2025 USA Field Hockey National Umpire Award Winner: Katelyn Makovec

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following the announcement of all winners, USA Field Hockey is individually highlighting each recipient of USA Field Hockey’s 2025 Annual Awards. This week, USA Field Hockey is honored to feature the 2025 National Umpire winner, Katelyn Makovec.

Katelyn (née Smither) Makovec has done it all when it comes to field hockey—from being a standout player, to a successful coach, and finally to picking up the whistle. But in 2025, Makovec had a breakout season umpiring, making her debut on the international stage.

Makovec played collegiately at Old Dominion University (ODU) for four years, helping her team to a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship and NCAA Semifinal appearance in 2005. She was an All-Conference, Tournament Team, and All-Region honoree, graduating in 2009. Just a year after graduating, Makovec advanced into the women’s pathway as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Developmental Team.

Makovec’s next move was into the world of coaching. After serving as volunteer coach at her alma mater in 2009 and 2010, she was hired as the assistant coach for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. During her tenure, the Monarchs were CAA Champions (2011, 2012), made an NCAA Semifinal appearance (2011), NCAA Quarterfinal appearance (2012), and were ranked number one in the nation (2011). The team also earned NFHCA National Academic Team honors both years. She has also been a coach with the Saints Field Hockey Club, located in Virginia Beach, Va., since 2010.

The journey as an umpire started all the way back in her playing days. Makovec officiated at ODU summers camps while still an undergraduate, then high school games in Virginia during her time as an assistant coach. She continued to progress, umpiring at USA Field Hockey events such as the Young Women’s National Championship, now the Senior Nexus Championship, which she continues to officiate.

Makovec began officiating at the NCAA level in 2017 and quickly found her way into high-level collegiate matches. In 2018, she was on the NCAA Division III Championship umpiring team, then on the Division II team in 2021. Since 2022, she has been selected for the NCAA Division I Championship group every season. She has been assigned a Division I Conference Tournament every year, beginning in 2017.

In September 2023, Makovec was assigned to her first international match between the USA and Canada in a test series hosted in Charlotte, N.C. Not long after, all of her hard work paid off when she was appointed to her first international tournament, the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay in August 2025. She was on field for five matches, including a semifinal between Argentina and Chile and the bronze match between Chile and Uruguay.

“I am honored to receive this award and represent such an amazing group of passionate, dedicated, and hard-working officials,” said Makovec. “This sport has provided countless opportunities for me and through all the different phases (playing, coaching, and officiating), there have been those that have supported, challenged, and been there for me.  A special thank you to my husband, sons, and our entire village that holds things down at home while I continue to pursue the highest levels of officiating.”

A leader in all aspects, Makovec has dedicated her career to preparing future educators and coaches through innovative, student-centered instruction. She earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Education from ODU in Health and Physical Education and Curriculum and Instruction, respectively. She is currently a senior lecturer and undergraduate program director in the Human Movement Studies department at ODU, with more than a decade of experience in higher education, teacher preparation in health and physical education, and coaching.

“Officiating has allowed me to stay involved in a sport that I love and just like playing and coaching, when an opportunity presents itself, you must choose to meet the challenge head on. I would like to thank those people who believed in me enough to push me to the next step throughout this journey.”

Congratulations once again to Katelyn Makovec for winning the 2025 National Umpire Award.