National Field Hockey Festival Ready to Play Again in November

3STEP Sports, the nation’s largest and most impactful youth sports club and event operator, has partnered with USA Field Hockey to be the official Event Manager of the National Hockey Festival.

Since 1981, the National Hockey Festival has served generations of athletes, coaches, umpires and families for a fun and competitive weekend of field hockey in sunny Florida. Shooting Star Thanksgiving, a 3STEP Sports event, took the field in 2016 and has grown exponentially over the last eight years, spanning over two locations in Virginia.

Traditionally held over Thanksgiving weekend, Festival and Shooting Star Thanksgiving are the two most premier events in the youth field hockey landscape, with both tournaments selling out within minutes of registration opening. Combined, the two tournaments welcome all athletes ages U-10 through U-19 and will host roughly 400 teams over three days.

This partnership brings exciting opportunities and a new location to this year’s Festival. The 2023 National Hockey Festival, powered by 3STEP Sports, will take place at the state-of-the-art Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples, Fla., featuring nine turf fields with an additional four turf fields at the neighboring North Collier Park.

“We are delighted to be partnering with 3STEP Sports to provide the 42nd edition of the National Hockey Festival,” said Simon Hoskins, USA Field Hockey’s Executive Director. “Together, we aim to provide an amazing field hockey experience over the Thanksgiving break.”

“We are thrilled to partner with USA Field Hockey,” said Ainslee Lamb, 3STEP Vice President of Field Hockey. “The opportunity to support the renowned and historically entrenched Hockey Festival is a privilege. Utilizing the 3STEP resources to assist the USA Field Hockey event staff and provide an optimal experience for the players, families, coaches, umpires and vendors will benefit everyone invested in this staple field hockey event.”

The National Hockey Festival and Shooting Star Thanksgiving are slated for November 24 to 26, 2023 in Florida and Virginia, respectively.

“Offering both the Festival and the Shooting Star Thanksgiving events running simultaneously aligns with both USA Field Hockey and 3STEP’s vision of sustaining, growing and providing options for the game to be played by more clubs across the country,” added Lamb.