Great athletes don’t rest on past performances.

They strive to get better.

Anyone passing by Lehighton’s Stadium this past summer found that out to be true.

Karissa Hough, who was named the area’s top field hockey player a year ago, wanted to improve. So, instead of taking it easy over the break, she forced herself to work out at the field — many times by herself.

Needless to say, the time was well spent.

The Indian senior, who will be heading to Hofstra University in the fall, collected 17 goals (up from eight last season) and added four assists in helping her team post an 11-9 record and reach the district semifinals.

Hough’s performance, once again, has resulted in her being named the Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Field Hockey Player of the Year.

“This year over the summer, before the season, I did a lot on my own,” said Hough. “I would go to the stadium several times a week to do running and just practice on my own. No one pushed me to do that. I just did that to get better, and that definitely helped a lot.

“One of the biggest things that helped me was training with Echo Bretz, who was a former player here at Lehighton that went on to Division 1 (Albany). She taught me a lot from what she learned, and I found that extremely helpful. That definitely helped me improve because I learned skills that I was never taught before ... It was hard getting those skills down at first, but after practicing them on my own I was able to incorporate them into high school play.”

One person not surprised by Hough’s summer appearances was her head coach.

In fact, it probably would have been more of a shock if she wasn’t there training.

“She’s doing things year round,” said Lehighton mentor Vanessa Rimbey. “She seeks private lessons; she plays club hockey; she’ll work one-on-one with coaches. I coach track in the spring, and she’ll come earlier or stay later to work on (field hockey).

“She’s constantly trying to get better ... She’s always pushing herself. She’s very fast, and her endurance has gotten much better. We do a lot of 200s and she’s constantly practicing those. She knows what it takes to get to the next level. Not only does she do stuff on the field, but she’s also in the weight room getting stronger. So she’s not only working on her hockey skills. You can definitely tell the difference between last year to this year.”

A year ago, after winning the award, Hough stated she also wanted to improve in another role — as a leader.

Never one to be overly vocal, the senior found other ways to guide the team and its younger players.

“I feel like I led by example,” said Hough. “I tried to have a great attitude in showing girls how to get better ... and I was always willing to help others if they were struggling. I tried to help correct them if they were doing something wrong.”

“Karissa is quiet for the most part, but is very well-spoken,” said Rimbey. “We tell her she really knows the game and she can help the other girls by teaching them. She did that, and it helped her in being a leader and communicating with others. We wanted her to talk through the mechanics of the game and that helped her and them. She has so much knowledge ... She’s very mature for her age.”

One other thing she has is a signature maneuver.

Playing the center mid position and controlling play often, Hough would many times advance the ball in a specific way.

“During games, whenever I would pass the ball, I often did aerial passes,” said Hough. “Whenever I was going to do one, I would hear my teammates on the sidelines screaming, ‘Give them the Hough’. Just hearing that was a great feeling because they were cheering me on. That was our catch phrase the past two years. I’d always hear it. I’d be dribbling down the sideline and you’d hear them saying, ‘Give them the Hough.’”

“She’s very well-rounded,” said Rimbey. “Her stick control ability is one of her best qualities. Her ability to go 1v1 or even 2v1 is exceptional. Her field vision is also great. She’s very composed, even in stressful situations.

“You know you’re on a different level when you’ve been given your own catch phrase.”

While the next level will offer new challenges, odds are Hough will conquer them.

After all, another summer will give her another chance to get even better.

“I feel like there’s always something new to learn and get better at,” said Hough. “I think my confidence definitely improved (this season) ... Field hockey is a way for me to have fun. If I’m stressed out about something, it’s kind of like a stress reliever for me. I kind of forget about everything else going on. This means a lot because I put so much time into the sport over the years with club teams, high school, and just traveling all over the East coast. I’ve pushed myself constantly to get better, so it feels really good that I was able to get this award.”