National Field Hockey Day: A Stick, a Field, and the Chance to Begin
Before a girl can love the game, someone has to welcome her onto the field.
Written by Linda Herron
Women Sports USA®
A girl changes when she begins to feel comfortable with a field hockey stick in her hands. At first, she may look down, concentrating on keeping the ball close. Then, with practice, her head comes up. She sees a teammate, notices an opening, and makes a pass she might not have tried a week earlier. From the sideline, it can look like a small moment. For the girl experiencing it, that moment can mean a great deal.
September 14 is National Field Hockey Day, and USA Field Hockey is celebrating its 14th annual observance in 2026. It is a day to enjoy the sport, recognize the people who keep it going, and welcome someone new to the field. For those of us who played, it also gives us a reason to remember what began when someone first gave us a chance.
Field hockey is part of my own story, from Pilgrim High School in Rhode Island to the University of Rhode Island. I remember the competition, but I also remember the coaches, the teammates, and the feeling of working toward something together. That is why a sport can stay with you long after a season ends.
Before She Loves the Game, Let Her Try It
Before a girl can develop a love for field hockey, she must have the opportunity to experience it. This opportunity could arise from a school program, a community clinic, an invitation from a friend, or a coach eager to teach the fundamentals. She doesn't need to come with an understanding of the rules or the belief that she's already an athlete. She requires an environment where being a beginner is embraced.
We ask a lot of a beginner. She is learning to handle a stick, move with the ball, understand where to stand, and notice the players around her. At the same time, she may be wondering whether everyone else already knows more than she does. A patient explanation or an included pass can change that first experience. Adults sometimes forget how much courage it takes to step into a group that already seems to know what it is doing.
We can help by giving girls room to explore without asking them to decide right away how far they intend to go. Let them enjoy a practice. Let them feel the satisfaction of making contact with the ball or completing a pass. As I reflected in “Before We Specialized, We Just Played,” trying different sports gives children a chance to find what interests them. Field hockey deserves a place among those possibilities.
Teach Her to See Beyond the Ball
One thing I appreciate about field hockey is how much happens away from the ball. A player moves into space so a teammate has an option. Another works back to help defend. Someone communicates what she can see from another position. The player who finishes a scoring opportunity depends on work that may never appear beside her name.
That is an important lesson for a young athlete. Your contribution matters even when you are not the person everyone notices. Learning to recognize that in yourself, and appreciate it in others, is part of becoming a good teammate. It teaches you to pay attention, take responsibility, and understand how your decisions affect the people beside you.
The game also gives players repeated chances to respond to mistakes. A pass is intercepted. A shot is missed. The play continues, and there is another job to do. A coach can help a girl understand what happened while reminding her that she still has something to contribute. Over time, those moments teach her to regain her focus instead of letting one error decide how she feels about herself.
Those skills are worth teaching deliberately. Our article on how coaches build mental skills for athletes looks at how coaches can help young people handle pressure, build confidence, and return their attention to the next action.
Remember the Coach Who Made Room for You
When we celebrate a sport, we should remember the people who made it possible for us to play. Someone organized the practices, taught the fundamentals, and stood on the sideline paying attention. Someone saw the athlete who needed encouragement and the team that could learn to work together more effectively.
For me, field hockey brings Coach Betty Marquis to mind. She coached me at Pilgrim High School, where our team went undefeated and won the Rhode Island state championship. That achievement is part of my history, but so is the experience of being coached through such an important season of my life. When we talk about what girls gain from sports, we need to include the adults who help shape the experience.
A coach has many opportunities to influence whether a girl feels valued. It happens in the way feedback is given, the attention offered to a developing player, and the response when someone struggles. High expectations can live alongside patience and respect. A girl can be challenged to improve while knowing her coach wants her to succeed.
National Field Hockey Day is a good reason to reach out to one of those people. If a coach made a difference in your life, tell her what you remember. Be specific. The moment that stayed with you may be one she never realized mattered.
Keep the Women Who Built the Game in the Story
Field hockey history lives in more places than official records. It is in team photographs tucked inside a drawer, newspaper clippings saved by a parent, and stories former teammates tell when they reconnect. Those details help us understand what it was like to play in a particular school, community, or generation.
Preserving that history begins with asking questions. Find out who coached the team, who helped establish the program, what opportunities were available, and what the players wish they had. Write down the names while someone still remembers them. Add a year and a location to the photograph. Ask the woman holding it to tell you about the people standing beside her.
That is part of the purpose behind the Women Sports USA Women’s Sports History Hub. Girls deserve to learn about the women who came before them, including those whose contributions were made close to home. A local coach or former player can make the history of a sport feel personal and within reach.
There is also a wider field hockey community to discover. The International Hockey Federation shares international competitions, player stories, and news from across the sport. Following that coverage can help a young player see how the game she is learning connects her with athletes around the world.
You Do Not Have to Go Far to Help the Game Grow
Celebrating field hockey can be as simple as showing up. Attend a local game and pay attention to the teamwork. Invite a friend who has never watched and explain what is happening. Thank an official, a volunteer, or the person who helps keep a program running. Those small actions let people know their work is seen.
If you are a former player, consider what you can share. Maybe you can help at a beginner session, reconnect with your school’s program, or tell a young athlete what you enjoyed about playing. You do not need to have reached the highest level of the sport to have something useful to offer. Your experience may help someone feel more comfortable taking her first step onto the field.
For parents and coaches, the celebration can also include listening. Ask a girl what she enjoys about field hockey, what she is learning, and what would make the experience better. Give her time to answer. Supporting the next generation includes understanding the game from their side of the sideline.
Celebrate National Field Hockey Day, Then Pass It On
I am glad there is a day that brings field hockey into the conversation. It gives us a reason to recognize today’s players and remember the people who helped us become the athletes we were. It also reminds us that somewhere, a girl is just beginning. She is learning how to hold her stick, finding her place among teammates, and wondering whether this might become a game she loves.
I hope she finds encouragement. I hope she has a coach who teaches her well and teammates who make her feel welcome. And I hope those of us who know what the sport can mean will help create that experience for her.
Wishing a Happy National Field Hockey Day to all the players, coaches, officials, families, volunteers, and former teammates who contribute so much to the game.
Who helped you fall in love with field hockey? Share your story with Women Sports USA®, or tell us about an athlete, coach, or trailblazer whose contribution should be remembered.
Women Sports USA® celebrates athletes, preserves the history of women’s sports, and inspires future generations through storytelling and community.
Linda Herron is the Founder of Women Sports USA®, a former Division I field hockey athlete, coach, author, and longtime advocate for preserving women’s sports history. Through storytelling, she celebrates the athletes, coaches, officials, and trailblazers who helped change the game.
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