Field Hockey Today

USA Field Hockey Women's National Championship tournament

2007-06-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

Over the next week the US Field Hockey spring schedule will culminate with the Womens' National Championship. The tournament is held in a format that is very similar to international tournaments, and is currently limited to 6 teams.

This is a major tournament for all the players involved, and there is more at stake than just bragging rights. With the top high school and college players competing from around the country, the best field hockey talent around is competing for selection to the 2007-8 National Team.

There are only so many chances to impress the coaches who will make the selections, and every play counts. Look for players and teams to be peaking, and for some extremely high level hockey to be played.

The announcement of player selection for the national team is expected at the conclusion of the tournament on Sunday.

Best of luck to all players and teams! FHT

Almost ready for Field Hockey Camp!

2007-06-14T16:53:00.000-04:00

Well it is summertime, and that means we are coming into the field hockey camp season!

Next week we will have 50 girls, age 8-12, at our 3 day field hockey camp. It is an exciting time, as there has been a tremendous amount of effort has been put into preparing for this camp. The last details are being covered on the curriculum, and of course we have to finalize the required indoor contingency plan.

In our camp, we are setup to begin the camp with a measured skills assessment, and we intend to finish the camp with another test. It is just one way to measure our girls, but it will provide us as coaches some feedback.

Is this a good method….maybe. However, that raises the question, what makes a field hockey camp good? It is neither an easy question, nor a simple one; but, we will take a look at this over the next few days.

By the way, we would like to hear from folks, so what are some of the best field hockey camp experiences you have? FHT.

So you want to be an Olympic field hockey player?

2007-06-12T17:51:00.001-04:00

Are you a competitive field hockey player playing in your local club or school? Are you doing well, and wondering where you will find the next level of competition? Are you beginning to look at what colleges have the best field hockey programs? If you answer yes to these questions, then you should be looking to participate in the USA Field Hockey Futures program.

In 1990 the Futures program began. This program was designed to improve play across the US by providing an environment that brings the best players in the country together. Through this program, the opportunity is there for athletes to be identified and evaluated for their potential to become future Olympic field hockey players. Currently, the Futures program consists of 3 age groups; under 14, under 16, and under 19. The program runs from January to June with the season culminating with the National Futures Championship.

The US Futures program is an invitational program, and there are a limited number of spots available. In order to qualify, there is a process that everyone must go through in order to be selected:

1. Regional Trials: In regions conducting trials, a 4 hour physical trial is held. A series of drills, scrimmages, and games are held. The athletes are scored, and compared to the regional standards. Invitations may be extended for some of the players to participate in the Futures program.

2. Regional Paper Trials: For regions that do not have "official" trials, paper trials are conducted. For these trials, high school coaches or approved testing centers put athletes through a series of tests and record the results. The results are submitted to the Regional Coaching Director for evaluation. Futures invitations are extended to those athletes selected, based upon the scores for their region.

3. USA Field Hockey Partner Camps: Athletes can also qualify for the Futures program through certain field hockey camps. Only camps partnered with USA Field Hockey may submit recommendations to the Futures program.

4. Coach Recommendation: In certain regions, high schools coaches are provided information about the Futures programs. The coaches have the opportunity to recommend athletes into the program; however, each year the number of allocations are determined, and are strictly enforced.

With multiple avenues available to get into the Futures program, there is an opportunity to tryout for everyone. However, only the best are selected so look critically at your skills. Ask you coach what you need to work on, and put in the time and the effort needed to improve.

There are many people who have a significant amount of talent, but are unwilling to work to get to the next level. Are you willing?

See you on the field!

Continuing growth: A Field Hockey club challenge

2007-06-09T09:26:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we wrapped up our spring club season. For our club, this was the 1st spring season and we had almost 200 girls participating. While not a huge club, it is only our second season in existence, and we are quite pleased with our growth so far.

Currently, we are working with girls below the high school level, and are working to get field hockey into the local high schools. It is hard to believe that there is hockey in high schools in a neighboring county as well as private schools within the county, but the sport has been neglected by the public high schools to date. The good news is that a demand for field hockey is being created, and it is only a matter of time!

So, now that things are moving well and demand is on the rise; the question is raised, what are the obstacles that need to be overcome to continue growing?

Girls can join our field hockey club when they are 8 years old. There has been good responses for this age group and above; however, there are a number of children that are younger with the desire to play, and we have not identified a program that fits. This demand has created a number of internal discussions surrounding how to create opportunities for the younger girls to be able to play, or even if it is needed.

There are a number of obvious shortfalls for girls younger than 8, including; the ability to handle a stick, the technical nature of the game, and of course the ever shorter attention span of kids in general, the cost of equipment, and even burnout.

All that being said, with the global popularity of field hockey there is little doubt that there are programs available that are focused on these younger children. To date I have not been able to identify anything of substance.

Therefore, the question is posted to the field hockey community; are there programs for younger children available, have they been successful, and where can information be obtained?

Until next time, see you on the field!

Why a Field Hockey Blog?

2007-06-03T19:35:00.001-04:00

Welcome! I am launching this blog in an attempt to bring the field hockey community together to discuss hockey news, equipment, camps, issues, ideas, current events, and anything else that affect the game!

Field hockey is an international sport played in almost every country, yet growing the sport in this US remains a challenge. There are so many different aspects to field hockey, and yet there are not a lot of resources that are readily available for use. True, there are resources located in each region, but not readily accessible to the community at large. It will be fun to coordinate with the field hockey community to address these types of issues.

Let me give a little background about myself. I do not claim to be a field hockey expert, although I am an enthusiast! I am involved in field hockey through a number of channels, including recreational playing, umpiring, coaching, and league development. Recently, I was involved in the launching of a new league, and that passion has elevated my awareness of a general lack of community.

I am looking forward to good dialog, discussions, and ways to promote and grow the sport. More importantly, I am looking to create a place where the best ideas can be brought forth, discussed, and implemented across the field hockey community. With so much history and knowledge available, it seems silly to try and reinvent the wheel.

I believe that anyone who wants the game of field hockey to grow would be a valuable participant, and I look forward to hearing from you!