COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Field Hockey and Spooky Nook Sports today announced a partnership that will make Nook Sports the home of hockey and base of the U.S. Women’s National Team through 2022. Nook Sports, named after their location on Spooky Nook Road in Lancaster, Pa., ! is the nation’s soon-to-be largest indoor sports complex and will also host national USA Field Hockey sanctioned events beginning in 2014.
"We have been searching for a Home of Hockey in the northeast over the last several years and are excited to announce we have found a place the U.S. Women’s National Team will call home in Lancaster County,” said Steve Locke, Executive Director of USA Field Hockey. “Nook Sports is one of the most spectacular athletic facilities in the country. The location is ideal as many of our athletes come from the east coast, especially the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia area. There is no doubt that this is a game changing moment for our sport. The Home of Hockey will provide us with a platform to best p! repare our National Teams for success in international competition and serve as a beacon and center of excellence for developing athletes of all ages.”
Creating a home of hockey in the northeast, where field hockey is most prominent, coincides with USA Field Hockey’s mission statement and strategic plan of promoting, growing and providing opportunities for men and women and boys and girls to participate and excel in the sport in the United States.
Nook Sports will be USA Field Hockey’s home base for many elite, junior and development events, including, from 2014 onwards, host of the National Futures Championships, F! utures Elite Championship and the National Club Championship. The indoor center will become the permanent host of the National Indoor Tournament beginning in 2015.
With state-of-the-art facilities, including two water based turf pitches, six additional artificial surfaces and over 700,000 sq. ft. of indoor space, Nook Sports is an ideal venue located in an area that boasts the most field hockey players in the United States. The area designed specifically for Team USA will feature pristine home and away locker rooms, strength and conditioning facilities, conference and lounge areas as well as office space for the high performance staff.
"Not only will USA Field Hockey’s move to Nook Sports ignite even more excitement for the sport within the region, but it will create more opportunities for aspiring young players,” said Steve Goris, General Manager of Nook Sports. “With local, regional, national and now international games, leagues and tournaments year-round, it will create a multi-million dollar economic impact for Lancaster County.”
Nook Sports will serve as the main training venue for the U.S. Women’s National Team. The U.S. Women’s National Team will relocate from the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. to Lancaster, Pa. upon the completion of the new venue anticipated for late summer 2013. Chula Vista will remain a National Team training center an! d the U.S. Men’s National Team will continue to train and compete at the Olympic Training Center just outside San Diego, Calif.
“This is a very exciting time for USA Field Hockey as we begin a new quadrennial, but even more so because Nook Sports is creating an impressive home for us in Lancaster, Pa.,” said Lauren Crandall, 2008, 2012 Olympian and U.S. Women’s National Team captain. “I was overwhelmed by the massive size of the building and property and after meeting the owner and staff of the project, I was quickly impressed by the details they were putting into the project - nothing is being overlooked, no detail too small. The creative, intelligent minds that are working together on this project give me full faith it will be something ! special for USA Field Hockey and the far reaching hockey community. To have a Home for Hockey so central to the majority of the field hockey population is exciting to say the least. We hope it will translate into continual growth and strengthening of our sport in the surrounding areas as well as across the country.”
"The new facility promises to be an aspiration venue for the whole hockey community. Not only will it be home of our elite programs in which athletes will have access to world class facilities and support services, it will also allow the next generation of hockey players, coaches and officials to share in the environment and take inspiration from it,” said Craig Parnham, U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach.
As the most innovative indoor sports complex in the United States, Nook Sports will be the ultimate destination for sporting entertainment and events in the country. Inside the state-of-the-art facility, there will be multiple courts and fields for an array of sports, including volleyball, basketball, soccer, field hockey, tennis, and more, while outside, multiple water based and artificial turf fields will serve for a variety of sports.
In addition, Nook Sports will feature a family entertainment center, fitness club, climbing center, performance enhancement center as well as a sports science department where athletes can learn what it takes to be at the ! top of their game. Child watch services will also be available, so members and guests can enjoy everything the complex has to offer.
A press conference is set for 5 p.m. ET Friday, January 25 at Nook Sports on Spooky Nook Road in Lancaster, Pa. The conference will feature Steve Locke, Executive Director of USA Field Hockey, Steve Goris, General Manager of Nook Sports, and Team USA athlete representatives. A meet-and-greet, autograph signings and photo opportunities will be open to the public following the press conference with members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Field Hockey Team.
For more information on USA F! ield Hockey, visit usafieldhockey.com. For more information on Nook Sports, visit www.nooksports.com, like on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nooksports, or follow on Twitter @nooksports.
ABOUT SPOOKY NOOK SPORTS
Spooky Nook Sports is committed to operating the finest sports and entertainment complex in North America; with first-class facilities, dynamic programming, unrivaled instruction, and a friendly, professional staff. Our goal is to make a positive impact on all our guests through activities that build character, strengthen families, and present an opportunity for everyone to Play, Train and Compete.Formore information, visit www.nooksports.com.
ABOUT USA FIELD HOCKEY
USA Field Hockey is the national governing body for the sport of field hockey in the United States and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. USA Field Hockey is committed to providing opportunities for our 22,000 members to participate, develop and excel as players, coaches, umpires and administrators. USA Field Hockey’s Men’s and Women’s National Team strive for competitive excellence in Olympic, Pan American Games, World Cup and other International competitions. USA Field Hockey is a proud member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Hockey Federation. For more information, visit usafieldhockey.com.
