Futures – and all its Nuances

Happy New Year.

I haven’t blogged in a couple of weeks – I didn’t think you would miss me because of the Holidays. But now I’m back.

I have Futures on my mind.   Futures! and the New Year – Get it?

Seriously, I took the USFHA Level I coaching course before Christmas – as I will be coaching again (haven’t done that since my kids went off to college) this March at a Futures site here in Massachusetts.  So I thought maybe you’d like a run down on the hierarchy of the FUTURES process and agenda.  OK?

Most of this comes directly from the USFHA info sheet.  I have made a few edits to help clarify this all for you.

To recap from my previous Blogs on Futures:
You want to be part of Futures.  You have to join USFHA and test into Futures – and be selected from their testing.

USFHA’s agenda is clearly stated below as wanting to identify and train talented US athletes for the US National Team.

Your agenda most likely will be on a different path than our sport’s governing body.  Not at odds necessarily – but probably looking in another direction.

– Because you are interested in playing on a College team.

Regardless of your agendas not being in sync.  You still need to get plugged into Futures.  This is where much of college scouting is taking place.

In 1990 USA Field Hockey introduced its Olympic Development initiative — The Futures Program. Through Futures, USA Field Hockey evaluates and identifies talented young athletes. The mission of the Futures Program is to regionally develop the best athletes for the purpose of identifying talented “future” Olympic level athletes, and to overall strengthen the level of field hockey throughout the United States.

Future Selection & Training

All athletes enter the Futures Program through a trial procedure. FYI: Depending on where an athlete resides, different trial options may be available. By the end of the Futures Program, athletes will be identified for further development.

More than 4,800 athletes participate in specialized monthly training sessions from January to June that culminate with Regional Tournaments conducted in 11 regions nation-wide.
From these regional tournaments, athletes are selected to compete in the programs ultimate event, The National Futures Championship – held in Virginia Beach the end of June.

All participants receive initial coaching based on a nationwide curriculum developed by Terry Walsh, Technical Director for USA Field Hockey.    The curriculum is designed to improve a participant’s fundamentals and tactics and to teach advanced skills being used by Olympic level hockey players.
FYI:  Play and training is based on international rules – example: Futures plays with the new self-pass/self-start rule – your High School team in 2009 did not.

Athletes in the Futures Program are divided into age-group categories: Under 19, Under 16, and Under 14.
Athletes are again split into two training levels, Level I (regional best) and Level II (developmental). These levels are based on the athlete’s present skill level and/or the athlete’s potential for development as determined by the athlete’s performance based on the National Selection Criteria.
Further selection or advancement opportunities from the Futures Program begin with:

Regional Futures Tournament

Futures culminates with a Regional Tournament open to all athletes who have attended at least 70% of the training in the Futures Program.  Each region has a tournament.  The Regional Tournament is meant to give athletes the opportunity to display their talents in a competitive environment.  At the regional tournaments, selectors choose the athletes to represent their region at the National Futures Championship.

National Futures Championship

The National Futures Championship is held each year following the Futures Regional Tournament. The National Futures Championship features 16 under-19 teams, 16 under-16 teams, and 6 under-14 teams.  The National Futures Tournament is a six day event typically held late June.
Selectors at the Futures Championship choose athletes to become Futures Elite.

Futures Elite

Futures Elite represents the best high school field hockey athletes in the country. These athletes have been identified as having the skills, talent, and potential to successfully continue through the “Junior High Performance Program”. Futures Elite includes approximately 150 athletes spanning the U14, U16 and U19 age groups.  Additional athletes may also be selected to Futures Elite from the AAU Junior Olympics. Once an athlete is named to Futures Elite they are part of Junior High Performance.

::: AAU Juinio Olympic Games (U16 only)

Only Under 16 athletes may qualify or participate in the field hockey event of the AAU Junior Olympic Games. The Junior Olympic Games are sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union.  USA Field Hockey is responsible for selecting athletes to attend Junior Olympic Games from the National Futures Championship.  From Junior Olympics the U-16s can be further identified for the Futures Elite program.

Futures Development Invitational Camp (FDIC)

The FDIC is an Invitational Development Camp open only to athletes in the Futures Elite Program and is Directed by the USA Field Hockey National Coaching staff and USA Field Hockey’s top Olympic Development and High Performance coaches.

Junion National Camp

The Junior National Camp (JNC), is a four-day camp held every June/July. Athletes are invited to attend the JNC from Futures Elite and the Senior and Junior Women’s National Championships.

Olympic Development Select Athletes

Starting in 2010, Olympic Development Select (ODS) will represent the group of athletes that comprise the U16, U19 and U21 National Teams. Olympic Development Select athletes are selected at the Junior National Camp (JNC).  ODS annually includes approximately 48-54 athletes.

Junior High Performance Centers

Junior High Performance (JHP) Centers are a new addition to the Junior High Performance Program in 2010.  There will be 4 sites, located within the North East and Mid-Atlantic areas of the country.  These sites will run for 8-10 weeks during the spring culminating with the Junior National Championships in Virginia Beach in June.

Closing Note: This may look like a confusing chain of events if you are reading it for the first time.  Don’t worry.  Concentrate on three things:

• Get into Futures
• Play your best at the Regional Tournament
• If you are selected to the Championship Tournament – Play Hard…

Junior Olympics and/or Futures Elite – and each step afterward will be understood by you better as you move up the food chain.

What if you don’t test into, or can’t participate, in Futures?  What if you don’t get selected to the National Championship?

Don’t worry (most kids don’t) – but there is a team out there for you too.  And that will be another Blog.

Bob Whitcher
World Camp USA / Sport EuroTour
Top-Skill Training ~ at home and abroad
Where is Your Game Going?