USA Field Hockey Announces Revamped Olympic Development Pathway Program, Nexus

The game is changing, the landscape is evolving and what started 30 years ago has produced countless Olympians and inspired many along their journey. Nexus, formerly Futures, has a new look, structure and curriculum. It’s forward thinking and innovative.

The result: Nexus.

USA Field Hockey is pleased to reveal a revamped and improved Olympic Development Pathway Program.

Nexus, presented by Harrow Sports, is designed to help players take their game to the next level and develop the next generation of elite players and future U.S. Olympians. Whether a player's goal is to make their high school team, play in college, achieve peak performance or represent Team USA in the Olympic Games, Nexus is for them.

Nexus is geared toward current junior high and high school field hockey players – girls and boys ages 11 to 19 - who are self-motivated to improve and develop their game.

Participants in Nexus will:

• Receive Top Notch Coaching – Work with regional coaching teams trained in “The USA Way”, using a proven national curriculum developed by USA Field Hockey’s high-performance coaching team
• Learn “The USA Way” – Understand and apply the language, philosophy, style of play and what it takes to make it to the next level in the United States system
• Compete With & Against the Best – Challenge themselves against other talented and dedicated players in competitive game and skill-based activities
• Develop Personal Development Plans (PDP) – Receive individual feedback to identify and improve on- and off-field strengths and weaknesses, tracking progress and development over time
• Connect & Network – Make field hockey friends beyond school and club teams
• Tryout for Team USA – Top performers in each age group will be invited to the Nexus Championship, from which players will be selected to USA Field Hockey’s Junior U.S. National Teams final selection camp.

The registration process for Nexus 2021 is now open, and different for athletes new to the program and those who have participated in Futures in the past. The Nexus Registration deadline is Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Players new to Nexus will need to submit their interest in participating to be considered for the program. This is free but will require a coach recommendation. Players are not required to have a USA Field Hockey Membership to submit interest. Once the player completes their interested registration, they will receive a confirmation email which can be passed on to their coach with instructions on how to complete the recommendation process. If accepted into Nexus, the invitation will be sent to the email address that was added into the USA Field Hockey Membership Account.

Players that registered for the 2019 and 2020 Futures program should have already received an invitation to Nexus 2021. Those players will need to log into their USA Field Hockey Membership Account and accept their invitation by the deadline of Thursday, April 1, 2021.

If you have more questions about Nexus, visit Nexus Frequently Asked Questions or email nexus@usafieldhockey.com.