Number 119
Image source: USA Field Hockey
USA Field Hockey Ignites Boys' Game
with Nationwide Grant
Featured Focus:
Access / Inclusion / Equality, Youth Development,
Funding & Legacy
Scope of Impact: National
USA Field Hockey, in partnership with the U.S. Men’s Field Hockey Foundation and the Grewal Family Foundation, is making a strategic play to expand boys' participation, launching a new grant program. This initiative, honoring field hockey pioneer Tom Harris, aims to cultivate a robust male pipeline for the sport's future. Here’s what you should know:
Targeted Investment: The 2025 Tom Harris Boys Play Field Hockey Grant offers up to $4,000 per grantee, totaling $20,000, alongside essential equipment, digital platforms, and comprehensive educational resources for coaches and umpires.
Sustainable Growth: The program's core objective is to establish "Boys Field Hockey Hot Spots" nationwide, fostering community-driven programs that increase accessibility, build leadership, and promote collaboration among stakeholders.
National Impact: This initiative seeks to create five to ten replicable programs, engaging at least 100 new players, six coaches, and four umpires per location, with a focus on diverse and underserved communities across the United States.
Similar to our recent DL 115 about Flag Football, this initiative directly confronts a critical pain point within U.S. field hockey by making the sports more accessible and attractive to boys nationwide.
By establishing "Hot Spots" and providing not just funding but also equipment, technology, and mentorship, USA Field Hockey builds self-sustaining ecosystems. This holistic approach cultivates local leadership, ensuring long-term program viability. We particularly love the emphasis on developing coaches and umpires to ensure that the entire ecosystem is supported and developed.
Partnering with organizations like the Grewal Family Foundation, whose mission is to expand access to sports and education for underserved youth, and leveraging models like the California Elementary School Youth Field Hockey League demonstrates a collaborative vision that can be duplicated beyond this program.
While the program mentions networking with national and regional leaders, we wished there was more of a storytelling component to this initiative to showcase players that boys starting field hockey can identify with.
A partnership with a leading brand in field hockey, like Adidas, Grays, Gryphon, and STX, could also be a WIN | WIN for the sport itself and for these brands. Brands could expand their customer base with special deals for young players deciding to enroll in field hockey. If the issue is the appeal to boys, then we need to make field hockey more fun, more attractive, and more popular to change their perception of it all.
We are curious to hear your thoughts about this one. How would you go about making a sport that is not as in the spotlight as the big four more popular for youth nationwide?
