Excitement Builds after Promising Competition at U.S. Masters WMH World Cup Selection Tournament

RICHMOND & WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – U.S. Masters hosted 254 athletes at the Masters World Cup Selection Tournament this past weekend, May 4 to 5, at two locations in Virginia. The event drew new and returning athletes from around the country, aged 35 and older. This selection event will be used to determine which teams and athletes will compete at the 2024 World Masters Hockey (WMH) World Cup this fall.

The O-35, O-40, and O-45 age groups for men and women competed at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Va., while the O-50, O-55, O-60, and O-65 men and women competed at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. Certified USA Field Hockey Level II and III coaches served as selectors and coaches.

“We had a great Masters selection weekend,” noted Caroline Nelson-Nichols, Director of Masters High Performance. “Based on the level of play witnessed, I am very excited about the futures of Masters hockey. It is incredibly inspiring to see adults continuing to compete at such a high level in a sport they love.”

Athletes noted an uptick in participation, particularly among the men and younger age groups, leading to a higher level of competition, as well as a higher caliber of coaching. Participants expressed appreciation for the robust selection process, high pitch quality, athletic training support, and overall event organization. The selection weekend included drills, 7v7 games, and full field 11v11 matches. This mixture of activities helped selectors apply a standard rubric to evaluate skills, fitness, and hockey knowledge worthy of international competition. In addition to this selection event, U.S. Masters hosted two regional training camps focused on player development earlier this spring.

“Masters hockey represents a tremendous growth opportunity to elevate the visibility of the sports, grow and sustain the game, and develop athletes with a lifelong love of the game,” added Aaron Sher, who served as a lead selector. “It’s also a great way to keep moving and living a healthy life.”

The U.S. Masters Transition Team, which was appointed by the USA Field Hockey Board of Trustees, will review the recommendations of the selectors for which age divisions the United States will compete in at the 2024 WMH World Cup. Age division selection announcements are expected later in May and followed by team rosters in June, to allow several months to build team cohesion, strategy, and strength and conditioning before competition begins in October. Cape Town, South Africa will host the O-35 O-40, O-65, O-70, O-75, and O-80 men and O-35 and O-40 women from October 12 to 21. Auckland, New Zealand will host the O-45, O-50, O-55, O-60, O-65, and O-70 women and O-45, O-50, O-55, and O-60 men from November 7 to 16. This year will be the sixth time that the USA has sent a delegation to the WMH World Cup.

The mission of USA Masters Field Hockey is to grow the participation of players over 35 years of age who are involved domestically and field strong, competitive international teams.

Join the Masters Field Hockey mailing list to learn more about opportunities for people over 35 in the USA. For more information on the Masters Community and to join mailing list check out Masters Field Hockey.