WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – With the backdrop of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, field hockey at the 2024 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympic Games wrapped up two weeks ago at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. The tournament, which showcased the talent of top U-16 Girls from across the country, also included the addition of U-16 Boys Hockey5s for the first time.
The AAU Junior Olympic Games is known as the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States, providing athletes the opportunity to experience an Olympic-like, multi-sport competition while enjoying the camaraderie and inspiration from top athletes in other featured sports.
This year, the U-16 Girls division consisted of six teams who competed in a round-robin style competition. The U-16 Girls earned their spots through a rigorous selection process at the 2024 Junior Nexus Championship, presented by Osaka Hockey, and Olympic Development Pathway. Four U-16 Boys teams participated in the exciting Hockey5s format, with athletes selected based on coach recommendations and a tryout from the 2024 California Cup.
The decision to include U-16 Boys in the Hockey5s format comes as part of the ongoing efforts to promote field hockey for boys nationally leading into the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Hockey5s, a small-sided, shorter, more intense variant of the traditional game, emphasizes speed, skill and teamwork, providing a thrilling experience for both the athletes and spectators. The experiment was a huge success, as boys from across the country were able to showcase their field hockey skills in a competitive and fun environment.
After several hot and sunny days of competition, the U-16 Girls championship match took place on August 1. Honor (3-1-1), the team who finished at the top of the pool standings, faced United (2-1-2) in the final. With a 2-0 shutout, it would be United who claimed the gold medal, with Honor taking silver. Trust and Pride both finished their pool play with two wins, and Trust, who had won 2-1 over Pride the day before, was victorious again in the bronze match.
In the U-16 Boys Hockey5s division, it was Power who claimed the top spot after four days of competitive matches. After going 9-1 in pool play and amassing a dominant goal differential of 52, Power went on to defeat Integrity 7-2 in the semifinal. The final took place later that afternoon, as Power defeated Courage – the team that had handed them their single loss earlier in the tournament – by a score of 7-3 to take home the gold. Courage ended their tournament with the silver medal and an overall record of 9-3.
Photos from the event are available for purchase on PhotoShelter. Click here to access.
USA Field Hockey would like to thank all the athletes, coaches, coach educators, umpires and technical staff for an action-packed few days, as well as congratulate the following teams who medaled in this year’s competition!
U-16 Girls
First Place: United
Head Coach: Kellie Joyce
Second Place: Honor
Head Coach: Katherine Cotton
Third Place: Trust
Head Coach: Maggie Young
Reagan Driscoll (Watertown, Mass.) from team Honor was awarded the Joel Ferrel Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance.
U-16 Boys Hockey5s
First Place: Power
Head Coach: Chris Chookagain
Second Place: Courage
Head Coach: Pasindu Wanigasooriya
Tristian Prinsloo (Houston, Texas) from team Power was awarded the Joel Ferrel Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance.
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By USWNT
