Lauren Fontanetta Honored for NFHCA DEI Spotlight
Photo Credit: Long Island All Starz
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO—The National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Spotlight was created to honor individuals, groups, and organizations whose work expands access, builds belonging, and strengthens the sport through education, advocacy, and allyship. In 2025, that recognition is bestowed on Lauren Fontanetta, a trailblazer whose impact continues to shape field hockey well beyond the lines of the pitch.
Lauren was a pioneer in the disability field hockey movement through the All-Starz initiative, developed in collaboration with USA Field Hockey. She redefined what was possible simply by showing up and competing with courage, skill, and joy.
She made history as the first American female athlete over the age of 30 with a disability to compete in field hockey. Over the course of her playing career, Lauren appeared three times at the USA Field Hockey National Indoor Tournament as a member of the Long Island All Starz, competing in the All-Starz Invitational in Mannheim, Pennsylvania. Each appearance carried meaning, but her final one carried something extra.
At the 2025 National Indoor Tournament, Lauren scored the game-winning goal in the championship match, an unforgettable moment that lifted Long Island to the title and perfectly captured who she was as a player. When the moment was biggest, Lauren rose to it for her team.
Lauren passed away in March following a medical event. She was 38 years old. Her passing sent ripples of grief through the field hockey community, along with an outpouring of gratitude for the way she lived, played, and led.
Lauren was a proud member of the Long Island All Starz, a disability-inclusive field hockey program accredited by USA Field Hockey and officially designated as an All Starz program. The organization’s mission is to level the playing field by supporting athletes on and off the field, a mission Lauren embodied daily. Through the use of traditional, adapted, and modified equipment, Long Island All Starz has helped make field hockey accessible and empowering for athletes of all abilities.
On October 11, the Long Island All Starz community gathered for what became far more than a tournament. It was a day devoted to celebrating Lauren’s life and legacy, reflecting the way she brought people together even in her absence. Stories were shared, memories were honored, and her spirit was felt in every pass, cheer, and embrace.
Lauren Fontanetta’s legacy is not defined solely by firsts or final scores, though both matter. It lives in the athletes who now see themselves reflected in the sport, in the programs that continue to expand access and inclusion, and in a field hockey community that is stronger, kinder, and more complete because she was part of it.
The NFHCA is honored to recognize Lauren Fontanetta as the 2025 DEI Spotlight honoree. Her impact endures in the game she loved, the people she inspired, and the doors she opened for generations still to come.
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) is a nonprofit organization serving field hockey coaches and supporters of the game from across the United States. The mission of the association is to champion, strengthen, and celebrate field hockey coaches and the game. The NFHCA strives to be the organization that every field hockey coach looks to for the resources to grow in the game and the inspiration to stay in the game.
