By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
On X @tortreports
A successful high school sports program isn’t built overnight, and no one knows that better than Dana Ott.
Some in the South Jersey field hockey community may remember her by her maiden name, Dana Ramsden, during her playing days at Kingsway Regional High when she was a four-year starter and two-time Gloucester County Times Player of the Year.
Ott, a 2006graduate, returned to the place where it all started in 2018 to lead the Dragons as their new head coach.
While a local powerhouse throughout her playing career and into the early 2010’s, they normally struggled to get hot when the postseason came around.
She was determined to spark the Dragons past their playoff jitters, and the culture immediately took a notably positive shift with her at the helm.
Kingsway finished last season ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 4 in the nation by MAX Field Hockey, capturing its second consecutive NJSIAA Group 4 state championship, and just its second in program history.
However, it hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows for Ott’s Dragons. In three of her first four seasons in command, they suffered setbacks to national power Eastern Regional in the playoffs. The Vikings were in the latter years of a state-record 21 consecutive state titles.
So when they hoisted that long-awaited, prestigious gold trophy after a 4-1 win over Hillsborough to win the program’s very first state championship in November of 2022, it was for more than just themselves. It was also for all the players of the past that fell just short of the ultimate goal. It was mission finally accomplished for Ott’s Dragons.
“It meant everything to every single alumni in the program that’s ever played,” Ott explained. “It was a 20-year reign of Eastern. That win meant everything to everyone. People reached out (to me) for months after that. It’s pretty incredible. We are carrying a tradition and legacy. I personally never could have imagined the feeling that we felt. You’re fighting, fighting and fighting for the first time to be at the top. When it actually happens, you think of all the faces that helped you get to that point. As a coach on the other end of it, you’re just so proud of those kids. I got the chills.”
Moral of the story?
Dana Ott knows what it’s like to lose — and she’s experienced that enough to learn what it truly takes to win.
When building a championship contending high school program year in and year out, she knows it’s a necessity to set the stage for future players for the following years to come.
Keeping that in mind, Ott and the rest of the Kingsway coaching staff hosted a youth clinic “Dare to Be” camp for three days earlier this month. Players were separated into two age groups (kindergarten through fourth grade; fifth through eighth), and received valuable instruction from the high school coaching staff along with some current players. Fundamentals, mechanics, drills, and live competitive play was showcased throughout each morning.
“Dana has always embraced the Kingsway Youth Field Hockey program,” said youth coach Annmarie Brown, whose daughter, Sophie, is ranked in the top 50 in the country for the class of 2026 by MAX Field Hockey. “She invests so much time and effort into getting to know the younger Kingsway hockey players as both people and athletes. This has helped build a strong bond between everyone in the youth and high school programs. The girls look up to the high school players. They look forward to being part of the high school team and playing for coach Ott one day!”
Sophie Brown, who also led the Dragons with 28 goals last year, vividly remembers her younger years learning from Ott by participating in those same youth clinics.
“Playing in the youth camps coached by her when I was younger always made me so excited to join the high school team in the future, she said. “I remember it being challenging, but she always finds a way to make it fun and exciting. She is so dedicated and has such a strong knowledge of the game. She has always made me look forward to each season.”
Another influential figure who witnessed Ott’s dedication to giving back to the younger generation is Kingsway’s 10th-year athletic director, June Cioffi, the very person who gave her the opportunity to coach the sport she loves. Cioffi, who previously coached field hockey at Highland Regional and Timber Creek, says that Ott’s dedication and commitment to improving the Kingsway field hockey program at every level is unmatched.
“Coach Ott is embedded in the future of the Kingsway field hockey program,” Cioffi said. “From the youngest field hockey players in kindergarten in the youth program to the middle school team and the high school dynasty she has built and beyond, Coach Ott is 100 percent in. She knows every player and is present at youth clinics, camps, summer leagues, tournaments, etc. all outside of coaching the high school team. We couldn’t ask for a more dedicated coach.”
The Dragons enter this season vying for a third straight state championship — something unprecedented for the Kingsway field hockey program.
Although Ott is never one to take credit, she truly deserves it. Not only for the success the high school team has had, but for her dedication to grooming the youth program so that they’re prepared for when it eventually comes time to play varsity field hockey.
And when asked about her Dragons’ national ranking and chance of capturing another state final this season, as expected, she gave her usual humble response:
“We don’t talk about it. We have to prove it every day. People are constantly fighting for positions on the field. It’s constantly a battle and competition. I don’t like to speak to that at all because it’s anybody’s game any day, and my kids — I know where they see themselves — but they have to get there. And that requires work.”
Contact Brian Tortella: btortreportssj@gmail.com
