US Field Hockey News

O’Haire, Holmes-Winn, McHale Earn USA Field Hockey Coach of the Year Honors

Coaches contributing specialized skills, promoting player development and providing unlimited "Spirit" have earned honors as USA field hockey’s 2003 Coaches of the Year.

USA Field Hockey presented USA men’s goalkeeper coach Jon O’Haire with the National Coach of the Year award, U16 women’s coach Kristen Holmes-Winn with the Developmental Coach of the Year honor and Spirit USA club coach and Futures Program coaching administrator Nancy McHale with the Volunteer Coach of the Year award.

The three coaches represented USA Field Hockey in the running for the 2003 United States Olympic Committee Coach of the Year in their respective categories.

Jon O’Haire
National Coach of the Year

By definition, a mask hides the identity of its wearer. It provides protection and anonymity: two qualities familiar to field hockey goalkeepers.

The 2003 USA Field Hockey National Coach of the Year is the man behind the mask.

Jon O’Haire toiled in the goal for the USA National Team from 1982-95 and is now the man behind the success of today’s young USA goalkeepers.

Providing a specialized service to the team, O’Haire served on the USA Pan American Games coaching staff in 2003 where his goalkeepers recorded two shutouts en route to a 3-1-1 record and a fifth place Pan Am finish. In addition, the team captured the Super Division title at the 2003 Cal Cup and earned a second place finish at the Pan American Cup Qualifying Tournament.

"A very deserving honor," said USA men’s coach Shiv Jagday on the announcement of O’Haire’s award. " Jon and I have worked together in two Pan Am Games—1999 & 2003— and his expertise in the department of goalkeeping is always a BIG asset to the team. He is a great communicator and speaks from his heart while coaching and does not let this stop him from speaking his mind."

As a teacher and instructor, O’Haire has contributed to the skill development and maturity of the young USA goalkeepers while providing similar results working with the goalkeepers at 2002 NCAA national runner-up Penn State Univ. At Penn State, he contributed to the development of three-time All-MidEast goalkeeper Annie Zinkavich while helping the Nittany Lions to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2003.

In addition, O’Haire unselfishly supports USA Field Hockey’s developmental programs by contributing curriculum and serving as a coach in the Association’s Futures Program.

He is a 1986 graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook and received his Master’s degree from American Univ. in 1990.

An in-demand clinician and standard fixture at USA Field Hockey events, O’Haire is anything but an anonymous figure behind the mask. He continues to lead the way in helping the USA team achieve its goals while instructing the USA keepers to protect and defend theirs.

Kristen Holmes-Winn
Development Coach of the Year

As an athlete, Kristen Holmes-Winn experienced the joy of earning selection to a USA junior team, the pride in earning collegiate honors and the thrill of representing her country as a member of the USA National Team.

As head coach of USA Field Hockey’s Under-16 team and the association’s selection as 2003 Developmental Coach of the Year, Holmes-Winn is helping a new wave of athletes reach those same goals.

In 2003, Holmes-Winn led the USA Under-16 women to a third place finish at the International Easter tournament in Valkenswaard, Netherlands with a performance that impressed their hockey-sophisticated Dutch hosts. Serving as an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-23 team, she added another honor when she helped lead the team to a second place finish at the annual John F. Kennedy Memorial Tournament. Additionally, she serves as the head selector for the National Futures Tournament as well as a coach and selector at A Camp (the association’s junior national team selection camp) in advancing athletes through USA Field Hockey’s Olympic Development Pipeline.

At an additional developmental level, the former USA National Team player (1994-98, 2000) served as a player-coach in USA Field Hockey’s elite-level Summer League, where she guided the Metro Rush team to a third place finish. As coach of the Rush, Holmes-Winn selected and trained athletes for the Rush team in the league which serves to develop athletes and create a consistent, high level of performance in USA athletes.

As first year coach at Princeton Univ. in 2003, Holmes-Winn led the Tigers to the Ivy League title and a spot in the NCAA tournament while producing two All-America selections.

By giving back to the game, coach Holmes-Winn and USA Field Hockey’s many talented developmental coaches are insuring the future of the game. And just like their coach, these young athletes will experience the joy, pride and thrill of the sport for a long, long time.

Nancy McHale
Volunteer Coach of the Year

Nancy McHale never fails to reward members of her National Hockey Festival, National Indoor Tournament, National Futures or AAU Junior Olympic teams for a job well done.

And while candy necklaces, stickers and homemade lapel pins have often been McHale’s motivational tools of choice, USA Field Hockey expressed its gratitude for the coach’s dedication to the sport and the Association by naming McHale as USA Field Hockey’s 2003 Volunteer Coach of the Year.

As director of the Spirit USA Clubs of Southampton, N.J., McHale has generously dealt out the sweet benefits and rewards in developing athletes for participation in USA Field Hockey’s most prestigious events while bringing home a treasure chest of medals.

In 2003 McHale’s team earned a gold medal at the 223-team National Hockey Festival to add to a collection that includes five Festival gold medals, six National Indoor Tournament gold medals, an AAU Junior Olympic Games gold medal, a U14 National Futures Tournament runner-up finish and an international silver medal with USA Field Hockey’s Futures Elite team over the past three years.

In addition, members of McHale’s Spirit of USA teams have gone on to earn 25 high school All-America honors and 12 collegiate All-America accolades from 2000-03. An additional 45 athletes have earned selection to the AAU Junior Olympics. But in perhaps the most impressive testament to the training athletes receive on McHale’s teams, 20 Spirit of USA players have earned spots on USA national and junior national teams including current senior national team members Abbey Woolley and April Fronzoni.

Serving at virtually every USA Field Hockey event from U14 to U19, as either coach, assistant, administrator or simply as a motivator and a mom, McHale has contributed to the development of the sport for simply the love of the game and love for the athletes.

And an occasional candy necklace.