Brighton, MI: This week, Great Lakes Regional Field Hockey (GLRFH), in partnership with The Legacy Center Sports Complex (Legacy Center), announced their plans to build a non-infill field hockey field to support the growth and continued development of field hockey in the Great Lakes Region. This will be the first short-piled, non-infill community turf in the region, and will serve as a blueprint for future growth of the sport across the Midwest. This investment in the field hockey community will give all athletes an opportunity to hone their skills on this faster, field hockey specific surface, which has become the go-to field type for club, collegiate, and international competitions.

The game of field hockey is the second largest team sport, played in over 100 countries. Here in the United States, USA Field Hockey supports both Men’s and Women’s Olympic Teams as well as competitive Junior National Programs. At the Collegiate level, there are 263 teams across Divisions I, II & III. Throughout the US, all ages enjoy the game through their local high schools, clubs, youth recreational, and adult recreational programs. 

Michigan will join a growing list of states that have non-infill turf fields for field hockey development that are not also serving a college program. Entities in Missouri, Texas, Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, Virginia and North Carolina have successfully funded field hockey non-infill turf facilities opening up development opportunities in the surrounding communities. As young athletes aspire to higher competitive levels, access to field hockey turf surfaces can accelerate development. 

As the popularity of the sport of field hockey grows in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region, the field at the Legacy Center will be the new home for regional field hockey. The Legacy Center is an ideal location due to its proximity to both Interstate 96 and US Highway 23, which provide convenient access to field hockey players across the state. The new field is certain to become a nationally recognized, premier host site for local, regional and national field hockey events and competitions. The expansion of GLRFH programming and the new field will increase access to the sport by giving the region a facility that puts field hockey first. The Legacy Center, as a first partner location, is ideal due to the existing infrastructure that includes professional sports facilities management, a 104,000 square foot dome, a 101,000 square foot field house, and all the other surrounding facilities and shared services. For GLRFH Executive Director Keely Tamer, access and visibility at The Legacy Center will allow for the following key components,

“A field where the sport of field hockey is the first user will give all field hockey programs priority scheduling, which will allow for annualized calendars, tournament scheduling, and an overall increase in play opportunities for boys and girls and players of all ages. We envision access for multiple users: high schools, clubs, youth and adult recreation, collegiate clubs, coach education and umpire development. Access will  drive visibility and growth. Legacy Center is Michigan's largest multi-sport complex, and offers over 90 acres of world class facilities. Legacy attracts teams and spectators from all over the state and the surrounding region. Baseball players, basketball players, volleyball players, and soccer players will now see field hockey players in action, creating immediate and impactful visibility of the sport.  Awareness leads to curiosity, curiosity leads to sampling, sampling leads to playing and we know that  playing the sport leads to loving it and staying engaged for a lifetime. In short, visibility matters for growth.”

In order to compete with other states, where access to field hockey is equal to other recreational sports like soccer and basketball, GLRFH is working to remove barriers that limit participation in the sport. Travel costs for competition outside the region have become a constant barrier for athletes looking to compete at the club, collegiate, and national levels. By building a non-infill turf at Legacy, the Great Lakes Region will earn a spot at the table alongside other premier host sites outside the region. GLRFH and The Legacy Center are committed to providing widespread, local access to sports across all levels of participation. By developing this community partnership, GLRFH is continuing to serve and support field hockey in the Great Lakes region by building a foundation for field hockey to thrive.                                                                                         

GLRFH will be kicking off their Field Hockey First fundraising campaign to build the first of its kind non-infill turf field at Legacy Center Sports Complex in Brighton, Michigan. To learn more about how you can be a part of something great and give your support to GLRFH’s Field First Campaign, please visit glrfieldhockey.org/fhfirst, or email: info@glrfieldhockey.org.