Life in the First Year Lane is a series documenting the experiences of first-year students at Anna Maria College as they begin their college journeys. From living away from home for the first time to joining clubs and athletic teams and beginning their academic pursuits, the Class of 2029 is making their mark on campus!
Dean of Students Drew Melendez sat down with Fire Science major and AMCAT Field Hockey and Ice Hockey student athlete Alyse Mutti ’29 and Field Hockey Head Coach Chris Pothier to talk about their Fall 2025 semester as they both kick-off their first year at Anna Maria College.
“Coach Chris, this is your first year coaching at Anna Maria College, which is very exciting. What inspired you to choose Anna Maria College as the place to continue your coaching career?
There’s something special about coaching at the college level. In college, the players are adults, they’re on their own, and there’s a lot more depth with what you can do on the field and with the culture.
I’ve always coached Division III, and last year I took a year off. I was umpiring college field hockey. This was just the perfect timing of the job opening up, the umpiring running its course, and having the passion to return to college athletics again.
“Alyse, what made you choose Anna Maria College and its field hockey program?”
I chose Anna Maria College because of its Fire Science program. I’ve known for a long time that I want to become a firefighter, and AMC offers one of the only programs in this area. After learning more about the program, I then reached out to the ice hockey coaching staff and later connected with Coach Chris about field hockey. Both coaches were supportive and open to helping me balance playing both sports, which was something important to me. Between the opportunity to study fire science and compete in field hockey and ice hockey, coming to Anna Maria felt like the perfect fit.
“Chris, how do you help first-year students acclimate both to this new team and to the College?”
For me, supporting our first-year students is figuring out how they learn, figuring out how they can be pushed, and figuring out what they need. Everyone has different learning styles, so that’s first and foremost. Then, creating resources. As a team, we don’t do study halls at the moment, but we’ll be introducing them at some point. We’re doing film this year, and we’ll be doing training in the off-season. Every two weeks, I have a one-on-one meeting with each player, where I ask, “What do you need from me?” “What can I be doing for you?” As a coach, you get so focused on the game, winning strategies, and the training sessions. You must always remember there’s a human behind that. There is a student behind that. There is a daughter behind that.
“Alyse, how has your team helped you feel welcomed and supported as a first-year athlete?”
Being part of this team has made adjusting to college life so much easier. Since our team roster is on the smaller side, it was easy to get to know everyone right away and build strong friendships. During the pre-season, we spent nearly all our time together—between double sessions, meals, and team bonding—which really helped us form a close-knit group. The team environment is so positive and supportive, and that sense of community has made me feel right at home here at Anna Maria.
“Chris, whether they want to be on the field hockey team, a student-athlete in general, or just join the AMC community, what advice would you give a new incoming student?”
Get used to being uncomfortable. That’s the space where you grow and that’s why you come to college. That’s a big part of it—challenge your previous thought processes and who you are as a person. It is easy for people to come to college and stay in a little bubble. That might be very comfortable and safe, but you never really experience taking the next step and growing if you’re not getting to know other people. Challenge yourself to meet different people, eat different foods, try different things, and explore.
“Alyse, what advice would you give to new students attending Anna Maria?”
As Coach Chris has mentioned, the biggest advice I would give to new students is to get out of your comfort zone and try as many new things as possible. Whether it’s joining a club, talking to new people, or trying out for a team, you never know what opportunities might come from it.
“Chris, what’s one thing you wish more people knew about Anna Maria College?”
That’s a good question. The people that I’ve talked to, like Marybeth Brandt, the previous Field Hockey Coach, and Pat McGuane in Sports Information (and an alum)—they love their experiences here. Whether they were just open-minded to a smaller campus or the smaller student body, I just feel like everyone who has come here has loved it. I think Anna Maria is the best of both worlds. You may be a small-town person or someone who wants a serene campus with easy access to Worcester and Boston. It’s a close-knit campus, so you can get to know the students, your friends, or professors. People care about each other. But again, to make the most of the college experience, you must go outside of your comfort zone.
