United States Field Hockey Association
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US Field Hockey 's Shawn Hindy Earns Spanish Scholarship

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - U.S. Field Hockey player Shawn Hindy has done something few male U.S. athletes in his sport are able to accomplish. The 25-year old Westlake Village, Calif. native has earned a full collegiate scholarship to play field hockey.

      Hindy will attend the University of Alicante in Alicante, Spain where the U.S. National Team forward will study business and compete on the school's field hockey team.

      "First, I'm going to be studying alot of Spanish," joked Hindy prior to leaving for his cultural and athletic experience. "But I'm hoping this will be helpful to other male players who don't get the chance to play in college," says Hindy. "Hopefully, other players will see this as a chance to continue playing in college and realize there are other opportunities out there."

      Approximately 98% of the field hockey players in the United States are women, and while the NCAA sponsors collegiate championships for women, there are no intercollegiate field hockey championships for men. As a result, schools do not offer collegiate scholarships for men's field hockey and most opportunities for men at the collegiate level consists of intramurals or club-level activities.

      Located on Spain's Mediterranean, the University of Alicante generally offers three scholarships per year to international students who can benefit the school's field hockey team.

      "I just found out about the opportunity on the Internet," said Hindy who has been working towards a buisness degree at Moorpark College and the University of California-Davis. "And after e-mailing back and forth, I sent my field hockey resume and they offered me the scholarship."

      Hindy's field hockey credentials include a ranking as one of the top scorers at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg and the 2000 Americas Cup in Havana. He has appeared in 20 international games since earning a spot on the U.S. National Team in 1995. He was first selected to the U.S. Junior National Team in 1993 after learning the sport through programs in Moorpark, Calif.  Moorpark has long been a center of field hockey in Southern California, and annually hosts the Cal Cup international field hockey tournament.

      At the University of Alicante, Hindy will play under player-coach Juan Escarre, a 1996 Olympic silver medallist for Spain and generally considered one of the world's top forwards. Escarre is currently representing Spain at the Sydney Olympic Games. 

      Hindy's field hockey season in Alicante will run from October through December and resume with games from February through May. Alicante competes in its region's highest division and includes games with teams from Granada, Valencia and Madrid.

      "It's going to be pretty cool," said Hindy. "I don't know really what to expect, but I'm sure it will be exciting."