Last update 7/26/24

Indoor Season 2024-2025

Tryout registration is now OPEN for our indoor travel season. Our season runs mid-November until the end of February.

Early bird tryout fee is $30.  Tryout fee increases to $40 on 9/1.

Before you go to register, please have your USA Field hockey membership card handy.  USA Field Hockey membership is REQUIRED for insurance purposes.  Yes, this is also required for tryouts.  This membership is NOT covered by your season fee.

 

Don’t have a membership?  Visit this link:   https://usafieldhockey.webpoint.us/wp/Memberships/Join.wp

You must be affiliated with Delaware Sharks to participate in our indoor program.

 

Register here:  https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/442535

YOUR REGISTRATION WILL AUTOMATICALLY MOVE YOU TO THE CORRECT AGE GROUP.  When you choose a previous participant, please verify that the information is updated for THIS SEASON- school, grade and contact info are editable.  YOU control what email we use for you in this step.

All tryouts will be held at the Hockessin PAL center. Dates are as follows:

U10/U12 - Sept 7th, 9am-10:30am

U16 - Sept 7th, 10:45am - 12:30pm

U14 - Sept 8th, 4pm - 5:30pm

U19 - Sept 8th, 5:45pm-7:30pm

 

Season fees for the 2024-25 Season will be $985 for U10/U12, $1,060 for U14-U19. Payment plans are available.

Reminder age groups have changed! Registration will route you to the correct age grouping based on new USAFH rules. 

There is a question in the registration that asks if you can make your assigned spot - please just fill out if you have a conflict! No other email needed.

Practice venues are Smyrna High School, Dickinson High School, and Hockessin PAL.

Season fee changes:

Tournament fees continue to increase each season.  We are making some adjustments accordingly.

Season fee will be tiered.

U10 and U12 will attend 4 tournaments and 1 intraclub playday.  Season fee = $985.

U14, U16, and U19 will attend 5 tournaments and 1 intraclub playday.  Season fee = $1,060.

Practice pinnies will be provided to all NEW players.  Returning players have the opportunity to purchase a pinnie.

Have multiple athletes?  First child is full price; additional children will be reduced by $50 each.

Uniforms are roughly $115.  This is a separate cost from your season fee.

Register here: https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/442535

You MUST pre-register for tryouts.

Refund Policy

Refund policy 2023

Indoor FAQ:

Equipment needed for tryouts:
Sneakers – NOT cleats or turf shoes
Stick – outdoor stick is okay for tryouts!
Shin Guards
Mouthguards
Clearly marked water bottle
Optional - Gloves if you have them
Optional - Corner masks if you have them
YOU DO NOT NEED TO PURCHASE OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT JUST FOR TRYOUTS.

Season FAQ

How many players will you carry?

• We carry multiple teams in each age group and strive to carry as many athletes as we can with the facilities available to us. We look to serve players of all skill levels

When will I find out if I made a team?

• We typically have upwards of 160 players trying out.
• We have multiple evaluators and it does take time to process all the feedback from tryouts. We will aim for a two week turn-around.

Where and when will my practices / tournaments be?

• You will be given practice day/venue information before being asked to accept a spot.
• You may not select your practice venue. We do have your address information and will attempt to not make your location onerous, but our first goal is building the strongest teams.
• Tournaments will be selected after teams are formed. Those dates will be distributed as soon as possible. We target November for these dates to be published.

When will practices start?

• Practices typically start the second week of November and run through the end of February.

Do you offer payment programs?

• Yes, we offer multiple payment plan options.
• We can also extend additional payment terms if alternate arrangements are needed.

Our season runs from November through roughly the first week of March.

When and where are practices?
Practice will be at Hockessin PAL, Smyrna High School, or Dickinson High School.  You may not request your practice location, but please note we are cognizant of where you live and will make every effort to not be overly burdensome.  Our focus is on building the strongest possible teams.  You will be given practice site information before being asked to accept your spot.  Attendance is very important to remain competitive.

Goalkeeping training will be available for goalies that wish to get additional training.

When are the tournaments or games? Each team is assigned their own team schedule and tournaments will be in December - February. Most tournaments are within a 1.5 hour drive or less.  Your fee covers four regular-season tournament fees.  If a team opts for a 5th tournament such as an NIT Prep tournament or a college showcase, incremental fees are collected.  Typically tournaments are Saturdays and/or Sundays, and mostly a half day. We encourage people to carpool.  There are opportunities for Monday tournaments on holidays such as President’s Day.

Can I request a specific team and/or practice day/time? Unfortunately with 175+ players and multiple skill levels, we are unable to accommodate requests for specific team placements.  We strive to build competitive teams, and to do so we must place players appropriately based on experience and demonstrated ability at tryouts or previous seasons.

For returning players, please note that observations were conducted, and each coach turned in player evaluations at the end of the season. Players are not guaranteed to stay with the same group each year as some girls improve and some girls need more development.

What equipment do I need? Indoor field hockey stick, indoor sport-court type shoes (volleyball shoes are great), mouth guard, and a uniform (also ordered through club). We highly recommend you shop for sticks etc., at Her Game, located in Newtown Square, PA.

Who are the coaches?  The majority of our coaches have college field hockey experience.  Many also have a history of coaching at middle school, high school, and club programs.  A full profile of each of our coaches is available on delawaresharks.com. All have background checks and are USFHA Safe Sport certified.

What are reasonable expectations of playing time? Everyone gets to play in every game. However there is no promise of equal playing time as this is a competitive program. Decisions are based on skill, experience, needs of the team at the time, whether a player is having an ‘off’ day or not.  Generally at the U10 and U12 level playing time is more balanced as many players are new to the game and we take a developmental approach.

What if I have an issue I need to discuss with the coach? We encourage your daughter to first address a problem with the coach directly. We are grooming these young athletes to be strong individuals and as such please encourage your child to work out any issues himself/herself. If that avenue is not successful you can contact the coach at a time other than games/tournaments, preferably after practice.

In the event of an incident or problem, please wait 24 hours before contacting the coach as it gives both parties time to think through things and not be reactionary.  We will be including a both a player and a parent behavior contract as part of registration this year.

Aggressive and/or abusive behavior toward coaches or toward umpires will not be tolerated and may be course for removal from the program.