What Is NextGen?

Ever since we launched our NextGen Class of 2028 last June, we have recieved so many inquiries about what the program is, how athletes are selected, and what exactly it means to be a part of it.

So to celebrate just over a year of NextGen, today we are finally going to be breaking it all down.

The Idea Behind It

The idea of NextGen all started with a tweet that was circulating during the 2025 WNBA draft.

For those unfamiliar with the WNBA, Paige Bueckers was the 2025 No.1 Draft Pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings and later won Rookie of the Year. During the draft, the above tweet from when she was just a sixth grader began circulating again online.

This made me start thinking about when we were interviewing the 2024 Olympic Team. There was so little media coverage of the players from their time on the senior national team, let alone anything from their junior national team days.

Even Erin Matson, one of the most publicized American field hockey players ever, has very limited media coverage from before her time at UNC.

In today’s sports landscape, where branding and storytelling matter more than ever, one of the next steps in growing the game is giving fans athletes they can follow and invest in long before college.

So What Actually Is NextGen?

NextGen is a media sponsorship built around a selected group of athletes from each recruiting class.

They are the only recruiting-aged athletes that are posted to our main timeline, the only recruiting-aged athletes featured on our podcast, and the only commitment announcements posted to our main feed.

Throughout the year, you’ll also see them doing Instagram takeovers during tournaments, appearing in highlight videos during the high school season, and featured in dedicated story highlights on our profile.

Beyond that, we are actively working on partnerships with companies like InstantReplay to help grow these athletes’ brands. They also receive complimentary access to the PCFH x TFHA Recruiting Database.

Since being announced in December, our Class of 2029 athletes have collectively gained more than 700 followers across social media platforms.

The Selections

Our main 2 factors for selection are:
1. Some of the best kids in the class
2. From All Around the USA

The reason for one is simple. We are investing in media coverage of these athletes at a young age. We are picking players that we expect to have stories in hockey, whether they choose to play just in college or play beyond college.

While choosing players, we do try to be conscious of not picking all our players from the same club. Currently, we have players representing Texas, Virginia, Missouri, New Jersey, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. While PA is the hotbed of field hockey, we want to make sure we are still doing our part in recognizing there is so much talent outside of PA.

While talent is obviously important, we are also looking for athletes who represent the future growth of the sport. That can mean leadership, personality, work ethic, etc.

A perfect example of this is 2029, Murphy Gamse, who is not only an extremely talented defender, but is also coming off of an ACL tear.

Throughout her return-to-play process, her commitment to the sport and passion for the game never changed. She has become an incredible example for younger athletes who may someday find themselves facing a similar challenge, which is one of many reasons she was selected for the program.

At the end of the day, we want athletes who younger players can follow for years and who fans will eventually recognize at the collegiate level and beyond.

So How Do You Get Picked?

The first step is to make it onto our High School Rookie Watchlist, which consists of approximately 50 athletes in each class.

To build the watchlist, we evaluate U16 Junior National Team selections, NEXUS performances, film from events like NCCs and NEXUS, and in-person evaluations at recruiting events throughout the year, including NITs.

For NextGen specifically, we also value athletes who are active on social media and already beginning to build a platform of their own. We currently have athletes from the Classes of 2030-2032 already on our radar.

Throughout the high school season, we continue tracking the athletes on the watchlist and evaluating their development both on and off the field.

By mid-November, invite emails are sent to selected athletes, followed by meetings to ensure they are the right fit for the program.

Why Is The Group So Small?

The original plan was to start with 5 players, and then expand each class to 15-20. Instead, we kept the Class of 2028 at 5 and decreased the Class of 2029 to 3.

Part of what makes NextGen special is that we are able to dedicate real time and attention to each athlete. Whether it’s creating graphics, organizing takeovers, recording interviews, or telling their stories over multiple years, we want every athlete in the program to recieve meaningful coverage.

The small size also allows us to build familiarity with fans. When people repeatedly see the same athletes over time, they begin to follow and invest in their journeys and careers. That long-term storytelling is the entire point of the program.

What NextGen Is NOT

NextGen is not player rankings. While we firmly believe that these are some of the top players in each class, this is not a 1-5 ranking.

NextGen is not a pay-to-play program. Athletes are selected entirely based on our evaluations and vision for the future of the sport.

NextGen is not a guarantee of future opportunities at the collegiate and international level. We have no say in the recruitment or selection of these athletes.

The Long-Term Vision

The goal of NextGen has never been to simply post highlights.

We want to help create a culture where field hockey athletes have stories that fans already know before they ever reach college or the national team level.

Other sports have spent years building stars early. Fans become invested in athletes because they feel like they’ve watched them grow up. Field hockey has historically lacked that type of long-term storytelling and visibility.

If we want the sport to continue growing, we need more recognizable athletes, more investment in player brands, and more opportunities for younger players to see themselves in the next generation of stars.

That is what NextGen is ultimately trying to build.

And with the first true NextGen recruiting classes becoming eligible to commit beginning June 15th, this is only the beginning of those stories.