Hello Parents and Players!

New Canaan Youth Field Hockey would like to [TW1] encourage our athletes to keep a stick in their hands once the fall season ends with winter indoor hockey, spring outdoor hockey or both!  We are lucky to have many Clubs in our area, and most offer a variety of teams depending on the athlete's skill and commitment level.  Most offer travel teams (some attend local tournaments and some attend national tournaments) as well as non-travel team clinics (which focus on skills, with no tournaments).  All Clubs want to help players develop their skills and grow their love of the game and will help your athlete progress.  

TYPES OF OFF-SEASON PLAY:

·       Winter indoor field hockey (December - February is played indoors on the wooden gym floor with 5 players plus a goalie.  The indoor practices on gym floors are fast paced and help improve athletes’ stick skills due to the swift nature of the surface.  Please note that there are some differences in equipment.  For the winter season you will need an indoor field hockey stick, indoor field hockey glove, mouth guard, shin guards and flat soled sneakers. Here is a Women’s Indoor Hockey World Cup Video so you can see the indoor game.  

·       Spring outdoor field hockey (April – July) is a great time for athletes to improve their 11 vs 11 outdoor game on turf.  Spring is actually the “in season” when USA Field Hockey hosts the Regional Club Championships and the National Club Championships for the Club teams to play against each other and secure USA Field Hockey National Club Rankings.  PA has the hotbed for Field Hockey, but CT Clubs are starting to break into the top 10.  We need more CT girls playing from a younger age!  

Some players just do winter or spring, and some do it all in addition to youth field hockey in the fall.

We suggest that you research each Club program, talk to other parents, your coaches, and determine the best-fit program for your athlete. 

Please see the list below of some local clubs offering indoor and outdoor programs this Winter and Spring: 

LOCAL CLUBS: 

·       AGH Field Hockey Club

·       CT Elite Field Hockey Club

·       FC United Field Hockey Club

·       Field Hockey Club of Connecticut (FHCC)

·       USA Field Hockey - FIND A CLUB

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Winter indoor Club tryouts for travel teams start the first week of November – so we encourage you to sign up on their websites soon!

There are several board members with athletes at the different clubs that are happy to talk with you about the process for selecting a Club and some of the considerations, but we also encourage you to reach out to the Club leaders directly to help understand their expectations for the season to see what will be best for you and your athlete. 

We hope many girls continue to explore the fun of indoor and off-season hockey for the 2022/2023 season!

New Canaan Youth Field Hockey Board

CLUB Tryout Dates (as of 10/22/2022)

**Club field hockey determines age group by birth year. U10s would be born in 2013 or after, U12s born in 2011 or after, U14s born in 2009 or after, U16s 2007 or after**

AGH

U10 Teams – no tryout required, just register

U12/U14 Teams – 11/7, 11/9

U16 Teams – 11/20, 11/21

CT Elite

U10 Teams – no tryout required, just register

U12/U14/U16 Teams – 11/6, 11/13

Make up Tryout date – 11/20

FC United

U12/U14/U16 Teams – 11/13, 11/20

Field Hockey Club of CT (FHCC)

U12/U14 Teams – 11/5, 11/12

U16 Teams – 11/6, 11/13