Pine-Richland is home to the field hockey clinic for future college athletes

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Sunday June 26, 2022 | 11:01 a.m


For years, Donna Stephenson’s mission has been to promote the game of field hockey in western Pennsylvania.

When she was offered the unique opportunity to run a clinic with classes from nationally renowned coaches and former US internationals, it was a no-brainer.

Pine-Richland will host a field hockey clinic for prospective collegiate athletes July 16-18.

The clinic is taught and reviewed by USA Field Hockey Foundation and former Yale coach Pam Stuper, former US National Team head coach/player Caroline Nelson-Nichols, and former Brown coach and international Jill Reeve, among others. All instructors have trained at the NCAA Division I level and there are four former Olympians in the group.

“The roster of coaches for this clinic is something I’ve never really seen,” Stephenson said. “It’s really the first of its kind with coaches of this caliber coming here. This will be really beneficial for girls who want to play in college as they get assessed by those coaches, and anyone who wants to get better or learn the game.”

The clinic consists of three parts in one.

There is a Development Clinic for fourth through eighth graders July 17-18 that costs $195 to attend, and a Trainer Clinic where coaches learn strategies from the clinic instructors July 17-18 at a cost of $75 U.S. dollar. If five players from the coach’s team register for the clinic, participation in the coach’s clinic is free of charge.

The uniqueness comes in part three, which is the first of its kind for field hockey for the Future College Athlete organization. It is every three days and is for eighth through twelfth graders. Participation costs US$450.

For more information about the individual clinics and how to register, visit www.prfieldhockey.com.

It is the first time that Future College Athlete has conducted an assessment clinic.

“The assessments can be used during the recruitment process and for them to work on skills, but it’s also intended for girls who are doing better in high school and want to learn where they excel and where they need to put a little more time into it.” to hone their game skills,” said Future College Athlete Coordinator Riki-Ann Serrins.

Serrins said Future College Athlete has been conducting field hockey clinics for eight years but has primarily focused on college ID clinics in the past.

Written reviews were suggested by parents and players in previous clinics, so they decided to organize a review clinic.

The judging process is broken down into six parts: Technique, Offensive and Defensive Tactics, Gameplay, Physicality, and Athletics.

“Each individual coach will gather at the end of each individual and discuss each player and their thoughts, so at the end of the clinic the evaluations will come from the entire staff,” Serrins said. “It won’t just be a coach filling out an evaluation for a player. The coaches put a lot into it. All of these coaches are well known and respected across the country, so the girls can take the written review to almost any college coach and they recognize the reviewers and take that to heart.”

Hailing from the same New York hometown as Reeve, Stephenson has been in touch with her for years, leading to Pine-Richland hosting the event. She said some of her players at Pine-Richland will be attending the clinic and that players from across the region will be doing the same.

“This is open to all players in the region, and we’ll also likely have players in the surrounding areas like Ohio, western New York and central Pennsylvania,” Stephenson said. “We’re trying to cast a wide net for these girls to have the opportunity to benefit from what these coaches have to offer.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Keywords: Pine Richland

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