Private School Field Hockey Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For girls who want to play year round but can't commit due to another travel sport there is a good option in Montgomery County that allows them to develop their skills and get ready for high school. My DD and her friends play for Koa on their development team and have really enjoyed it. I've seen a big improvement in her and while they want her to play club, Koa is understanding of the two sport athlete. She's in 8th grade right now but plans to play for them all year in play days and weekly practices. I know it's not as competitive as club but since many girls playing field hockey are also club lacrosse players I thought I'd mention it.

Good post! I think KOA is a great way for kids to get interested in this sport and get some experience. It's a lot of fun, and let me just say that not everybody necessarily wants to or is destined to play in college, and that's okay! Being on a varsity team in high school can be such a great experience in and of itself.

Thanks. I will also add that Koa is small so the girls get a lot of individual instruction. They are also reasonably priced for the development team and camps so if your DD is just starting out they can gain experience without breaking the bank.

[Anonymous]

What are the best Field Hockey clubs in Maryland?

[Anonymous]

One other question about the local field hockey scene - why is it so popular among the private school set (even lacrosse seems to be broadening its appeal) - specifically Catholics (absolutely not trying to bash Catholics. I just notice a lot of kids who attend Catholic schools are on the local club teams)? What is the history behind that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One other question about the local field hockey scene - why is it so popular among the private school set (even lacrosse seems to be broadening its appeal) - specifically Catholics (absolutely not trying to bash Catholics. I just notice a lot of kids who attend Catholic schools are on the local club teams)? What is the history behind that?

I didn't grow up in this area, but I did play field hockey for my Catholic all-girls school several decades ago. (There was no club scene, so it was all school-based.) It was the big fall sport for girls at the time, and because it was an all-girl school, we didn't have to compete with football and boys' fall soccer. I distinctly remember that many of the public school teams really struggled for space and resources. It wasn't because they were public (those schools spent *plenty* on football), but because the girls' sports were still kind of an afterthought. The sports scene for girls was quite different at all-girl schools at the time, and those schools were nearly all Catholic. So that might be a partial explanation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One other question about the local field hockey scene - why is it so popular among the private school set (even lacrosse seems to be broadening its appeal) - specifically Catholics (absolutely not trying to bash Catholics. I just notice a lot of kids who attend Catholic schools are on the local club teams)? What is the history behind that?

I didn't grow up in this area, but I did play field hockey for my Catholic all-girls school several decades ago. (There was no club scene, so it was all school-based.) It was the big fall sport for girls at the time, and because it was an all-girl school, we didn't have to compete with football and boys' fall soccer. I distinctly remember that many of the public school teams really struggled for space and resources. It wasn't because they were public (those schools spent *plenty* on football), but because the girls' sports were still kind of an afterthought. The sports scene for girls was quite different at all-girl schools at the time, and those schools were nearly all Catholic. So that might be a partial explanation.

Thanks. That makes sense.