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National Hockey Festival Returns to West Palm Beach
Pools & Rosters | Schedules | Information
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The U.S. Field Hockey Association continues a long-standing holiday tradition this Thanksgiving, when the USFHA hosts the annual National Hockey Festival, Nov. 26-29, at the Palm Beach Polo Club in West Palm Beach Fla.
The event represents a return to South Florida for the Festival after the Palm Beach Polo Club and Palm Beach County Sports Commission last entertained the tournament in 1996. The 1997 Festival was held in Palm Springs, Calif.
The nation’s largest field hockey event, the 1998 Festival features 164 teams and approximately 3000 athletes from 25 states and Canada. Teams compete for titles in six divisions including Women’s Age Group (Under 16 and Under 19), Women’s Open, Mixed, Sectional and Men’s Veteran. The Under 19 tournament is the Festival’s largest division with 112 teams in 14 pool championships. The newest division, the Men’s Veterans, makes its Festival debut in 1998 and features veterans of Olympic and Pan American Games over the age of 40. The Polo Club will host 587 games on 21 fields during the four days of the event.
In addition to the four days of competition, the Polo Club will also host the USFHA/PBCSC Field Hockey Challenge featuring U.S. Olympians and Palm Beach business and civic leaders and media personalities in an exhibition game at 1:30 Friday on Field 3. The Age Group Divisions conclude with College Night on Saturday at the Polo Club Pavilion where 500 high school seniors will have the opportunity to visit with college coaches representing 80 NCAA I, II and III programs.
Competition runs throughout the day during the four days of the Festival with games beginning at 7:30 am (8 am Sunday). Final games of the day are scheduled for 3:30 pm (noon Sunday). Admission to the event is free. Parking at the Polo Club is available for a $3 fee.
Originating as the National Sectional Championships in 1922, the Festival adopted its current multi-divisional format in 1981 by introducing tournaments for high school-aged players and club and open teams.
U.S. Field Hockey is the National Governing Body for men’s and women’s field hockey, and is dedicated to the development and promotion of the sport in the United States.
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