The season begins in the off-season, what you do now will define you and our team in the fall.  The off-season is to develop and refine your individual skill and physical ability, the season is to utilize this skill and physical ability to be the best team member you can.  Whether that be as a starter, a sub, or even a practice player, you have a role being on a team.  That role is doing and finding your best despite the odds and helping your team find solutions, not excuses.  We strongly encourage all of you to play other sports in the off-season!  While we would love for you to fall in love with the sport of field hockey, we understand that this may not be your “top” sport.  That’s ok.  We’re not expecting you to devote all of your time to field hockey, but we are expecting you to care to get better if you care to sign up.

USA FIELD HOCKEY NEXUS PROGRAM – See the USA Field Hockey Nexus Page for more Information @ https://www.teamusa.org/usa-field-hockey/nexus

• There will be a play day for our modified (7th & 8th grade) players on Sunday April 23rd @ Skidmore College, hosted by Saratoga Field Hockey.  RSVP @ https://columbiafieldhockey.com/saratoga-youth-spring-clinic-registration/.
• Skills session for our modified players (and any intersted new 7th & 8th graders) will begin Tuesday February 7th and run each Tuesday school is in session through the entire month of March.  We will go from 7:15-8:30pm each Tuesday in the DPS gym for our modified skills sessions through the end of March.
• Outside playing opportunities (camps, clinics, clubs) can be found on the outside playing opportunities tab under the drop down menu above, or by clicking https://columbiafieldhockey.com/outside-opportunities-mod-jv-varsity/.

Below are workout and skills drills you can do alone or with friends:

WORKOUTS

• • Workout formulated specifically for our field hockey players by a certified strength and conditioning coach, click here or cut and paste and go to the following link https://columbiafieldhockey.com/columbia-field-hockey-off-season-program/.
  • Workout Alternatives, click here or cut and paste to go to https://columbiafieldhockey.com/workout-idea/.

SKILLS

• • Below are some links to drills players can do by themselves with limited space.  Focus on doing the drill right first, then increase speed.  Stay low, knees bent and on the balls of your feet at all times with weight over feet and eyes foward.
  • If you don’t have cones you can use a ball of socks, rolled up shorts/tshirts, etc.
    • Indian dribble with cones – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyZNsBwfjqQ
      • ****Watch location of right AND left hand (knee level), and ball placement – away from feet
    • Air dribbling – THE PROPER WAY – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U7NL5iX3Pc
    • 5 minute skill warm up – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HknbpzEOhw&t=26s
    • 3D skills and ball control – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYn9_WRITug
    • Tight space ball control – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaAHkPZcD5k
    • “Snakes and Snaps” for ball control – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzXA9ji-3Do
    • “Touches and Checks” for ball control – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4H7nFuQbOk
    • Lifts and ball control – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZze9moivkY
    • Yard Stick Pulls 
    • If you have Instagram, check out the following accounts for a ton of awesome drills you can do by yourself or with a (we highly recommend taking a look at Cape Cod Field Hockey videos, as they have a large assortment of individual skills you can do by yourself)-
      • https://www.instagram.com/capecodfieldhockeyclub/
      • https://www.instagram.com/bewellwithcoachkell/
      • https://www.instagram.com/beyondthenettraining/