Sandy Wickman Mason, Connecticut – 2021
Sandy is the vice president of operations at the Physical Therapy and Sport Medicine Centers. She earned her undergraduate degree in physical education from the University of Maine, Orono and M.S. in organizational behavior from the University of Hartford.
Her field hockey officiating career began in high school. Sandy played for Ganby Memorial and officiated lower level games on the weekends. After an injury ended her collegiate playing career, Sandy began officiating in Maine. She was trained by phenomenal women who positively influenced her role as an official.
When Sandy moved back to Connecticut, she began officiating field hockey at the local level and then advanced to the sectional level. She achieved her national rating around 1990. She continued officiating until 1994. During this time, she attended USA Field Hockey camps to stay current and to hone her skills. She served as the secretary and resident of CFHOAB for many years. Although she loved the camaraderie and friendships as an official, she stopped to raise her children.
Sandy’s return to field hockey came after her third child. Her former high school coach at Granby Memorial was retiring after 30 years. Due to a strange turn of events, Sandy was offered the head coaching position without any coaching experience. Seventeen years later, Sandy is still coaching at Granby, a wonderfully successful program.
Sandy believes the best part of coaching at Granby is that she coaches with her sister, Jody Bascetta. Together they are a winning combination tallying 10 conference championships and 7 state championships! In addition to winning, Sandy and Jody stay true to their coaching philosophy and goals producing great field hockey players and awesome young women who know what it takes to succeed in anything they desire. With such coaching success it is no surprise that Sandy has been named Connecticut Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Connecticut Field Hockey HOF in 2018.
Granby teams are successful on the field hockey field and in their annual fundraising campaigns for Play for a Cure and Friends of the Granby Public Library. While at the helm of Granby Memorial, Sandy has also coached USA field hockey and served as coach and coordinator of the Nutmeg games, summer camps and junior select games.