History in the Making: USA to Send Team to Inaugural 2026 FIH Para Hockey World Cup

USA Field Hockey is excited to announce that the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has extended an invitation for USA Field Hockey to bring a team to compete in the inaugural 2026 FIH Para Hockey World Cup.

The 2026 FIH Para Hockey World Cup will be a 6-a-side tournament played at HC Myra in Amstelveen, Netherlands, and Louvain-La-Neuve HC, in Belgium, from August 21 to 25, 2026. The finals will be held in the same arenas as those hosting the FIH Hockey World Cup, namely the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen and the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre. The 16 participating teams will be announced soon.

This presents a huge opportunity for All Starz, USA Field Hockey’s disability inclusive hockey program.

“The opportunity for ten athletes to represent the USA in international competition at the first ever FIH Para Hockey World Cup is a huge step for inclusive hockey in the United States and for those who deserve life without limits,” said Sally Goggin, USA Field Hockey’s National Development Director. “This event redefines winning and losing, and we are looking for support to make it a reality for USA athletes.”

FIH Para Hockey World Cup teams are co-ed, made up of ten adult athletes and five staff of coaches and managers. USA Field Hockey is thrilled to announce that two volunteer co-head coaches have been appointed to lead the inaugural U.S. Para Hockey World Cup Team in Heidi Lewis and Lindsay Jackson. Both Lewis and Jackson are USA Field Hockey Level 3 Certified Coaches, the organization’s highest and most rigorous level of professional coach accreditation. Both have extensive coaching experience among youth, college, and adult players. Lewis and Jackson also have extensive experience in team building, which will be essential over the next few months as USA Field Hockey looks to build a Para Hockey team to travel to Europe in August.

Lewis has coached all ages and abilities, including athletes with disabilities. She is the owner and director of Beyond Sticks in Maryland and head coach of the U.S. O-50 Women’s Masters Team. Lewis started an inclusion program as part of Beyond Sticks and administers programs in the Washington, D.C. metro area for approximately 800 athletes a year. Previously, she was the head coach of the Catholic University of America for four seasons and received Landmark Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2017 and 2018.

Jackson recently started the Sprouts Field Hockey Club in Worcester, Mass. to grow the sport in her community. She served as head coach of the College of the Holy Cross for ten years, from 2015 to 2025. She has experience in coach development and serves as a coach educator for USA Field Hockey. Jackson is also an NCAA Women’s Coaching Academy graduate, levels 1.0 and 2.0.

USA Field Hockey would like to thank the All Starz Leadership team, as well as Lewis and Jackson, for leading this exciting initiative.

The inaugural 2026 FIH Para Hockey World Cup, set for August 21 to 25, will overlap with the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, also set to take place in Belgium and the Netherlands, from August 15 to 30. The U.S. Women’s National Team has already qualified to compete, while the U.S. Men’s National Team is vying for a spot at the 2026 FIH Hockey Cup Qualifier in Ismailia, Egypt from March 1 to 7, 2026.

USA Field Hockey is kicking off a fundraiser to help defray the cost for the 2026 FIH Para Hockey World Cup athletes and staff. A link will be shared soon.

To learn more about trying out for the 2026 FIH Para Hockey World Cup team, click here.

There will also be a brief in-person informational session at the 2026 All Starz Winter Invitational, happening at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa. on Saturday, February 28. At 10:30 a.m., in advance of the competition, USA Field Hockey welcomes all to attend a brief meeting to learn more about All Starz, FIH Para Hockey, and Hockey ID; as well as meet USA Field Hockey’s All Starz Leadership Team. The meeting will take place in the Motivate Room.

If you are interested in learning more about All Starz, potentially trying out for the 2026 U.S. Para Hockey World Cup Team, or donating to support or sponsor the team, please reach out to Laura Jones, USA Field Hockey’s All Starz Program Manager, at ljones@usafieldhockey.com.