United States Field Hockey Association
A member of the United States Olympic Committee

Tess Ellis Named U.S. Women's U21/Assistant
National Coach

Former Australian international and College of William & Mary assistant coach Tess Ellis has been named head Under-21 coach/assistant women’s national coach by the U.S. Field Hockey Association. In addition to assisting head coach Tracey Belbin with the U.S. women's program, Ellis will serve as head coach of the U.S. Women’s Under-21 Team in its preparations for the FIH Junior World Cup, May 14-26, In Buenos Aires.

“U.S. Field Hockey is very pleased to have Tess Ellis join our national coaching staff on a full-time basis,” said USFHA Executive Director Jane Betts. “Her experience at both the international and U.S. collegiate levels makes her an outstanding choice to lead our Under-21 team while assisting Tracey Belbin with the women's elite team program."

A member of past U.S. Field Hockey coaching staffs, Ellis, 36, will fill the position vacated by former assistant national coach Tracey Griesbaum. Griesbaum resigned in August to assume the head coaching position at the University of Iowa. 

"I'm very excited," said Ellis, who will leave the William & Mary program after eight years as an assistant coach. "To me, this is an opportunity to help raise U.S. Field Hockey to the next level and I'm just very excited to be part of that development."

No stranger to U.S. Field Hockey, Ellis most recently served as an assistant coach to the U.S. National Team at the 1999 Sydney International Hockey Challenge in her native Australia and at the 2000 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Milton Keynes England. She has also served as an instructor at U.S. Field Hockey's selection camps and Futures Program, head coach at the U.S. Sports Festival (1994) and head coach for the United Airlines Field Hockey League's Tidewater Tempest (1999).

In her duties with the Under-21 team, Ellis will direct the team at the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) Junior World Cup in Buenos Aires in May.  The team, to be selected at A-Camp the last week in December, is scheduled to prepare for the Junior World Cup with a tour of Germany and The Netherlands in March, and with a series of games against Great Britain on the U.S. East Coast in early May.

In addition to her responsibilities with the Under-21 team and National Team, Ellis will assist in the development of the curriculum for U.S. Field Hockey’s Super Camp and Futures Program and serve as head coach at the USFHA’s B-Camp and first-level A-Camp. She will also work with athletes in the elite-level United Airlines Field Hockey League in the summer months.

As an athlete, Ellis played as a member of the Australian National Indoor team and Australia's Under-21 National squad. In addition to training with the tradition-rich Australia squads, the Leeton, New South Wales native served as a player/coach of teams in New South Wales as well as head coach of Pymble Ladies College in Sydney and the American School in London.

An assistant coach under Peel Hawthorne at William & Mary  since 1993, Ellis helped lead the Tribe to a 12-8 record in 2000 and a berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament. 

The United States Field Hockey Association is the national governing body for women’s and men’s field hockey in the United States and is responsible for the training and preparation of teams to participate in international competitions such as the Olympic Games and Pan American Games as well as for the promotion and development of the sport throughout the United States.

www.usfieldhockey.com