Vote Now: People's Choice Voting Now Open for USA Field Hockey's 2025 Annual Awards
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Field Hockey is pleased to announce that people’s choice voting is now open for USA Field Hockey's 2025 Annual Awards. Over the course of the past several weeks, USA Field Hockey received nominations from numerous individuals to build the nominees for the following award categories: Grow the Game Award, National Coach Award, National Umpire Award and National Club of the Year Award.
Now it’s time for the people to choose! Visit the links below to read about each nominee and to vote on each category.
Each fan can vote once per award during the voting window. Votes can be changed during the timeframe but revisiting the link, but only one vote per IP address counts. USA Field Hockey will accept votes from Thursday, December 4 to Wednesday, December 17 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Winners will be announced and honored on usafieldhockey.com the week of January 5, 2026.
- Co-owner of Premier Field Hockey Club
- Deputy Director of Franklin Recreation (Massachusetts)
- Has actively expanded and created opportunities for youth to play the sport across Massachusetts
- In 2024, was recognized by the Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) with a special citation for her work in establishing and expanding the Commonwealth Field Hockey League (CFHL)
- CFHL has grown from 2018 to include 11 towns and 34 teams to in 2025 include 29 towns and have 152 teams with 2,584 participants
- Added the CFHL Jamboree and launched a select league for 7th to 8th graders
- Works with USA Field Hockey to help share this model with other communities nationwide
- Founded and launched a new youth program, Huntington Youth Field Hockey, in 2021. The first dedicated, multi-age early-introduction league for the sport in the Huntington, NY area
- A longtime Northport High School Coach who led the program to multiple Suffolk County, Long Island, and New York State Championships, she recognized youth development was the engine to high school success. Ensures the sport is introduced to girls well before middle school, creating a necessary development pathway for local high school programs
- Strived to bridge the gap between youth and high school and helped turn it into a thriving, community-wide reality where nothing existed before
- Prioritized a "low key and fun" environment, making the sport accessible and fostering positive athletic and personal development for hundreds of young athletes
- Serves as a mentor emphasizing sportsmanship, teamwork, and self-assurance over competition
- In just three years, the program has exploded, attracting dozens of young athletes from all backgrounds and abilities
Sara Myers (Wapwallopen, PA)
- Founded Brave Field Hockey Club in May 2022 with the sole intention of providing girls more opportunities to play field hockey
- Merged four clubs - Nepa Force, Pursuit and Majestyx FHC – to form BRAVE and is now the home for over 200 female athletes and offers elite training and national competition with playing opportunities for all ages and abilities
- Started a nonprofit in 2025 to help make playing opportunities attainable for everyone regardless of financial circumstances. BRAVE Foundation also provides mental health resources to help female athletes thrive and empowers them to become confident, resilient, capable and BRAVE leaders in sports and in life
- Inducted in the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame in 2025 for her lifelong contribution to the sport and local community
- Has coached at all levels of the game – club, high school and college
- Played collegiately at Susquehanna University, where she was two-time Defensive player of the Year and Most Valuable Player
- passionate leader of the Bedford Katonah Youth Field Hockey in New York
- coach at Rye Field Hockey Academy
- head varsity coach at John Jay Cross River High School since 2016
- Section 1 Coach of the Year in 2019, 2021 and 2024
- consistently shows love and patience in teaching field hockey to kids in 2nd through 6th grades
- building a program that supports two high schools in the area
- works with the two local high school field hockey programs to have high school volunteers to help support the youth program
Margi Whittingham (Grosse Pointe Farms, MI)
- Great Lakes Regional Field Hockey Development Program Director where she is responsible for the local youth field hockey programming across the state of Michigan
- has exposed thousands of girls and boys in Michigan and western Pennsylvania to the sport through physical education
- focuses on “first touch” opportunities and has registered as a USA Field Hockey Playmaker, reporting introducing more than 1,650 boys and 1,850 girls to the sport since April 2025 alone as part of her PE Takeover program
- works alongside GLRFH and in conjunction with USA Field Hockey to optimize and promote the physical education curriculum, equipment and program
- developed an elementary school after school field hockey program in the Grosse Pointe community
- active member of the community serving on the board of the Farm’s Foundation and as Vice President of Kerby School Parent Teacher Organization
- Founder and owner of Bull City, club based in Durham, N.C. and founded in 2022
- Has grown the club from 11 total kids at the initial practice to 140 and having nationally competing teams at Sunshine Showcase, National Indoor Tournament and National Club Championship
- Goal is to provide field hockey opportunities for every age group and every skill level. She tries to not only teach the kids solid technical and tactical fundamentals but also pays a lot of attention to character and culture development, along with growing the game in North Carolina
- Has had many multiple high school graduates selected to Max Top 50 and Top 100 rankings as well as college commitments to top programs
- Key milestone is having coached U-18 USWNT athlete Reid Miller
- Significant milestone is in their first appearance at the U-19 NCC the team reached the final and climbed 35 spots in National Club Rankings to 6th
- Has coached at the Nexus Championship (2016-2018)
- Previous college coach (2010-2022)
- Fifth season at the WPI Head Coach
- Concluded a historic 2025 season going 15-6 and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time in 32 years
- Her No. 22 WPI upset No. 15 Stevenson in the NCAA First Round, for their first NCAA Tournament win since 1989 and second in history
- Led the program to their first appearance in the NEWMAC Championship in the NEWMAC era
- Head coach for Ann Arbor Pioneer High School
- Highly successful, leading the team to four state championships, including the first Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) championship in 2025, as a sanctioned sport
- Coaching and teaching philosophies were deeply shaped by her early work in foster care, supporting children as they transitioned back into their homes and schools—an experience that led her to pursue a master’s degree in special education and ultimately become a Teacher Consultant.
- At Pioneer High School, she works with students, families, and staff to design individualized supports that foster growth, belonging, and academic success
- For more than three decades, has built one of Michigan’s most successful high school field hockey programs, grounded in empathy, resilience, and a belief in the human spirit
- Founded Pine Tree Premier Field Hockey in 2023 in a small northern Maine town
- Was varsity coach for 11 years at Nokonis High School, accruing two State Championships, three Eastern Maine Championships, two Eastern Maine Runners-Up and three KVAC Championships
- Was named Morning Sentinel Coach of the Year twice and Portland Press Herald Coach of the Year,
- Led Pine Tree Premier to win their pools at the 2025 National Hockey Festival in the U-12 Co-Ed 7v7 and U-16 divisions
- Is the Managing Director at Great Schools Partnership, where she leads school improvement efforts in small, rural schools, and large urban districts
- Head coach at Episcopal Academy since 2022
- In 2025, led the squad to a 19-3 record and final #2 national ranking, with the three losses coming against the nation's top ranked team, after beginning the season unranked nationally
- Under his direction, six players earned All-Inter-Ac honors, including the League MVP, demonstrating his ability to develop talent across classes and positions
- Has the strength of building culture, belief and spirit within his team
- Has been a high school coach for more than 10 years and coached countless athletes who went on to play at top collegiate programs
- Coaches at Delaware Sharks Field Hockey club
- Former FIH Umpire turned Umpire Manager
- Attended the Pan American Hockey Federation Umpire Manager Course
- In 2025, was the umpire manager at the USWNT vs. Ireland Series in Charlotte, N.C. and Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay
- Is a girls soccer coach, commissioner and referee educator and brings an interesting perspective and dynamic
- Received her first international appointment at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, including a semifinal and bronze medal games
- Officiated two USWNT series in Charlotte, N.C. (2023, 2025)
- Veteran USA Field Hockey events umpire and has done the Junior and Senior Nexus Championship since 2023
- Officiated in her fourth consecutive Division I Championship (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
- Club coach for Saints
- dedicated more than five decades to officiating field hockey at every high school and collegiate level - including in the Final Four, numerous conference championships, and high school state championships across Connecticut
- generously contributed her time and expertise as an umpire, assigner, board chair, trainer, and mentor within her community
- instrumental in recruiting and training new umpires to ensure the growth of the sport
- serves as the tournament assigner for both Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and New England Preparatory School Athletic Council championships
- outstanding contributions earned her induction into the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame and recognition as Connecticut Umpire of the Year
- is a player, coach and umpire
- started attending USA Field Hockey national events in 2023
- officiated at the National Indoor Tournament Qualifier, Sunshine Showcase, National Indoor Tournament, Regional Club Championship (Region 3, 4 and 8S), National Club Championship and National Hockey Festival in 2025
- officiated the Class C PVIAC Western Mass Final in 2025 and 2024
- holds a Level II Indoor and Outdoor Umpire Certification
- is the Region 3 Nexus Coach Manager and has coached in Futures/Nexus Region 3 since 2018
- has more than 10 years of experience coaching at the youth, high school, club and collegiate levels
- holds a USA Field Hockey Level 2 Coaching Certification and attended the High Performance Summit, designed for coaches who are serious about elevating their game
- Was a 2025 Sunshine Showcase, Nexus Championship and Junior Premier Outdoor League Umpire Manager
- holds a Level II Indoor and Level III Outdoor Umpire Certification
- Officiated two consecutive Division III Championships (2024, 2025)
- began umpiring in 2011 and has officiated at every U-14 Girls and U-16 National Indoor Tournament since 2022
- Founded in 2016 and has grown to one of the top clubs in the northeast
- In 2025, was pool winners at Sunshine Showcase (U-12 Co-Ed, U-14 Girls 11v11, U-16 Girls), National Indoor Tournament (U-12 Co-Ed, U-16 Girls, U-19 Girls) and National Hockey Festival (U-16 Girls)
- Hosts the Regional Club Championship in Region 4
- In 2025, went undefeated in all three age division at the Regional Club Championship
- Qualified for the National Club Championship in each age division since 2022, placing second in 2024 in U-14, second in 2022 in U-16 and second in U-19 in 2023
- U-14 program continually ranked in the top-10, U-16 in the top-5, U-19 in the top-20.
- Finished 2025: U-14 ranked #2, U-16 ranked #4; U-19 ranked #16
- Formerly Howard Stampede Field Hockey Club, which has been USA Field Hockey Member since 2002
- Annually hosts a National Indoor Tournament Qualifier
- Active in supporting local recreation programs
- Dedicates a yearly program to Women and Girls in Sports Day
- Founded in 2022 in Durham, NC in the fall with 11 total kids. By the end of the season had a U-14 7v7 team participating at Shooting Stars and won their pool
- By spring 2023, the first few athletes were selected for the Nexus Championship and AAU Junior Olympic Games
- In the winter 2023, attended first National Indoor Tournament Qualifier and qualified for both the U-16 and U-19 Girls National Indoor Tournament. Attended the Sunshine Showcase and U-16 team won bronze
- In spring 2024, had multiple high school graduates selected to Max Top 50 and Top 100 rankings as well as the first college commitments
- Both U-14 and U-16 teams qualified for the 2024 National Club Championship, after attending the Regional Club Championship for the first time
- In the winter 2024, qualified double the number of teams to the National Indoor Tournament and U-16 team finished second at the Sunshine Showcase
- Key milestone in the spring 2025 when U-18 athlete Reid Miller was selected to represent U-18 USWNT at 4-Nations Tournament in Spain
- The U-14 and U-19 teams qualified for the National Club Championships and all three age groups won silver at the Junior Premier Outdoor League in their region. Significant milestone is in their first appearance at the U-19 NCC the team reached the final and climbed 35 spots in National Club Rankings to 6th
- Founded in 2009 and is one of the largest clubs in Virginia, with sites in Williamsburg, Richmond, Charlottesville, and Virginia Beach
- U-14, U-16 and U-19 programs are continually ranked in the top-20
- Committed to developing the person as well as the player and provides playing opportunities from U-8 to U-19 and from recreational leagues to high-performance competition
- Has filtered countless athletes through the Nexus program and assisted them in the pathway to college success
- In 2025, qualified all three age divisions to the National Club Championship
- Longtime USA Field Hockey event attendee
- Founded in 1994 and has built a legacy of excellence and growth in Louisville and the surrounding areas
- Has produced more than 500 athletes who have gone on to play collegiately
- Annually hosts a National Indoor Tournament Qualifier
- Longtime USA Field Hockey event attendee
- U-14, U-16 and U-19 programs are continually ranked in the top-15, with their U-14 team currently ranked #1
- In 2025, qualified their U-14 and U-19 teams to the National Club Championship, with the U-14 group finishing second
- Had 15 athletes advance to the Junior National Camp following summer 2025 selections
- November 5, 2025: Nominations for Awards open.
- November 19, 2025: Nominations for Awards close at 11:59 p.m. ET. The Awards Selection Committee, a volunteer group established for this purpose, will review each Award Category.
- December 4, 2025: Top Award nominees for each category will be announced and posted on USA Field Hockey’s website. A People’s Choice online voting process will open.
- December 17, 2025: Awards People’s Choice online voting closes.
- Week of January 5, 2026: Award winners will be announced on USA Field Hockey’s website.
Congratulations 2025 College Division I Conference Winners
Division I College Games: 2025 Conference Tournaments
USA Field Hockey Announces Approach Clothing Co. as Presenting Sponsor & Event Apparel Merchandiser for 2026 Sunshine Showcase
Red Devils Rising: Dickinson Field Hockey’s New Era Under Coach Maggie Sohns
