2015 National Coaches Forum

Looking to strengthen your coaching craft while learning from the very pinnacle our of nation’s top-tier field hockey staff? 

We’ve got you covered. 

You’re invited to the USA Field Hockey’s 2015 National Coaches Forum, sponsored by Zag Sports, to get exclusive insight and instruction from U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team Head Coaches and Staff. The Forum will be held at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa. from Friday, December 11 to Saturday, December 12.

For those who attended last year, this year’s schedule will be different as we are working around the U.S. Women’s National Team training schedule as well as facility availability.  Following an amazing year of hockey as our USWNT qualified for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games and both our men's and women's national teams are fresh off of the 2015 Pan American Games, the  Forum will cover a variety of topics.

The National Coaches Forum is the annual opportunity to learn what the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team Head Coaches, Craig Parnham and Chris Clements are doing to motivate and empower their teams. We will show how Parnham’s practice and mental approach has turned our U.S. Women’s National Team into world contenders. As the team enters into their final months of preparation for Rio, Parnham, Dave Hamilton, Janneke Schopman and Nate Franks will share and impart their knowledge and expertise that will assist coaches in their own journey to success with their teams. Clements will be present to share his knowledge and experience as the current men’s head coach and former Division I assistant coach at Boston College. The Forum will feature two guest speakers, Amy Tran Swenson, former U.S. Women's National Team Goalkeeper and two-time Olympian, on Day 1 and Joel Fish, U.S. Women's National Team Sports Psychologist, on Day 2.

The Forum will be divided into two programs this year.

Program 1 – 2-Day – All-Day Friday and Saturday – Higher Level Coaches

Program 2 – 1-Day – Friday Dome Arena Sessions Only – All Coaching Levels

PROGRAM 1 - $215

Program 1 is the 2-day program, whose curriculum is tailored toward all current coaches who have their USA Field Hockey Level 2 and 3 certifications.

Day 1 will feature on-field activities and demonstrations by Parnham, Clements, Janneke Schopman, Dave Hamilton, Director of Sports Science and current U.S. Women’s National Team athletes and will take place in the dome from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The staff will have team members demonstrate and narrate on-field concepts and exercises that they use frequently in their daily trainings. Hamilton will impart the science behind the team’s physical and mental preparation from warm-up to cool-down principles, explaining the science behind periodization training in order to optimize player and team success. Not only will you see the team in their training environment, you will also hear some of the players explain how their coaches’ support, preparation and communication have motivated them to succeed on and off the field.                            

Day 2 will consist of a series of classroom sessions from 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Topics will revolve around Parnham, Clements and the staff’s overall Coaching Philosophy and Training Methodologies.

Program 1, 2-day program is limited due to classroom space. Registration is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis to current USA Field Hockey Level 3 and Level 2 accredited coaches.

Price of Program 1: $215 - Includes Lunch on both days, Friday Night Social and Free Parking

PROGRAM 2 - $95

Program 2 is open to any coach (middle, high school, college and club coaches) and is a Friday only registration. Registrants will observe all Dome Arena activities on Friday, including a full training session and live narration with the U.S. Women’s National Team staff and players from 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. and other topics to continue until 4 p.m. See the schedule below.

Price of Program 2:  $95 - Includes Lunch, Friday night Social and Free parking

2015 NATIONAL COACHES FORUM SCHEDULE:

Day 1 - Friday, December 11 – Dome Arena

9:00-9:45 am               Program 1 Registration – Dome Arena

10:00-12:00 pm           Session 1 begins - Dome Arena - Parnham and Schopman will narrate, while USWNT players will show various skill exercises and concepts to coaches)

12:00-1:00 pm             Lunch

1:15-4:30 pm               Dome Arena Presentations - All On-Field

4:30-4:45 pm               Review next day’s schedule

5:00-6:30 pm               Coaches Social at Spooky Nook Sports

Day 2 – Saturday, December 12

8:15-11:45 am             Open Discussion and Main Room Presentations to include special guest, Joel Fish, U.S. Women's National Team Sports Psychologist

11:45-12:45 pm           Lunch

1:00-3:45 pm               3 Group Rotation - Presentations by HP Staff

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM'S CASINO NIGHT:

The National Coaches Forum will conclude Saturday, December 12 at 4:00 p.m. The U.S. Women's National Team will be hosting a Casino Night fundraiser on that Saturday from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. For more information, click here.

HOST HOTEL INFORMATION:

USA Field Hockey has reserved a limited number of hotel rooms for this event at the Warehouse Hotel located at Spooky Nook Sports. (Friday room block only @ $119 / night). To reserve you room call in at (855) 618-6181 or visit the Warehouse Hotel website and use the Hotel Code 475.  

OTHER:

• Session topics will be finalized by November 15.
• Registration time is from 9:00-9:45 am on Friday, December 11 in the Dome Arena.
• Please note that a tournament will be running on Friday at Spooky Nook Sports, therefore plan on arriving early. The U.S. Women’s National Team's practice will start promptly at 10:00 am in the Dome Arena, so we are looking for everyone to be in and settled at 9:45 am sharp.
• Lunch will be provided to all registrants on both days. A Coaches Social is scheduled.
• Parking is free to all participants. You will be given a pass from a staff member daily. You will be required to show the attendant the pass as you leave the facility, in order not to get charged.
• If you have any questions, please direct them to Liz Tchou, USA Field Hockey Senior Manager of Coaching Education, at coaching@usafieldhockey.com.