Q: What are the dates of the season? Do I need to come back early from my summer vacation?
A: Due to COVID-related decision-making and associated delays, we (and all other youth sports programs in Darien) are still awaiting fall field space allocations. At this point in time, we can say for certain that the season will start no sooner than Monday, August 31, 2020 for our athletes in grades 5-8. Athletes in grades 1-4 will start after Labor Day. All schedules are subject to change. Please check back often for updates.
Q: Where will practice be held?
A: We plan to practice on the turf at Darien High School. DHS fall field assignments (for all programs) will not take place until June.
Q: When will practice be held?
A: During the week, youth programs can begin using the fields after the high school teams have finished practicing (typically between 5-5:30pm). Weekend schedules will be subject to high school availability (as they are now). Tentative practice schedules will be, by grade:
1st-2nd Weekend clinic (will do our best to accommodate the soccer schedule)
3rd-4th Saturday Mornings (Sunday Evening Games)
5th-6th Monday & Wednesday Evenings (Saturday or Sunday Games)
7th-8th Tuesday & Thursday Evenings (Saturday or Sunday Games)
Q: Why start a 1st & 2nd Grade Program?
A: We are inspired by the success of the youth soccer and lacrosse programs in teaching the basics and inspiring a love of the game at a young age. We don’t want kids to have to wait until third grade to learn how much fun field hockey can be!
Q: How many games will there be?
A: Grades 3-4 will either have clinics or intra-league scrimmages every weekend. Our goal for our travel teams (grades 5-8) is to play at least one game every week.
Q: How many girls will be on a team?
A: The short answer is that it varies. As we structure teams we’ll work to find the right balance of not having too many players on the sideline and making sure there are enough players to prevent exhaustion.
Q: Are teams organized by grade or birth year?
A: Teams will be organized by grade.
Q: Will teams be composed of 2 grades/2 birth years? (i.e.: "Blue" team is 7th and 8th graders?)
A: Our goal is to form teams that most closely reflect the age and talent mix in surrounding towns. Some teams may be organized by single grade level, and some may be mixed across two grade levels.
Q: Will there be paid coaches for travel teams?
A: Yes. It is our goal to provide each team with a dedicated coach. Staff coaches will be former collegiate or similar-level players with a focused interest in the success of Darien field hockey.
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