Keely Tamer - Executive Director
Keely has dedicated more than 15 years to growing the sport of field hockey in Michigan and the region. After earning her BA in Education and a Masters in Social Studies Education from the University of Michigan, Tamer went on to pursue her passion in sports at Kent State University, where she earned her Masters in Sports Administration.
Tamer comes to GLRFH with one mission in mind, to serve and support field hockey in the Great Lakes Region by providing the foundation for a network of thriving field hockey communities. The focus for growth is multi-faceted, from supporting and promoting lifetime engagement and cultivating coaching and umpire growth, to providing new play opportunities across the region for all ages and levels of experience.
Since taking the helm at GLRFH, participants across a wide-span of communities in Michigan have grown year over year:
-
2020 - 281 participating athletes
-
2021 - 426 participating athletes
-
2022 - 591 participating athletes/ 53 coach members
Tamer has provided programming for athletes (ages 5 - 50+) from the following communities in Southeast Michigan:
Ann Arbor, Brighton, Birmingham, Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Canton, Chelsea, Clarkston, Commerce Twp, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Detroit, Dexter, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Fenton, Grass Lake, Gregory, Green Oak, Grosse Ile Twp, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Shores, Hartland, Howell, Linden, Livonia, Madison Heights, Manchester, Milford, Mt. Clemens, Northville, Novi, Pinckney, Plymouth, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Saline, Scio, South Lyon, St. Clair Shores, Superior Twp., Troy, Wayne, West Bloomfield, Whitmore Lake, Ypsilanti
Other Communities outside of Southeast Michigan:
Byron Center, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, Greenville, Holly, Midland, Perrysburg, Sylvania, Maumee, Wyoming. SHAPE Conference presenter.
Tamer is an experienced small business owner of three businesses: Barn Field Hockey, specializing in skill development through semi-private training; Owner of CrossFit Dexter (2011-2015) focused on growing fitness and wellness opportunities within the local community; Co-owner of CrossFit Brighton (with husband Chris Tamer) from 2008-Present.
Tamer, as two-time captain of the University of Michigan field hockey team, assistant coach at Kent State University, and tenured head coach of the historied championship program at Dexter High School (2014, 2019, 2020, 2022 state titles) brings a wealth of first-hand experience to GLRFH. A key contributor to the Dexter Field Hockey community, President of the Michigan Chapter of USA Field Hockey (2020-Present), Club Coach at Pinnacle Field Hockey (2011-Present), and a small business owner, Keely has an array of experiences that make her the right fit as GLRFH's first Executive Director.
Hired to guide the initiation of programs and fundraising goals, Keely is positioned to continue to effectively grow field hockey in the Great Lakes Region.
Hired to guide the initiation of programs and fundraising goals, Keely is positioned to continue to effectively grow field hockey in the Great Lakes Region.
Jessie Veith Rouleau - PR Specialist
Jessie is a seasoned writer and communications consultant with over five years of experience in content writing, audience engagement, and growth strategy. Her passion for field hockey spans 30 years, starting in Oak Park, IL, where she first discovered her love of the game at age 11. After participating in USA Field Hockey Futures program & Windy City club field hockey (Chicago, IL), Jessie went on to play collegiately at the University of Michigan (1998-2002), where she captained the 2001 National Championship Team. In 1999, her team won the Big Ten Tournament Championship and finished as NCAA Runner Up, and Rouleau earned an NCAA All-Tournament Team selection. In 2000, the team earned the Big Ten Championship Title & Big Ten Tournament Championship.
Rouleau is the Varsity Coach at Grosse Pointe South High School where her team earned the Division 2 Championship Title in 2021 and finished as Division 2 Runner Up in 2020. Rouleau also serves as Secretary for the Michigan Chapter of USA Field Hockey (2020-Present) and in 2019, founded the youth field hockey program at the Neighborhood Club of Grosse Pointe, where she is currently the Program Supervisor, serving over 100 participants. In 2020, Rouleau also established GP United, a community middle school team, and is currently the head coach.
Margi Whittingham - Development Program Director
Margi Scholtes Whittingham comes to GLRFH as the Development Program Director where she is responsible for GLRFH's local youth field hockey programming across the state of Michigan. Margi is a Michigan native with 25 years of field hockey experience. She began her lifelong field hockey career playing on Grosse Pointe South’s first field hockey team, winning the state championship her junior year. She went onto play collegiately at Tufts University (2006-2009), where she captained her team and led them to two NCAA final four appearances and a Division III National Championship game. While on the field at Tufts, Margi earned personal accolades including first team All-American (2008, 2009), New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Defensive Player of the Year (2008) and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) New England West Region Player of the Year (2009). Post-graduation, Margi coached at both Tufts University and Johns Hopkins University. After earning her nursing degree from Johns Hopkins, Margi transitioned to coaching at the high school level. In Margi’s first year as a head coach at Ann Arbor Huron High School, the team won the State Championship (2013). Margi’s job unexpectedly took her overseas for the next seven years. While in Hong Kong, Margi played internationally in the Hong Kong premier league. Since returning to Michigan, Margi has helped coach at Grosse Pointe South High School and developed an elementary school after school field hockey program in the Grosse Pointe community. She lives in Grosse Pointe with her husband and three children where she is an active member of the community serving on the board of the Farm’s Foundation and as Vice President of Kerby School Parent Teacher Organization.
DEREK ASPINALL - Wisconsin/Illinois Content Creator and GLRFH Ambassador
Aspinall has been heavily involved in the advancement of field hockey since arriving in North America.
A native of Durham, England, ‘Degsy’ was an original member of the USA Field Hockey (USAFH) Steering Committee for Club Development. He brings with him a passion for, and an ability to support regional growth for both clubs and programs alike - he has valuable experience in launching and developing club programs, with the Milwaukee Cheeseburners being the fourth he has introduced this side of the pond.
On the field, he prides himself on the ability to develop players from grassroots to international levels (and everywhere in between) and holds coaching accreditations on two continents with qualifications in both the UK (England Hockey) and here in the US. His 30+ years’ coaching experience has allowed him to perform several positions within USAFH organization including National Olympic Pipeline Coach, Futures Program Head Coach (Region 8), Selector, Junior Olympic Coach, as well as being chosen to coach USA U21 Elite players.
As a massive advocate for field hockey, Degsy is proud to bring people together and actively looks to ways he can help promote this wonderful sport.
STACEY WOLLERTON - Western PA Content Curator
Stacey has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision. She has taught at the elementary level in public and private settings as well as at the college level. Stacey is very passionate about education and loves to see the light come on when a student (of any age) learns something new.
Stacey began watching field hockey and learning about the game when her daughter, Rylie, started playing. As Rylie continued to grow and evolve from youth summer league programs that she joined for fun, to a more competitive club and school player, Stacey found herself spending countless hours at practices, camps, and clinics. Learning field hockey through her daughter's experiences and growth in the game provided a passion that Stacey was not expecting!
Stacey loves the sport, enjoys watching all levels and truly wishes she had the opportunity to play when she was younger. Stacey has served on the field hockey board for both high schools that Rylie attended and was the social media coordinator. She is excited to help grow the game in Western PA!
Jill Dixon - Adult Play Ambassador
Jill Dixon joined Great Lakes Regional Field Hockey as the Adult Ambassador in January, 2024. Since 2010, Dixon has served in a variety of field hockey roles at the high school and college level as well as positions with USA Field Hockey.
Dixon joined Greenhills School in Ann Arbor, Mich. in July 2023, as the Varsity Head Coach and NCAA Liaison in College Counseling. Prior to joining Greenhills, Dixon has served as the head coach at The College of Wooster, associate head coach at Wesley College and assistant coaching roles at Central Michigan University, Oberlin College, and Smith College.
Dixon was a two-sport standout at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. She was a four-year starter in field hockey, scoring 30 career goals, and three times earned All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference honors. She was also a two-year starter on the lacrosse team. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree with a double major in biology and mathematics in 2009 from Randolph-Macon and received her master’s in sport leadership from Wesley in 2017. Jill resides in Michigan with her wife and their two dogs.
Dixon joined Greenhills School in Ann Arbor, Mich. in July 2023, as the Varsity Head Coach and NCAA Liaison in College Counseling. Prior to joining Greenhills, Dixon has served as the head coach at The College of Wooster, associate head coach at Wesley College and assistant coaching roles at Central Michigan University, Oberlin College, and Smith College.
Dixon was a two-sport standout at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. She was a four-year starter in field hockey, scoring 30 career goals, and three times earned All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference honors. She was also a two-year starter on the lacrosse team. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree with a double major in biology and mathematics in 2009 from Randolph-Macon and received her master’s in sport leadership from Wesley in 2017. Jill resides in Michigan with her wife and their two dogs.
Sam Skinner - INTERN
Sam joined the GLRFH Team in Fall of 2022 through our internship program. Her responsibilities include Legacy Field Hockey coordination, planning, communications and media, research projects, event coordination, and other database management.
Sam began playing field hockey in third grade, through Dexter Community Ed and continued on to play for Dexter High School, under Keely Tamer. She has coached the Dexter Middle School team for three seasons and has spent seven years coaching within the Dexter Community Ed Program. She also currently coaches for GLRFH at Legacy Center in Brighton, MI.
A gap year in Colorado confirmed her passion for the environment and sustainability, and she is planning to transfer to the University of Michigan's PITE Program in the Fall of 2023.
Anna Abela - intern
AnnaLyssia ‘Anna’ Abela joined the GLRFH team in January 2024 as a Storyteller Intern. As a Dearborn, Michigan native, she started playing field hockey at Dearborn High School in 9th grade. After discovering her passion for the game, she joined the Pinnacle Field Hockey club for two years under Keely Tamer and Nancy Cox.
Anna was a four-year Varsity player, earning All-State honors (‘17, ‘18), and was co-captain of the winningest season in over 10-years her senior year. She also contributed to the U19 Pinnacle FHC 1st place finish in Pool A at the National Hockey Festival in 2018.
After graduating high school, she went on to play collegiately at Concordia University Wisconsin (2019-2023). There she earned All- Tournament Team (‘20, ‘22), All-Conference First Team (‘21, ‘22), NFHCA All-Academic (‘20, ‘21, ‘22), was named Defensive MVP for her university team (‘20, ‘21, ‘22), and lead the DIII statistical category for defensive saves her senior season. Anna was also a U16/U19 coach for the Milwaukee Cheeseburners summer field hockey program in 2023, under Derek Aspinall.
She earned a dual- Bachelors degree in Psychology and Social Work (‘23) and is currently completing her Masters of Business Administration (‘24) in Rome, Italy while competing with UH Capitolina in Serie A1. She is excited to bridge the gap between her passion for field hockey and her career interests through this internship, and hopes to grow the community of field hockey!
