”
Brooke was focused on soccer during her younger days. It was only after Emma started playing field hockey that the older sister gave it a try.
Brooke and Emma DeBerdine reflect on being selected to USA Olympic field hockey team, Penn Manor memories...
Once girls soccer was moved from the spring to fall, Brooke had to choose one. Her mother, Debra, encouraged her to go with field hockey. It was a wise decision. Penn Manor was becoming a powerhouse and so much of the DeBerdines’ success can be traced to where they happened to attend school.
Penn Manor won its first state championship in 2008, with Witmer leading the way. Brooke helped the Comets share the title in 2014 and Emma was the catalyst for the undefeated team in 2017.
Emma started out as a ballgirl, along with Briana Harsh, Lisa Schaeffer and Gabby Bitts. They scurried after balls that were knocked out of play and helped the action continue uninterrupted. Emma was given early dismissal from Eshleman Elementary and rode the team bus to away games.
“We took it very seriously,” she said. “We learned the rules of the game very well by doing that. It made us want to get on the field and play for ourselves.”
Emma admired a photo of the 2008 team that was displayed in the locker room and imagined what it might be like to excel at that level.
Brooke started her transformation from soccer to field hockey in earnest during seventh grade. Her middle school coach was Britney Clugston, a Penn Manor alum who played at Penn State.
“The people at Penn Manor helped propel it forward for me,” Brooke said. “I owe it to them for helping me fall in love with the sport. A lot of them made the dream come alive.”
Brooke chose the University of Maryland, the same school as Witmer, and Emma soon joined her older sister.
In the days after their selection to the Olympic roster, the DeBerdines were flooded with congratulatory messages from Penn Manor faces of the past. Those numbers remain stored in their phones.
“It’s fun to be able to thank them back,” Brooke said. “I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Maryland's Brooke and Emma DeBerdine, Penn Manor grads, hoist the 2019 B1G field hockey championship trophy.
Making the team
Although the DeBerdines were part of the national team for all of the recent tournaments, earning a trip to Paris wasn’t a sure thing. Twenty-eight players were whittled to 16. The sisters received the news the day before the roster was revealed to the public on June 12.
“It was definitely emotional when it came to the final cut and we were both selected,” Brooke said.
The DeBerdines were teammates for two seasons at Penn Manor and three seasons at Maryland. They have remained teammates into their 20s.
It’s unusual for siblings to wear the same uniform for so long. It’s remarkable that two of the nation’s top 16 players grew up in the same house. They’ve always viewed each other as a measuring stick. That goes back to when they were little and they pushed aside the living room furniture for impromptu wrestling matches.
“The ball will be in the middle of the field and we’ll both be chasing it,” Emma said. “One of my teammates goes, ‘Well, one of them is going down.’ We’re just very competitive. I think that has really benefited us.”
Nate DeBerdine, the big brother, usually served as peacemaker. He defused situations that became too heated. The sisters’ dynamic has softened as they’ve matured. They’ve grown closer.
“Once we got to college, grew up a little, we became friends,” Brooke said. “I think that’s when we started to uplift each other more.”
People often misidentify the DeBerdines. Announcers and even coaches have failed to get their names right. Emma once had an entire conversation at the supermarket with the other person thinking she was Brooke. Their shared success, rare talent and similar appearance have made them inseparable.
The national team will play its first game against Argentina on July 27. The DeBerdines will occupy the same field, just like they did at the chicken coop. They’re the first sisters on the U.S. field hockey roster since Julia and Katie Reinprecht in 2012 and 2016.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Brooke said. “We’re very fortunate to see both of our names on the list. I think it makes the whole experience that much more special.”
For most of their lives, they’ve tried to be the best DeBerdine sister. They’ve become two of the best players in the world.
Brooke DeBerdine, left, and sister Emma DeBerdine, Penn Manor grads, have been named to the U.S. Olympic women's field hockey team.
