The first call Josie Hollamon made when she committed to Maryland field hockey was to her cousin, Maci Bradford.
The two Delaware natives had been teammates since they were 4 years old. A week after Hollamon committed, Bradford ensured their connection would continue and also picked the Terps.
They’re part of a family built on winning championships across multiple sports and generations. A program with eight national titles fits Hollamon and Bradford’s lineage.
College Park is the latest destination for the pair on an intertwined journey that they began as children. They participated in youth hockey camps together and played on the same high school, club and national teams.
Now, they’re already contributing to the Terps as freshmen. Hollamon has two goals in her last three games, and Bradford has two goals with four assists this season.
Hollamon jokes she was born with a stick in her hand.
Bradford and Hollamon’s mothers are sisters who played field hockey together at Delaware. They own Shore Byrds Field Hockey — the club Hollamon and Bradford played for growing up — and Hollamon’s mother is in the Blue Hens’ Hall of Fame.
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The family’s field hockey ties kept many dinner conversations confined to the sport. Familial support and coaching came from the same source, with both pushing the cousins to work as hard as possible.
“[My mom is] the reason that I’m good,” Bradford said. “She was my club coach. My aunt was my high school coach. So they’re definitely the two people and the reason that I’m here today and this successful.”
Getting hounded by coaches who happened to be their mothers was an adjustment for the cousins. But each challenge brought the mothers and daughters — and coaches and players — closer together.
“My mom coaching me, I couldn’t ask for anything else,” Hollamon said. “You’re always held accountable no matter what. I think that’s what makes me the player I am today.”
Before joining Maryland, both players had competed at advanced levels on the U-16 and U-18 national team together. Delmar High School won five state championships with Hollamon and Bradford at the helm.
Their family isn’t new to winning state championships. Their grandfather was a state champion basketball coach, while Hollamon’s dad made the state championship coaching baseball.
[No. 4 Maryland field hockey sweeps Terrapin Invitational with 3-1 win over Yale]
Anything less than that title was not okay, according to Hollamon.
“Our whole family is just a field hockey family,” Bradford said. “As many people from our family that can make it to our games, they are going to be here.”
They’ve brought their fandom and support to College Park. Hollamon and Bradford’s family host tailgates for some home games, stocked with buffalo chicken dip and cheeseburgers, which the cousins get to enjoy after games. Hollamon and Bradford’s retired grandparents are almost always in attendance, even making the trip to some away games.
The family affair is set to continue. Hollamon’s younger sister, Jordyn, is also committed to Maryland.
The freshmen are neighbors in Pyon-Chen Hall. They frequent the nearby Yahentamitsi Dining Hall, where Hollamon loves a side salad with grilled cheese and Bradford regularly goes for chicken with mashed potatoes.
On the pitch, their chemistry shines. They play opposite positions — Hollamon on defense and Bradford in attack. Still, the two always hope to create opportunities for the other to succeed.
“I can go to her with anything,” Hollamon said. “If I’m struggling or if I’m happy … Knowing that I have someone so close to me, literally right next door. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
