Growing the Game in Long Island, N.Y.
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For many middle schoolers, being passionate about the sport they play isn’t out of the ordinary. But for one extraordinary individual, she’s doing more than playing – she is bringing her love of the sport to her community.
Olivia is a Girl Scout in Nassau County on Long Island, N.Y. When she first started playing field hockey in the third grade, there were very few local training and club options in her area. She quickly found herself dedicated to the sport and wanting to improve, but it was hard finding competitive opportunities. Eventually, she found AGH, a field hockey club in the neighboring state of Connecticut.
“Now that I play for AGH, I am getting better, but there are still not many competitive clubs so I go to Connecticut for training several times per week. AGH has helped me grow as a player and I enjoy it a lot.”
Now in the eighth grade, dedicated to both field hockey and being a Girl Scout, Olivia found herself with a unique opportunity as she was working toward earning her Girl Scout Silver Award.
“The Silver Award is the highest honor that a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. It’s a leadership and service project where girls identify an issue that they care about, plan and complete a project that makes a lasting difference in their community.”
Combining her passion for field hockey with her awareness of the gap in opportunity to play in her area, Olivia’s idea for a project came to fruition. The project: Growing the Game in the Long Island community.
“I created this project to grow the game of field hockey and empower girls on the field. Part of my project is introducing field hockey to girls at a younger age in my Long Island community.”
As part of Olivia’s project, she hosted a field hockey clinic for youth athletes in her area. The clinic was a success, with 14 participants from first to fifth grade getting involved – most having never played field hockey before. Olivia loaned out a collection of used field hockey sticks she had gathered for the athletes to use during the clinic, and plans to donate them once the project is complete.
In addition to the clinic, Olivia created a website for parents and players, which contains field hockey resources, including clubs, camps, and clinics in the Long Island area. She also created an introductory training video for her local elementary school.
“I would like to see field hockey become more competitive and popular on Long Island. I hope more girls will be introduced to the sport and start playing at a younger age.”
Part of USA Field Hockey’s mission is to “Grow the Game”. People everywhere, like Olivia, are helping achieve this by working to bring more of the sport they love to their communities.
To learn more about Olivia’s Growing the Game project, visit her website.
Growing the Game Project Overview
I chose to do this project solo because this is a project I am passionate about and feel that I can make more of an impact on my community.
I want to help girls build confidence, leadership skills, and self-esteem through playing field hockey.
Field hockey is a team sport that teaches girls the importance of working together toward a common goal.
Field hockey is a sport that is overlooked in some communities which limits access for young girls.
USA Field Hockey offers a program specially designed for Scouts – Boys and Girls – to enable kids across the country to experience the fun of field hockey. If you are interested in learning more about USA Field Hockey’s Scouts Program, click here.
Disclaimer: USA Field Hockey does not promote or encourage the usage of protective eyewear in the sport of field hockey or at any held National Events.
