Biology major sophomore Kristen Bull dedicates her time to the Geneseo varsity field hockey and women’s club ice hockey teams, while also maintaining a minor in psychology. Bull is among a small number of Geneseo varsity athletes who also participate in a club sport, giving her an athletic advantage over competition and making her a valuable player.
Sophomore Kristen Bull is a talented asset to the Geneseo athletic community.
Bull is a dual sport athlete here at Geneseo; she plays both varsity field hockey and women’s club ice hockey. These team experiences have become key parts of her Geneseo experience.
“I love the fact that there is field hockey and ice hockey here,” Bull said.
Growing up in Lancaster, N.Y.—near Buffalo—her parents, both multisport athletes, wanted to involve her in team sports, and she has loved them ever since.
“My brother Jacob plays a lot of sports too,” Bull said. “Football, baseball and hockey.”
Bull cites her 14-and-under ice hockey coach, Tom Ruggerio, as the biggest influence on her athletic career. Bull’s favorite professional sports team is the Buffalo Sabres, and her favorite athlete is the Sabres’ centre Sam Reinhart.
“In college the game is faster, and you are playing with and against all the starters of high school teams. You need to keep practicing and working off the field in order to be able to compete,” Bull said on her transition from high school to collegiate athletics.
There are also major differences between the two sports Bull plays.
“Besides the obvious [that] hockey is played on ice, field hockey is less contact and there are many more ways to foul,” Bull said. “Many people don’t get field hockey because [the whistle blows often]. In ice hockey, a lot more contact is legal. In field hockey, you are only allowed to use one side of your stick and there are only ‘righty’ sticks, which is fun because I use a ‘lefty’ stick in hockey.”
Regardless of these differences, Bull says that she likes the contact aspect of these sports.
“I’ve always been a competitive and aggressive athlete and these sports legally allow that,” Bull said.
Outside of these sports, Bull volunteers in the athletic training room. She also participates in the Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development program. In her spare time, Bull enjoys going to the a cappella concerts on campus with her roommates.
After graduating from Geneseo, Bull hopes to use her biology major and psychology minor to attend graduate school for physical therapy.
“College in general has opened my eyes to doing things that I wouldn’t have done otherwise. I have made many friends that do different things around campus and get me to try new things,” Bull said.
Bull’s favorite athletic experience so far was when she and the field hockey team won the SUNYAC Tournament.
“Nothing beats winning,” Bull said. “But I’ve been very lucky with all my teams. Growing up the team was close knit group of girls and I’ve met many of my closest friends through sports”.
Bull has high expectations for the team this year.
“We are doing really well in comparison to where we were last year at this time in the season,” Bull said.
One thing Bull has learned at Geneseo is “how to procrastinate efficiently,” she jokes.
Despite her many on-campus activities, Bull still finds time to work at Wegmans and enjoys playing with her dog when she is at home. She is also a big country music fan.
“My favorite musicians are Sam Hunt, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line—I’ll listen to anything country,” Bull said.
In addition to her off-campus hobbies, Bull has a bucket list that includes skydiving and visiting countries outside of North America. For now, Bull is focused on applying to graduate school with hopes of becoming a physical therapist and living in a suburb outside of Rochester.