It Takes a Village to Raise a Champion

UXBRIDGE – Lisa Kaeller was in her kitchen when she heard a few continuous loud thuds from outside. It was the start of the pandemic and her teenage daughter, Chloe Kaeller, was busy in the backyard by herself practicing her field hockey shot.

“It was Covid so she had to find something to do,” she said.

Chloe was a member of the Uxbridge High School varsity field hockey team. She has played the sport since she was about ten-years-old, but since Covid cancelled all sports activities at that time, she wanted to keep her skills up. However, her decision to practice her shot against the house proved to be problematic.

“There’s these holes,” Chloe said with an embarrassing smile.

“Oh yeah,” Lisa said. “We have big holes in the siding in the back of the house. Dad wasn’t very happy … So yeah, we kind of had to make the net.”

That’s exactly what Chloe did. She built a field hockey goal out of plywood and PVC pipes so she could practice her shooting without putting anymore dimples in the house siding.

Chloe performing the reverse chip shot. Photo by Kevin Paul Saleeba

Fast forward to the 2021 fall high school field hockey season and all Chloe’s hard work paid off because the Uxbridge senior captain became Central Mass’ top scorer. She also rewrote the Uxbridge High School record books. Chloe tallied 32 goals and 15 assists to lead all of Central Mass with 47 points. In the process, she broke the previous school record of 29 goals. She also scored 65 career goals, breaking the previous record of 64. Her 15 assists broke the prior record of 14 and she smashed the prior record of 43 points.

She proved to have one of the most lethal shots in all of Massachusetts high school field hockey. She is most proud of learning a shot called the reverse chip. The reverse chip shot is used when an offensive player is forced to the sideline by a defender. The goal of the defender is to push the offensive player to their weak side. This makes it more challenging for the offensive player to score. Chloe wanted to make her game more well-rounded by improving her weakside.

She practiced the shot diligently by shooting into her make-shift PVC net. She would practice taking quick backswings and hitting the ball with the edge of her stick

Chloe doing warmup drills. Photo by Kevin Paul Saleeba

until she mastered it. “I started from just hitting it on my knees and I just kept practicing until I got it,” said Chloe. “I think when I could time it on my left side, it’s faster to do a reverse shot instead of pulling the ball over to my strongside if they’re coming up on me.” By doing so, she became an unstoppable scorer.

Lisa got emotional when she remembered the first time Chloe scored her first goal on a reverse chip shot in a game against Auburn. “When she achieved that shot in a game and scored a goal, her teammates were excited for her,” Lisa said as she got choked up and couldn’t speak anymore.

Chloe looked at her mom and smiled. “I don’t know. I’ve just practiced it a lot.”

Regardless of her skillset, Chloe credits her teammates most for her record-breaking season. “It feels good, but I couldn’t have broken all those records without my team,” she said. “My team sets up plays for me to score … I think we just did it all to win together. We broke the records as a team.”

Winning the Division 4 state field hockey championship was also a gratifying way to end her high school playing career. “Winning the state finals game, that was the best game of my life,” she said.

Since this was Uxbridge’s first state field hockey championship, Chloe said it was important for her as one of the captains to start a winning tradition at her school. “I tried to lead a lot by example,” she said. “Like even with the simple things just like getting equipment for practice and showing the freshman that it’s not a big deal. An upperclassman can do it, too.”

Chloe set a positive example for her teammates like freshman Julianna Casucci. Photo by Kevin Paul Saleeba

Chloe and her fellow senior captains, Grace Boisvert and Gracie Nummela, made a conscious effort to make sure everyone on the team was an equal member. “We talked to the girls a lot and we’re really close with them. We know it paid off because they’re always so into every game and being close has helped us win every game.”

Chloe said all three captains play an important part in maintaining well-balanced play on the field. “I think that they’re really good leaders, as well,” she said. “I couldn’t do it without them. They’re really vocal, and I think they’re really good at what they do. We always say each one of us leads our area on the field. I lead the forward line. Gracie leads the midfield and Grace leads on defense. So, we all lead our certain parts of the field … but we all help each other out … We’re so close. I’m really going to miss this team.”

Chloe got her start in the sport at the age of 10 and knew immediately she had some talent and quickly grew to love the sport. “I honestly didn’t know what it was all about until I was a little bit older,” she said. “But I did it with all my friends and then I just instantly liked it. I guess I picked it up easily. I liked being on a team and all working together. That’s what I like about it the most.”

There is more to Chloe than just being the best field hockey player in Central Mass or playing on the best team in the state. She was recently inducted into the National Honor Society, she is the Student Council Class Historian, and she has an interest in criminal justice. She has also made a verbal commitment to playing field hockey for Assumption College in 2022.

With all she has accomplished on and off the playing field, Chloe said the constant support from her family has been the most important factor in her success. Her older brother Scott Kaeller, who served as captain for the Uxbridge football, basketball, and track teams in 2018, has taken an active role in helping her train in the offseason. Even though he lives in New York and attends Pace University, he still keeps in constant contact with his sister, sending her conditioning workouts and advice any chance he gets. “I think we have a close relationship,” Chloe said. “He’s like a big role model in my life and he has helped me do a lot of things. I always go to him if I need help with stuff.”

Scott said he is proud of his little sister and all the great things she has accomplished this season. “It has been amazing to watch how much she has progressed in the sport,” he said. “My favorite part was watching her in the offseason. Her drive to improve in every aspect of the game is what makes her the player she is. She spent a summer building a goal out of plywood and PVC pipes so she’d have more time to practice her shots. She’d spend winters doing stick work in the garage and another summer harassing me every single day to send her workouts to improve her strength and conditioning. To see all of her dedication to field hockey, on and off the field, pay off in the biggest way possible, there’s nothing better than that and I’m so happy for her and her team.”

Chloe added, “I think it’s nice that he noticed how much work I put into it and I literally bugged him today to send me a workout. So, I’m still doing the same thing.”

Chloe’s parents said they never had to motivate Chloe to work hard to get better. All they had to do was drive her to practice and games and to just be there to cheer her on.

“Chloe always liked to experience new sports, soccer, softball, skiing, basketball, but loved field hockey,” said Paul Kaeller, her proud dad. “She worked harder and practiced longer for field hockey to develop a unique talent that was recognized early. Watching her start varsity as a freshman, playing on club teams, winning tournaments, breaking school records, winning a state championship, and committing to play at Assumption College makes a dad so proud … She truly loves playing and competing. I’m so happy for her!”

“She did it on her own,” Lisa said. “You know, we go when we support her, but I don’t make her go out in the backyard and do drills. I don’t make her run around the block and keep up her conditioning. This is what she wants to do. We will buy her a stick and we will buy her new shoes every year and the things that she needs. I drive her back and forth but it’s truly all her. You know she’s done it all and I’m so proud of her.”

Chloe said it’s the support from her family, teammates, and coaches that drives her to continue to become the best person she can be. “I think I’ve learned a lot from all my coaches. They really know the sport well and they really helped me improve … I’m going to miss all my teammates. We are so close and we’ve come a long way together … I’m just proud of the support I get from my family. To know that they are all there for me is such a good feeling.”