Anonymous wrote:Don't give out false advice. My dd was a DI recruit for fh and is 5'10". All of the DI coaches recruit as tall of girls as they can find. Ask around.

Anonymous wrote:This post started because a parent of a 10 year old asked about a sport ... based on my experience (and the average stats of height published for field hockey), I suggested that if that 10 year old is expected to get really tall, maybe don't plan on investing a lot of time in field hockey ... just like I would say if you are likely to be very heavily muscular, maybe something that usually attracts petite athletes isn't quite the sport -- that's all. No one is saying taller girls can't play field hockey, but even the coaches stated that it is a sport that shorter girls can play ... and in my opinion, it's not the best for taller girls - it's just not comfortable, and therefore not as fun - even if they are good at it. I understand that a lot of stuff is about what kids are good at these days - not what is fun... we try to keep things fun.

I would assume that the tall girl who was uncomfortable playing wasn't as naturally a gifted athlete as her mother believed she was.

Don't give out false advice. My dd was a DI recruit for fh and is 5'10". All of the DI coaches recruit as tall of girls as they can find. Ask around.

Anonymous wrote:This post started because a parent of a 10 year old asked about a sport ... based on my experience (and the average stats of height published for field hockey), I suggested that if that 10 year old is expected to get really tall, maybe don't plan on investing a lot of time in field hockey ... just like I would say if you are likely to be very heavily muscular, maybe something that usually attracts petite athletes isn't quite the sport -- that's all. No one is saying taller girls can't play field hockey, but even the coaches stated that it is a sport that shorter girls can play ... and in my opinion, it's not the best for taller girls - it's just not comfortable, and therefore not as fun - even if they are good at it. I understand that a lot of stuff is about what kids are good at these days - not what is fun... we try to keep things fun.

This post started because a parent of a 10 year old asked about a sport ... based on my experience (and the average stats of height published for field hockey), I suggested that if that 10 year old is expected to get really tall, maybe don't plan on investing a lot of time in field hockey ... just like I would say if you are likely to be very heavily muscular, maybe something that usually attracts petite athletes isn't quite the sport -- that's all. No one is saying taller girls can't play field hockey, but even the coaches stated that it is a sport that shorter girls can play ... and in my opinion, it's not the best for taller girls - it's just not comfortable, and therefore not as fun - even if they are good at it. I understand that a lot of stuff is about what kids are good at these days - not what is fun... we try to keep things fun.

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Anonymous wrote:they have a U14, but many of their players just aged up to U16. So they are about to have tryouts for more to come in.

When will they announce when their tryouts are?

Sept 17, 24 for U12, U14 for Wolves

Thanks - where do you see this info? I didn't see anything about it on their website (still advertising last year's tryouts) or FB.

My DD plays for them.

when will they update the website? And will there also be spring tryouts? They had them last year, didn't they?

I am not positive on when they will update the website.
Probably not on Spring tryouts. If they get enough players for their respective teams, they will not hold tryouts. The goal is to teach the girls at the lower levels the requisite skills, have them play in tournaments and grow together. Most of the girls on the U14 team also do the Futures Program with US Field Hockey.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a U14, but many of their players just aged up to U16. So they are about to have tryouts for more to come in.

When will they announce when their tryouts are?

Sept 17, 24 for U12, U14 for Wolves

Thanks - where do you see this info? I didn't see anything about it on their website (still advertising last year's tryouts) or FB.

My DD plays for them.

when will they update the website? And will there also be spring tryouts? They had them last year, didn't they?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a U14, but many of their players just aged up to U16. So they are about to have tryouts for more to come in.

When will they announce when their tryouts are?

Sept 17, 24 for U12, U14 for Wolves

Thanks - where do you see this info? I didn't see anything about it on their website (still advertising last year's tryouts) or FB.

My DD plays for them.

I've always heard it's better to be tall for field hockey because longer arm span is an advantage

Anonymous wrote:5'11" is pretty short for a male athlete in most sports as well ...

The point is that a poster is claiming that girls who are 5'7" cannot play as well as shorter girls. If 6 foot men can play field hockey ( everybody on the Dutch team is taller than that) so can 5 foot 7 girls. I don't know why one parent (of a player who apparently ceased playing the sport early on) is trying to put themselves forward as having expertise that they clearly do not have. I recognize that this is an anonymous forum -- no way for people to know the qualifications of me or other posters – – so just ask real life FH coaches for the real scoop. Again, I cannot urge strongly enough the proper sizing of a stick for any girl, but particularly those who are taller or shorter than average.

I'm 5'10" and I played field hockey in high school and college. I never had any issues with being "too tall."

And point was not running in a stoop - more like a lot of time has to be spent in a squatting position by a taller player. Squats are hard - you need to be strong to sustain long periods of squatting. 5'8" DD was able to play well but did not enjoy it.

5'11" is pretty short for a male athlete in most sports as well ...

Anonymous wrote:It's still a better game for shorter girls.

I disagree strongly. I played Division I field hockey and have coached for 15+ years. A taller girl will have some major advantages with reach, for example -- very important both defensively and on attack. The initial learning period can be harder for somebody taller -- it will be important to get a correctly sized stick, for example, and hopefully they will have good coaching so they don't stoop, but that's it. What IS true is that a short, very fast, player will not be disadvantaged by her size and can still play Division I. There are not that many sports where that is true (for example, see a Division I women's lacrosse team -- very tall across the board.) Only in the U.S. is field hockey only played by women; in Europe and Asia it is played even more by men. The average height of male Olympic field hockey players in the 2012 Olympics was 5 feet, 11 inches.

It's still a better game for shorter girls.

Anonymous wrote:How tall do you think your daughter will be? Because the sticks are all the same size, and pretty darn short. My DD is a very strong athlete - great at anything that involves a stick and a ball or puck and was wonderful at field hockey (varsity letter in 9th grade at a top private school, first time she tried it) but quit, because she is 5'8" and field hockey basically means that she has to run in a squat position the entire game ... a pretty brutal exercise. I just googled average height of women's field hockey players and it came up with 5'4". If you DD is going to be 5'8" or taller - pick another sport - real hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, softball, etc.

A Divsion one college team will have many taller players. A stick should come up to the hip. The game is played in an athletic position (staying low with the legs, not the back) but if not on ball players run normally. It is a neophyte mistake to try to stoop over. Sticks also do come in varying lengths -- a taller player might use a 38 inch stick.

In case anyone doubts the height info:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12032411

164.26 cm is about 5'4" - pretty short .....