26/02/2026
🏑 HOW I’D NAVIGATE D1 FIELD HOCKEY RECRUITING IN 2026 🏑
1. Build a RECRUITING BRAND. Since I was in the recruiting process, social media has changed the game. Start a separate field hockey Instagram. This is your athletic resume. I’d include game highlights (first touch, defensive plays, goals). I’d also include lots of training clips and stick skills in real time. Let your personality show and have fun with it! Coaches recruit people, not just skill sets. If coaches feel they already know you before a call, you’re ahead.
2. Make coaches remember YOU. If you’re serious about a school, go to their camps and clinics — but don’t just attend. COMPETE! Introduce yourself to the coaches, make eye contact, be the hardest worker on the pitch. Remember: effort, coachability, and consistency stand out way more than one flashy play to coaches.
3. Find your EDGE. Everyone who plays D1 field hockey is good. So what makes you different? Speed, grit, defense, hockey IQ, fitness, a specific skill set, etc. I harp on this all the time, but you do not need to be near perfect at every skill. Find one skill you can become elite at and use it consistently in games and practices. Find something that separates you.