About CFHC

from humble beginnings... CFHC was actually formed by a small group of very dedicated players in the late 1990's. The club went through several different names, including the North Shore Field Hockey Club, and played six-a-side tournaments locally along with a few friendly matches with other midwest teams. After a particularly slow year in 2000, Mohit Bhalla revived the team but participation was low. In 2003, the 5 founding members of present day club (Mohit Bhalla, Nadeem Khan, Montoo Baruah, Lisa Sorentino and Faizal Jogee) decided to change the name of the club from North Shore Field Hockey Club to Chicago Field Hockey Club and the first website was created by Montoo. After these changes, participation began to rise. In late 2003, Faizal Jogee (captain) organized the first internal Six-a-Side tournament and MVP awards were presented to Nadeem Khan and Lisa Sorentino. In March, 2004, CFHC made its first tournament trip to Indiana University. The team had a tough loss but it was the start of something very special. Players from around the globe, who didn’t know each other, were bonded and united together for one common cause – and that was to play field hockey. Later that year, we rebounded to win the Michigan State University Spartan Summer Classic.

growth with a new board... The new millennium has seen our club grow rapidly in a short period of time, and a lot of "firsts" for the club. Our first captains elections in March 2005 had two postions on the ballot - the captaincy was split between Mens and Ladies squads to keep the work load managable and to give CFHC the option to participate in tournaments outside of our usual coed format. Simon Allen and Theresa Sukal were elected to lead the club, and took players to MSU, Boston, Atlanta, and National Festival in addition to continuing the tradition of an End of Season match between two teams chosen from within the club. Chicago Field Hockey Club was incorporated as a “Not for Profit” Organization registered in the state of Illinois, opened our own checking account, and Alarico Fernandes unveiled the renovated website. In November 2005, we elected a Board of Club Directors who work closely with the Captains to help operate and further develop the club.

hockey throughout the year... During the warmer months (March until November, as long as there's no snow!) we practice outdoors twice a week. In general, this involves a weeknight training at Northwestern University, and a weekend scrimmage either held at Northwestern University or Concordia University. In 2006, Kamal ElKhadiri very successfully organized our first Indoor League (complete with sideboards!) for the beginning of the year when it's too cold to be outside. Club members were split into teams and played each other to determine the champion over the course of the season, which ran from January until March. This league has been a refuge from the Chicago winters ever since, and good preparation for the indoor tournaments we attend.

traveling for competition... CFHC has participated in several field hockey tournaments in the midwest and other cities nationally. We were supporters of the Spartan Summer Classic, and have been steadily present figures at the Centurions Indoor Challenge Cup each year as a coed group. Individually, the mens and ladies squads have made several trips to the National Training Center in Virginia Beach for Club Cup and the JFK Tournament, as well as winning the Atlanta Cup tournament in 2006. Recently Boston has appeared on our schedule as we are continually looking for good opportunities for competition. As a team we have built a reputation of being a dedicated and competitive club while still being able to appreciate the great camaraderie that field hockey can develop. That means we may just be the last team dancing at nearly every tournament we travel to - it's a party whenever CFHC is in town!

our very own tournament... After spending many hours on the road traveling to other locations for tournaments, CFHC finally hosted a tournament on our home turf. A blistering summer weekend in July of 2006 saw the first Chicago Cup tournament come to fruition. Entering 2 squads and hosting 7 more, Chicago came out as champions, but more importantly had set the stage for furture tournaments in the Windy City. After a one year hiatus in 2007 due to field construction, 2008 saw the return of the Cup and the anticipation of a summer tradition on the lake.

always room for one more... If you are looking for competitive hockey, CFHC has a bunch of very spirited and dedicated players. If you are looking to experience the great camaraderie and the social aspect that those of us that love this sport appreciate so much, you will find it in abundance at our club. Either way we look forward to you coming out and joining us. Welcome to the Chicago Field Hockey Club!