USA Field Hockey Futures Program

Selection Overview

Athletes who enter the Futures program begin the initial stages for potential selection to our National Team.

The mission and goal of Futures is to develop hockey and identify athletes with the potential to move up the Olympic Pipeline with the ultimate goal of selecting a National Team to represent the USA in the Olympic Games.   

At each level of development Futures athletes are evaluated based upon age, years of hockey experience, and potential development.  Athletes are not selected based on only one criterion.  An athlete’s ability is based on effectiveness during play and overall athletic talent or potential development of athletic skills.

Selection levels

Futures Entry Level II:  Athletes wishing to enter the Futures Program must meet the requirements for the region in which the athlete will be participating.  The Futures Trial is based on a standardized national procedure.  All athletes, whether they attend a Futures Trial or are recommended via a Partner Camp, Open Camp, or a regional paper trial will be evaluated based upon performance and potential skill development.

Futures Entry Level I:  Athletes entering the Level I Futures Program will be required to meet a higher level of expectation.  Athletes must possess higher degrees of excellence in all areas.  Each region is responsible for selecting their athletes for the Level I program.

Regional Futures Tournament:   As part of the Futures Program, each athlete is invited to participate in a Regional Futures Tournament (one tournament in each eleven Futures regions), which is held following the ten Futures sessions.   The Regional Tournament is the venue to select athletes to attend the National Futures Championship (NFC).  To be selected from one’s region the athlete must meet the highest degree of expectation for her region in her age group and have met the attendance requirements for the program.  Athletes not meeting the requirement will not stand for National Championship selection regardless of her athletic abilities.  The Futures Program does recognize a few athletes as pre-identified (see policies).  Pre-identified athletes must meet the attendance requirements in order to participate in the National Futures Championship.

National Futures Championship:  The National Futures Championship is the final Futures event for the calendar year.  The athletes chosen to attend the National Futures Championship are selected at the Regional Tournament (see above).   Athletes participating in the National Futures Championship are standing for selection to several higher level programs.  Selection from the National Futures Championship is based on the athlete’s physical, technical, and tactical attributes as demonstrated during the Championship, and in some cases, past performance or previous level of achievement (see selection policies).

Futures Elite:  Based on the athlete’s performance during the National Futures Championship, and in some cases the Junior Olympics, athletes may be selected for the Futures Elite.  The Futures Elite is a national select group of athletes identified for further training opportunities.  All age groups qualify for selection into the Futures Elite.  You must be selected to the National Futures Championship to qualify for selection for the Futures Elite for one year.  Futures Elite athletes hold the status of Futures Elite.   Each year the Futures Elite athlete must be selected from her region to the NFC for reselection into the Futures Elite. 

Olympic Development Select Athletes (OD Select): 

This is the pinnacle selection level for Futures athletes.  The Olympic Development Select athletes comprise the top 50 Futures Elite athletes and are eligible for the most elite training opportunities available in the USA for high school athletes.  Olympic Development Select athletes are eligible for tryouts at a High Performance Training Center.  The Olympic Development Select athletes are the only high school aged athletes who may train, if selected, at an Elite Performance Training Center. 

The OD Select athletes hold the status of OD Select for one year and, if still they still age qualify for the National Futures Championship, the athletes will be talent identified for automatic re-appointment onto their regional team.  Athletes will be placed on their regional team only if they are current in Futures, have met the Futures attendance policy, and attend their Futures Regional Tournament.    *See policies

Athletes who continue through the Olympic Development pipeline enter into High Performance programming at the conclusion of high school.  Pipeline programs for the college aged and older athletes include USA Field Hockey’s High Performance Centers and National Team programs.

Updated: Sept 2007