There’s been an excellent push made to preserve the
mens division in the Club
Cup Tournament in May 5-7 in Virginia Beach - read below
for more details from David Hilmy (Mavericks
FHC), Terry Walsh (USFHA Technical Director
for High Performance) and Karen Collins
(USFH Executive Director). Thanks to all involved for keeping
mens field hockey on the map in the US!
04.07.06
Hi to all,
Firstly may I express my appreciation to all of you for
keeping alive the opportunity for USA men’s hockey
to play in the USA Club Cup in Virginia Beach from May
5-7. I know very few of you yet, but with recent phone
calls it is very clear that we all have similar views
about the sport we enjoy. David Hilmy has sent several
communications to all of us and he, along with many others,
has provided us with a position from which to move forward
with men’s hockey in the USA.
We at USA Field Hockey understand that there needs to
be considerable energy, time and thought to generate change
towards a more effective men’s hockey program in
this country. Feel assured that we understand change in
the programs and further opportunities for men’s
hockey is important.
Nick Conway, as our newly appointed High Performance
Men’s Coach for USA, has a strong desire to bring
our sport to a significantly better level. As the Technical
Director of High Performance, I too have a strong determination
to ensure we move forward in our men’s programs
and opportunities. There are many developments occurring
that will certainly enhance our position. In it’s
own right the men’s program can and will be far
more successful. For our women’s program, already
well established, it is equally important that our men’s
program grow and develop. We understand that at this point
we cannot be world champions. Equally I believe that we
should be in a far better position than presently exists.
It goes without saying that to nurture the potential
hockey playing youth in the USA - both boys and girls
– we need to maximize what we have available and
the opportunities we can provide.
To have competition towards which our youth can aspire
is highly significant.
We all love this game and that’s why we play. Indeed
it is a sport where the competition and comradeship go
hand in hand. For some of us we are as sprightly as we
ever were. For others, like my good self, it is a distant
memory.
Yes, the Cup has been resurrected. We look forward to
the 2006 USA Club Cup in Virginia Beach.
Thank you again for your support. I look forward to meeting
you at the USA Club Cup and sharing some hockey stories
from around the world. Hopefully we can start by getting
together on the evening of Friday 5th May and sharing
some ideas. Until then..
Regards
Terry
Terry Walsh
USA Field Hockey
Technical Director for High Performance
04.07.06
On behalf of USA Field Hockey, I would like to thank
all of you for rallying to bring back the men’s
division of the USA Club Cup. The outstanding effort of
many of you will make this event one to remember. We currently
have tentative commitments from 8 men’s teams and
8 women’s teams. We have decreased the entry fee
to try to accommodate the needs of all the teams. The
fee will now be $500 per team. (Those who have already
paid the original fee will be getting a rebate.)
Team check-in will take place starting at 8:00PM at the
Holiday Inn Executive Center in Virginia Beach on Friday
evening. We will have a cash bar set up. Terry Walsh,
Technical Director of High Performance and Nick Conway,
Men’s High Performance Coach will be joining us
on Friday night at The Holiday Inn Executive Center to
speak about the future of the USA Men’s Program
at a time to be determined. More information on that will
come with your team’s confirmation next week.
We are also planning an informal social event at the National
Training Center on Saturday evening; it would be great
if you could attend.
Thank you again for all of your effort.
Karen Collins
Assistant Executive Director
USA Field Hockey
04.05.06
Hi everybody (and thank you Andrea for passing along
the invitation at your end),
We would like to have the Mid-West region represented
at this year's US Cup- bottom line, US Hockey screwed
it up and we, the men's clubs, are fixing it. Having invoked
the name of US Hockey, let me first say that both Nick
Conway (US Men's High Performance Coch) and Terry Walsh
(US Technical Director) are supporting this move 100%
(having inherited the problem) and in a telephone call
to me yesterday, Terry made a commitment to regain the
trust of men's clubs by getting things sorted out at their
end for the future- they completely understand not only
the reluctance of some clubs to further involve themselves
in US Hockey because of the decisions and politics of
the past, but also that we, the clubs, are an important
and integral part of hockey development in this country
and in turn they are in a position to better support us
moving forward.
Having the men's division of the tournament cancelled
a couple of days ago because three teams pulled out, we
have managed to not only secure a guarantee from US Hockey
that the men's division WILL run, we have also managed
to secure commitments from additional teams to compete,
therefore the field so far includes us, the Mavericks
FHC; Greenwich FHC and Rye, both from NY; the LA Tigers
and San Jose Khalsa representing the West; and the probability
that a Mid-Atlantic All-Star team will combine players
from Atlanta and the Mid-Atlantic region.
If you can commit your club to travel to play in what
is now dubbed the "New" US Cup, we can arrange
for the tournament fees to be waived and promise you a
nationally-flavored hockey experience. Essentially, having
already doubled the field in two days from what took the
original organisers a year to do, we have an opportunity
to make a strong statement to US Hockey that the game
is bigger than any individual or group- I urge you to
seriously consider playing with us, May 5th through the
7th at the beautiful water-based turfs at the National
Training Center in Virginia Beach.
David Hilmy
Mavericks FHC
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