NFHCA Club Coaching Staff of the Year Goes to Colorado Bears
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) has named the Colorado Bears the 2025 NFHCA Club Coaching Staff of the Year, an honor sponsored by Performance Sports Events that recognizes exceptional leadership, programmatic development, and performance.
Programmatic Growth with Purpose
Over the past year, the Colorado Bears expanded both their reach and impact across the community. The club launched its Little Bears League, which sold out with nearly 100 young players, and added U10 and U12 travel teams for the first time. This season also marks the program’s first participation in the National Indoor Qualifier, further extending competitive opportunities for athletes.
Beyond youth programming, the Bears introduced a structured adult league to foster high-level competition and connection across age groups, hosted their first Elite Camp, and continued to run year-round goalkeeper training with a clear developmental framework.
A Deep, Connected Coaching Staff
Central to the Bears’ success is a coaching staff built on depth, shared standards, and long-term vision. The program has recruited coaches with strong competitive and coaching backgrounds who are aligned in their approach to athlete development and culture-building. This intentional staffing model has helped establish a coaching system that supports consistency, growth, and continuity throughout the club.
Elevating Expertise
The Colorado Bears have also prioritized bringing high-level expertise directly to their athletes. Throughout the year, the club hosted college coaches for camps and clinics and welcomed international and collegiate coach David Williamson for a specialized goalkeeper clinic, expanding access to advanced instruction within the local field hockey community.
Competitive Progress Across Age Groups
On the field, the Bears’ long-term development approach showed up in consistent competitive progress across multiple events. Their U14 and U16 teams posted improved finishes throughout the year, highlighted by stronger pool placements at Shooting Star tournaments, an unbeaten run at Winter Escape, a 4–1 performance at the National Indoor Tournament, and multiple winning records across spring and summer showcases. At the Regional Club Championship, the U16s advanced to the semifinals, closing a multi-goal gap from previous years, while the U14s narrowly missed qualifying for Nationals—clear indicators of sustained growth and positive momentum across the program.
Taken together, these results reflect a program on a clear upward trajectory—one driven by consistent coaching, long-term athlete development, and a commitment to improvement over time.
For more information on NFHCA coaching awards and recognition programs, visit nfhca.org.
About Performance Sports Events
Performance Sport Events (PSE) was founded to advance the professionalism and growth of field hockey nationwide. With over 38 years of history, PSE began as White Mountain Sports, one of the first major field hockey camps in the U.S., setting a strong foundation for the sport’s development. In 2016, PSE launched Shooting Star Tournaments to meet the demand for high-quality showcase events on synthetic turf. Starting with a Thanksgiving tournament, Shooting Star has grown to host 10 nationwide events for athletes of all ages, from U10 to Masters (35+). Officially established in 2024, PSE remains committed to delivering professional, inspiring, and authentic experiences for the entire field hockey community, continuing to shape the sport’s future with excellence and innovation.
AstroTurf is the Official Sponsor of the 2026 NFHCA Annual Convention. With over 50 years of experience and millions and millions of square feet of synthetic turf in use worldwide, AstroTurf products bring more technological expertise and real-world know-how to the game than any other brand.