USA Field Hockey

WHAT IS FUTURES ELITE?
The Futures Elite Academy Program is the top level of the Olympic Development Pipeline,  including Futures Elite and the U17, U19 and U21 Junior National Team Squads. The Futures Elite Academy Program exists to provide additional training and competition opportunities for athletes identified with the potential to someday represent the USA. Futures Elite athletes will have the opportunity to sharpen their hockey skills at an elite level with the best coaches in the country.

Futures Elite represents the best high school field hockey athletes in the country. These athletes have been identified as having the skills, talent, and potential to successfully continue through the Olympic Development Pipeline. Futures Elite includes approximately 150-200 athletes spanning the U14, U16 and U19 age groups.

HOW CAN I BE SELECTED?
Futures Elite Athletes are identified and selected based on their performance at each year’s National Futures Championship and additional athletes may be selected from the AAU Junior Olympics.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
Futures Elite athletes are offered additional training opportunities at Future Elite Academies during the next calendar year. All Futures Elite athletes must participate in the Futures Program to take advantage of these additional opportunities. Futures Elite athletes train at their appointed Level I site up until the start of the Futures Elite Academies in March, April and May.  Futures Elite Athletes are welcome to continue training at their Level I sites if desired when scheduling permits.

Additional training opportunities include:
  • Qualification for a Level I Futures training site – should your region offer it. This does not guarantee selection to the National Futures Championships.
  • Qualification for a Futures Elite Academy site – offers additional training:
  • Field Hockey skills and strategy
  • Fitness
  • Leadership Skills
  • Nutrition
  • Mental Achievement
  • Additional opportunities may be made available depending on the competition schedule for the year  

WHAT IS ODS?
Olympic Development Select (ODS) is a term that has been phased out and this group of athletes is now referred to as the U17, U19 and U21 National Squads. The Junior National Squads include approximately 60-80 athletes.Please note that all Junior National Squad athletes are also part of Futures Elite, and are eligible for all benefits available for FE.

HOW CAN I BE SELECTED?
The Junior squads are selected at Junior National Camp (JNC), which is a four-day camp held every July. Athletes are invited to attend JNC from the Senior Women's National Championship, Futures Elite Championships and the National Futures Championship.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
  • Opportunity to represent the USA in continental and world competition
  • Invitation to attend a Futures Elite Academy or Senior (depending on age) High Performance Training Center trial
  • Invitation to attend training camps at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center

WHO SELECTS THE SQUAD?
USA Field Hockey’s Technical Director will identify accredited coaches to serve as the selection team at the National Futures Championship, AAU Jr. Olympics, Futures Elite Academy and Senior Women’s National Championship as well as at the Junior National Camp. The selection team is responsible to select Futures Elite athletes as well as those invited to Junior National Camp.  The Junior National Squads are selected at Junior National Camp and are announced after camp in late July while, Futures Elite athletes are announced annually in August.

USA Field Hockey's Technical Director annually appoints a Selection Director who works with other USA FH accredited coaches to oversee the selection process throughout the Olympic Development Pipeline. This allows continuity in selection from event to event specifically from Junior National Camp through selection to the Junior National Squads and finally the selections for the Junior National Teams.

WHEN ARE JR. SQUADS SELECTED?
The Junior National Teams are selected following a training camp usually held in January at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA.  The squads attend a 3.5 day training camp where the final selections are made for their respective age groups and those selected are invited to tour internationally. Each Junior National Team is comprised of 18 athletes.

WHAT IS THE COST?
There is no cost to be named to the Futures Elite or the Junior National Squads. Futures Academy Training is included in your Futures registration fees. There are costs associated with participating in extra training sessions, tours, and international competition. The costs vary depending on the event, location, number of participants, etc. There is also an additional cost if selected to the National Futures Championship or the Futures Elite Championship Futures Elite Questions can be directed to Laura Darling at ldarling@usafieldhockey.com