Futures Field Hockey Tryout Prep: The 3-Week Plan
Futures is the regional development program run under USA Field Hockey, and its tryouts are the first rung of the national pathway. In plain words: a kid tries out at a regional site, usually in the winter, in an age group sorted by birth year, and if selected they train in a series of regional sessions through the winter and spring with coaches who are also evaluating them for the next rung. From there, the strongest players are invited to higher-level camps and selection events that feed the national development and junior programs. Most kids who make Futures do not go further, and that is the honest picture: it is a training program with a selection layer on top, not a ticket.
The tryout itself is different from anything at school or club. Sessions are ninety minutes to two hours, with numbered pinnies, several coaches with clipboards, and almost no teaching. A kid is being watched for how they receive, carry, pass, and defend against players they have never met, at full speed, in small-sided and full-field play. There is no system to learn and no coach who knows them. Whatever they do in the first ten minutes is what gets written down.
The plan below is three weeks because a kid trying out for Futures is already playing club and school; the job is sharpening first touch, speed, and physical readiness for a cold-weather session, not building a base. It assumes a wall or rebound board, a bag of balls, and a partner some of the time. The cost and the travel are real and are covered below, without hype.
What coaches are actually looking for
Selection coaches are looking for the things that translate to the next level without a coach standing over them: a first touch that is clean under pressure on both the forestick and the reverse, a kid who carries with their head up and sees the pass before they receive, a pass that arrives with the right weight, and a defender who channels with their feet and tackles with timing rather than diving in. Fitness is assumed; a kid who fades in the last game is not getting selected no matter how good the hands are.
Second is the ability to play with strangers. At a Futures tryout nobody is passing to your kid because they like them. The ones who get the ball are the ones who move to space early, call for it, and give it back on time. A kid who stands still waiting to be found will not be found, and a kid who holds the ball to show a trick has told the coaches something they did not want to hear.
Third, and the one that decides ties: composure and communication. Selectors watch how a kid responds to a bad touch, a lost tackle, or a teammate who never passes. The kid who resets, talks, and goes again is the kid who gets a second look. That is coachability at a level where nobody is coaching them yet.
How evaluations and selections actually work
The regional tryout is usually a single day, sometimes two, with kids grouped by age and rotated through a warm-up, technical stations (receiving, passing, one-on-one, shooting), and then a lot of game play. Coaches are sorting into training groups. Being moved between fields or groups mid-session is normal and is not a signal either way. Results come by email, sometimes within days, sometimes weeks, and the offer is a spot in the regional training program, which runs a set number of sessions over the winter and spring, often on weekends and often an hour or more from home.
This is where families need to slow down. The all-in cost has three parts: the tryout fee, the program fee for the training sessions, and the travel, which is the part nobody puts on the flyer. Tryout and program fees together typically run from a few hundred dollars into the high hundreds depending on the region and the age group, and the higher-level camps and selection events a kid may be invited to afterward each carry their own fee plus travel and hotel, which can push a full pathway year into the low thousands. A membership with USA Field Hockey is required and is its own fee. Ask for the all-in number: the tryout fee, the program fee, the session schedule with locations, and what the next-rung events cost if a kid is invited.
Two more questions worth asking. What the session schedule looks like against the club indoor season and school, because a winter of Futures on top of indoor club and a spring of outdoor club is where overuse injuries live. And what the kid actually gets from the training program if they are not selected further, because for most kids that is the outcome and it should still be worth the money. A region that answers those clearly is one worth paying. One that leans on the word "national" and gets vague on the schedule is telling you something.
This was written for every Futures field hockey player. ParentEdge writes one for yours.
Their position, their team, what they’re working on, and what the next few weeks actually look like. Two minutes, nothing to sign up for.
Tryout day checklist
- Registration, the tryout fee, and the USA Field Hockey membership handled online in advance, with the confirmation on your phone. Sites turn kids away at the door for this.
- Proof of birth year if the site asks, since age groups are sorted by it. A photo of the birth certificate usually works; ask ahead.
- Stick, shin guards, mouthguard, goggles if your league requires them, and a backup mouthguard in the bag.
- Turf shoes for turf, flat court shoes if the site is indoor, and warm layers you can play in and peel off. Winter tryouts start cold.
- Two water bottles and a snack for the break. Rented sites rarely have anything, and cold weather hides thirst.
- Eat a real meal three hours out. Nothing you have not eaten before a game.
- Arrive twenty-five minutes early. Find the sign-in, learn which field or court, get your pinnie number, and start receiving off a partner or a wall.
- Play your position at full speed from the first possession. Move to space early, call for the ball, give it back on time.
- Talk on every possession and reset after every bad touch. Selectors watch the response, not the mistake.
- Parents: before you accept a spot, ask what the training program includes, the session schedule with locations, and the all-in number including the next-rung events.
What age can kids try out for Futures field hockey?
Age groups are sorted by birth year and run from the early teens through the end of high school, with some regions offering a younger entry group. The exact bands shift from year to year, so check the current USA Field Hockey page for your region before registering. For a kid in middle school, a good club season is the more useful first step; Futures rewards a kid who already has a season or two of club first touch.
How much does Futures field hockey cost?
Three parts: the tryout fee, the program fee for the regional training sessions, and the travel to and from them. Together the fees typically run from a few hundred dollars into the high hundreds by region and age group, plus the required USA Field Hockey membership, and any higher-level camps or selection events a kid is invited to afterward each add their own fee, travel, and hotel, which can push a full pathway year into the low thousands. Ask for the all-in number, including the next-rung events, before you accept.
Does my kid need Futures to get recruited for college field hockey?
No. For most players the realistic path is a strong high school career plus a club that plays at showcase events where college coaches are present. Futures is a development program with a selection layer, and being in it is one signal among several, not a requirement. Be honest about which door your kid is trying, and do not let anyone sell you exposure they cannot name specifically.
What happens if my kid is selected for Futures?
They join the regional training program: a set number of sessions over the winter and spring, usually on weekends, with coaches who are teaching and evaluating at the same time. From there a small number of players are invited to higher-level camps and selection events; most are not, and that is the normal outcome. The question to ask before you pay is whether the training itself is worth the money for a kid who stays at the regional level, because for most families that is what they are buying.