App State senior field hockey player Charlotte Bosma has been dominating on the field since she came to the United States from Wassenaar, Netherlands, for college to continue her athletic and academic careers.
“Once I graduated high school I wanted to do something else so I decided to go to college in the U.S.,” Bosma said.
She wished to combine her studies and athletics, and coming to the U.S. for college allowed her to do this. Bosma had to adjust to U.S. culture.
“When I arrived in 2021 it was quite an adjustment. Everything was bigger,” Bosma said.
The idea of sport is an important one in U.S. culture, unlike other parts of the world as some areas do not have a certain collegiate sport. The Netherlands does not have collegiate field hockey, Bosma said.
“The volume of sport is much bigger here in the U.S.,” Bosma said.
The style of play for many sports is different depending on where you are playing Bosma said. This is true with most sports, and field hockey is no exception.
“I think I brought a different style to the team,” Bosma said. “Something more European, a bit more skillful and technical.”
The U.S. style of play is focused on speed and athleticism, unlike the European style which is focused on being skillful and more technical according to Bosma.
Despite focusing on technical skills, Bosma did not lack speed and athleticism when she began her collegiate career.
Junior forward Hadley Kuzmicky said she’s amazed by Bosma’s blazing speed.
“Charlotte is so fast, like one of the fastest people I’ve ever seen,” Kuzmicky said.
Head coach Emily Dinsmore agreed and said, “Why I think Charlotte does so well with our team is because we want to play fast and we want to play forward.”
When Dinsmore was an assistant coach recruiting Bosma in 2020, she saw Bosma’s speed on the highlight tapes and knew she would be a good fit for the scheme of App State.
“Even if you know what she is going to do you still have to keep up with her,” Dinsmore said.
Dinsmore has experienced this firsthand, as she would often jump in and play defense against Bosma when she was an assistant coach and could not keep up.
The combination of the U.S. and European styles make App State field hockey.
“It is so fun having teammates from all around the world,” Kuzmicky said. “You get to combine the different playing styles and cultures and learn a lot from each other.”
Dinsmore agrees and said the different play styles can make the team better and more dynamic.
Bosma focuses on being a leader for her teammates in any way possible.
“I don’t always have to be vocal. Leading by example is a huge thing,” Bosma said.
When Bosma arrived, there were already vocal leaders on the team. She focused more on doing what she was supposed to and leading through her actions.
“She leads by example,” Dinsmore said. “When I think of her I think of leadership. She is so positive and encouraging to her teammates.”
Her teammates reinforced this.
“Charlotte has always been a great example,” Kuzmicky said.
However, as she nears the end of her career, Bosma has become more vocal. This comes from having younger players looking to her for guidance. Bosma has stepped up.
In just her sophomore year, Bosma tallied three game-winning goals. Just like many great athletes, Bosma finds that second gear when the game is on the line.
“For me, personally, if the game is super exciting I find that extra bit of motivation to get the goal,” Bosma said.
The Mountaineers appeared in the MAC championship game for the first time in program history in 2022, which has always been a goal for the team.
“We had been working towards the MAC all year long and before every game and every practice bring up the MAC as the end goal,” Kuzmicky said.
Bosma loves the competition in the final stretch of the season.
“It was awesome being a part of that. I hadn’t really experienced that level before,” Bosma said.
App State ultimately fell in the championship game but after a taste of that competition, they are trying to get back.
“Any time you have the opportunity to be a part of post-season play it is a gift and a blessing and something that we are looking to do again this year,” Dinsmore said.
There is no doubt reaching the MAC Championship is a massive feat for the whole team, but Bosma was a key contributor. Bosma scored the team’s only goal to push past the Kent State Golden Flashes in the semifinals of the MAC tournament.
The Mountaineers have a strong team mindset. This was seen after a strong junior campaign, when Bosma was named to the All-MAC second team after making 15 starts in 17 games. She also recorded seven goals and five assists. However, she focused more on the team’s success rather than her own.
“I didn’t really expect it because at the end of the day, it is a team sport and I think of it as a big team win,” Bosma said. “I could never do it without the team. I would always put the team as number one.”
Another key Bosma focused on was spreading out the scoring which is noticed when looking at the stats as the goals are distributed to each player.
Bosma is at the end of her senior season where she has been named as the MAC player of the week twice. The Mountaineers are steadfastly looking ahead to their final goal of the MAC championship.
There is no doubt Bosma has left her mark in App State field hockey history. However, she does not plan on slowing down during her final season in the High Country.
