Longtime Supporter & Board Chair Cathy Bessant Commits to Success & Empowerment of USA Field Hockey Programs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – USA Field Hockey is thrilled to share that Bank of America will honor Cathy Bessant and her remarkable 40 years of service to the company by supporting a $1 million leadership grant to USA Field Hockey to further develop the sport’s growth.

“Cathy’s $1m gift is equally incredible in its generosity, scale and impact,” said Simon Hoskins, USA Field Hockey’s Executive Director. “Cathy and her family have an amazing passion for field hockey. She gives so much to the sport in so many ways, on behalf of the organization we are so extremely grateful.”

Bessant is a long-time supporter of the organization and identified two specific areas that will receive this funding, the U.S. Women’s National Team and youth programs. She was instrumental in supporting the move of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) to her hometown of Charlotte in the summer of 2021, and the squad trained at Bessant Field at Queens University of Charlotte until the completion of the United States Performance Center (USPC) turf at the new National Training Center in September 2023. To continue the growth of the USWNT who recently qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, $800,000 of this new funding will be directed to the team. In honor of the gift each international match series played at the National Training Center will be named the Cathy Bessant International Series, and the Cathy Bessant Player of the Series Trophy will be awarded to the most impactful USA athlete identified in each series.

Bessant also recognizes the impact made in growing the game by those who found and develop clubs, inspiring young athletes to grow their passion for field hockey. The annual Cathy Bessant Empowerment Award will be granted to five field hockey clubs whose entrepreneurial owner has started and grown the game and their club in their community. The club must be a USA Field Hockey Member Club formed in the past five years whose owner has shown outstanding empowerment and initiative to grow the sport and has developed the game, increased their USA Field Hockey Membership and inspired young individuals in the experiences that field hockey offers. The grant should be used for activities designed to attract new members to the club and to USA Field Hockey. Annually, in the four years leading to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, five awards of $10,000 will be awarded after applications are reviewed by an internal USA Field Hockey committee.

CONTACT: Teryn Brill Galloway, USA Field Hockey’s Director of Communications
tbrill@usafieldhockey.com  |  719-331-9390