Parkland Field Hockey has a lot to look forward to in years to come, thanks to the efforts of the South Parkland Youth Association. 

Head Coach Jen Szukics said she was “determined to provide a quality feeder program for the Parkland High School. It is my goal.” She is on track by reaching her three-year-goal of more than 80 girls in just one season.  

SPYA’s youth program includes three age divisions:

* Seniors (6-8^th grade)

* Juniors (2-5th grade)

* Tinys (K-1st grade.) The Tinys are coached by Lisa Brunnabend. Presently, the club is in its fall tournament season and boasts an impressive schedule of club teams from the Lehigh Valley and Greater Philadelphia area.

The coaching staff at SPYA has put together a strong instructional curriculum as recommended by the United States Field Hockey Association. Girls receive instruction on fundamental skills and an understanding of the rules of play. When the graduates of this program reach the middle school, they will be ready to learn even higher level skills from the coaching staff. 

At the Tinys' level, a solid foundation is built, and as the girls progress, they will reach the competitive level of play that was recently demonstrated this past weekend. SPYA’s teams proved they will be a force in the Lehigh Valley with a huge win over Northampton’s youth program in all age levels. 

This all sounds like a lot of work, so what are the participants saying? 

At a recent SPYA turf clinic held at Iron Lakes, Grace Royer, eighth grader at Orefield Middle School, smiled as she explained, “My friends and I love hockey, we now have the opportunity to play in the off-season and in competitive tournaments.  It’s awesome!”

For anyone interested in more information check out SPYA’s website at www.eteamz.com/SPYASports.