Middle School Field Hockey Tryout Prep: The 3-Week Plan
Middle school field hockey tryouts are, at a lot of schools, the first time a kid picks up a stick in front of a coach. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade rosters are full of first-year players, and the tryout happens on a field with forty or fifty kids, over two or three afternoons, run by a coach who is often a teacher borrowing time from something else. In areas where field hockey is a real middle school sport it can be the biggest turnout of the fall; in others it is a no-cut team and the tryout is really a placement.
What decides it, when there is a cut, is stick skill and hustle. A kid who can receive a ball on the forestick without it bouncing off, carry ten yards with the ball on the stick and their head up, and push a pass that gets to a teammate is ahead of most of the field. Add a kid who runs to every loose ball and talks, and a coach with fifty kids and eighteen spots has noticed them by the second afternoon.
The plan below is three weeks, built for a driveway, a garage door or a wall, a handful of balls, and a parent or sibling with a stick. No lifted balls at this age, at home: everything stays on the ground, and the mouthguard and shin guards go on for every session. If your kid has never held a stick, run it anyway and be honest with them that this year might be about learning what a tryout is.
What coaches are actually looking for
A middle school field hockey coach with two afternoons and a field full of kids is sorting on things they can see from thirty yards: does the ball stay on the stick when the kid runs, does the kid get their stick down and body low to receive, does a push pass go where it was aimed, and does the kid chase a loose ball or wait for someone else to. That is most of the list. Skill matters, and it is mostly the receiving and the carrying, not the hit.
The next tier is effort and voice. Field hockey is a running sport on a big field, and the kid who is still sprinting to the ball in the last drill of the second day, while calling for it, is easy to keep. Coaches at this level are building a team of kids they can teach. The kid who says "yes coach" and changes their grip on the next rep has just told the coach they are teachable, and that is worth more than any move.
One habit gets kids noticed more than parents expect: a flat stick on the ground when the ball is coming. First-year players lift the stick head as the ball arrives and it rolls under. A kid who has spent three weeks receiving off a wall with the stick flat and the left hand at the top has a habit that stands out on day one. A hard hit does not stand out nearly as much; most middle school coaches would rather see a clean push than a wild drive.
What the days themselves look like
Most middle school tryouts run two days, sometimes three, right after school on grass or turf. Day one is everyone: names, numbers on tape or pinnies, a stick-and-ball warm-up, dribbling through cones, passing in pairs, receiving lines, some form of running (shuttles or laps), then short small-sided games in groups the coach keeps shuffling. If the school owns a goalkeeper kit, someone will get asked to try it, and it is often a kid who volunteers.
Day two is more game play and more watching. Coaches write down numbers, not names, for the kid who receives cleanly, keeps the stick on the ground, moves to space, and talks. This is also when heat shows: early-fall afternoons in most of the country are hot, and a kid who did not drink water all day at school fades in the last half hour. Send them with a full bottle and tell them to drink at every break.
The cut itself, where there is one, gets posted on a door, emailed that night, or told to kids in a group. Ask the coach ahead of time how they do it so your kid is not blindsided. And ask whether there is a B team, a developmental group, or a practice-player spot: a lot of middle school programs keep more kids than the roster shows.
This was written for every middle school 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
- Physical form and the school sign-up sheet turned in before day one. Middle school coaches send kids home without it.
- A stick that is the right length: standing up, the top of the stick reaches about hip height. A borrowed adult stick is too long and it shows.
- Shin guards and a mouthguard, every day, no exceptions. Field hockey shin guards if you can get them, and a mouthguard they have worn before.
- Goggles if your state or league requires them at the middle school level. Check the school athletics page, because some do.
- Cleats for grass, turf shoes for turf. Ask what surface the tryout is on.
- A full water bottle and a second one. Early-fall afternoons are hot and most fields have no shade.
- A real snack an hour before: a sandwich, fruit, something they have eaten before a game already.
- Arrive fifteen minutes early, find the sign-in, and start pushing a ball against a fence instead of sitting on the grass.
- Stick on the ground, chase every loose ball, and call "ball" on every pass you want.
- When corrected, say "yes coach" and do it the next rep. Afterward, one question from the parent: "What did the coach say to you?" Not "Did you make it?"
What grade does middle school field hockey start?
It depends on the region. Some schools field a seventh and eighth grade team, some start in sixth, and in a lot of the country there is no middle school program at all and a local club or rec league fills that gap. Check the school athletics page early, because the sign-up and the physical deadline usually come a week or more before the tryout itself.
Does my kid need their own stick for field hockey tryouts?
Ideally yes, and the right length matters more than the brand: standing up, the top of the stick should reach about hip height. Entry-level sticks run from a modest amount to a few times that, and some schools keep loaners; ask the coach. Shin guards and a mouthguard are non-negotiable on day one regardless of whose stick it is.
My kid has never played field hockey. Can they make the middle school team?
Often, yes. Middle school rosters are full of first-year players and the sorting happens on receiving, carrying, and hustle, all of which three weeks against a wall can build. Run the plan, be honest that the first tryout might be about learning what a tryout is, and treat the outcome as information. Plenty of kids cut in seventh grade make it in eighth because they played a rec season in between.
Are goggles required for middle school field hockey?
It varies by state and by league. A number of states require protective eyewear at the high school level, and middle school programs in those states usually follow the same rule; others leave it to the school. Ask the coach before day one, and if they are required, buy a pair that fits and have your kid wear them during the prep weeks so they are not new on the field.