COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Field Hockey is pleased to announce a sponsorship deal with ROAR Hockey Company that provides USA Field Hockey Members with a 15% discount on ROAR’s innovative FHTD1000 StikStak Training System and other products.
The FHTD1000 StikStak Field Hockey Training System is a training device designed to replicate the stance and stick movements of a defender. ROAR’s devices are an innovative advancement compared to the generic sport cone standard, as they allow field hockey athletes to practice in a realistic and unique way that helps to hone essential possession and elimination skills. The product is offered in tall and short models, which are built to replicate outdoor and indoor situations respectively, although either configuration can be used on any pitch or playing surface.
The FHTD1000 StikStak was designed by ROAR founder Jim Schutt, a former youth, high school, club, college and USA Field Hockey Level II Certified Coach. Schutt, who has an attack-centered coaching philosophy, envisioned a better way to challenge athletes and set out to invent a system that is not only a more efficient coaching tool, but one that offers a superior visual representation of what athletes will encounter on the pitch.
“Until athletes develop muscle memory and gain confidence in their ability through practice, it’s difficult to be successful in any sport,” commented Schutt. “We feel our products provide a distinct advantage in this regard. If you can efficiently dodge or eliminate our devices in the practice/training environment, you can repeat it on the pitch in competition. We also feel our system provides an elevated advantage when utilized in the camp/clinic or multi-drill environment by allowing coaches to better focus on the athlete’s ability. I was really tired of chasing and resetting kicked or windblown sport cones during an active drill, so you won’t have those types of issues with our devices.”
Marc Bakerman, USA Field Hockey’s Boys Development Manager; Grant Fulton, Junior High Performance Director; and Harry Singh, USMNT Head Coach experiment with the StikStak training system at a recent USA Field Hockey Staff Meeting.
“We’re also currently refining our own simple but effective 1-2-3 system of ball movement which helps breakdown the learning process when utilizing our devices. Additionally, ROAR is always available to support or assist programs on how to best incorporate our training elements into your curriculum. I never seemed to have a problem designing effective, offensive minded drills and I’m happy to share what I’ve learned in my 20+ years as a coach. ROAR’s available 24/7 to help support any coach’s goals and vision for success though consultation or a direct on-site pitch presence.”
Schutt continued, “I want to give back to a truly amazing sport by manufacturing a superior product that benefits all skill levels, from the beginner to the elite athlete. Field hockey is a uniquely challenging and interesting sport. It requires a level of toughness, skill, fitness and intelligence which I feel is unique to the sport. I am interested in supporting USA Field Hockey with this sponsorship to not only help train current and future athletes, but to also support the organization’s mission. The StikStak is a product that I’m not only proud of, but also passionate about.”
“StikStak adds excitement and fun into any training program,” said Ginger Wheeler, USA Field Hockey’s Commercial Partnership and Marketing Manager. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to work with ROAR Hockey Company to encourage more kids to jump into the game and to empower coaches with more training choices through innovative products like StikStak. For sport development and athlete training, ROAR’s Basic and Advanced sets are perfect for individual training while the high school/club/college connection of six (6) devices is a great baseline for field hockey organizations.”
Learn more about the FHTD1000 StikStak at ROARHoCo.com. To purchase a set of StikStak training devices, log into the USA Field Hockey Member Portal and go to the Discounts page, or visit the In The Circle Member App to find your coupon code for 15% off.
by NCAA
