FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you have any questions that are not answered here, please feel free to contact us.
General FAQs
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
We offer a full refund minus a $10 + 4% credit card processing fee 30 days or more before the session’s start date. Less than 30 days we offer a credit minus a processing fee to be used at a later date. If you need to cancel within 30 days and have a documented medical reason, we offer a pro-rated refund. 1 week before or after an event begins, we do not offer refunds.
Our school year coaches are all USAFH members with current Safesport certifications, background checks, and hold either a Level 1 or Level 2 USA Coaching certification. We also screen them for a culture fit, meaning they have a love of the game and believe that sports can be taught positively and with life lessons weaved throughout all they do.
What are the qualifications of the Beyond Sticks school year coaches?
Do you offer scholarships?
We believe the joy of this sport should be available regardless of need. Therefore, we ensure scholarships are available for every single program we offer, both full and partial. If you think our programs are right for you, please apply for our Play Beyond the Game award.
Do you train goalkeepers? Do GK’s need to bring their own equipment?
We love training many different levels of goalkeepers. GK’s do need to supply their own equipment, however we can provide a loaner stick, should an athlete need one. Most schools have gear you can borrow outside the season.
Do you provide sticks for field players?
We offer loaner sticks free of cost. In fact, if you are a first time player, we highly recommend you try out a loaner stick before buying one yourself. Once you register, be sure to email Heidi Lewis if you plan on using one! If you want your own stick and are unsure what to get, refer to our sizing chart.
Is there any special equipment necessary for field hockey?
It’s important to use a mouthguard, shin guards with ankle protection, and hockey stick (of course!) for practices and games. Click here for more information.
What measures are you taking to maintain a COVID safe environment?
Check out our COVID-19 safety statement here. As CDC and state guidelines change we reassess this policy. We are proud to report we have no confirmed cases of transmission since we returned to play in June 2020.
We have a mix of beginner and advanced hockey players join us at our camps and programs. To ensure each athlete has the best experience, we ask preliminary questions in our sign ups to get an understanding of skill level and sort the groups based on the information you provide including grade, age, playing experience, and team experience. Of course, every athlete is different and our coaches and director never get it perfect every time, so we urge our athletes to SPEAK UP if they feel a different group would be a better fit.
How do you determine what group a player goes into? Do I need to have field hockey experience?
Three Levels of Play - Development, Academy, and Performance
Not sure which level is right for you? Read below!
Why three levels? We want to meet each player where they’re at - elementary school to high school, beginner to advanced player, those looking for social connections and those looking for competition. By offering three levels of play we can keep what has always been our base - introducing players to field hockey in a positive environment - and add in more ways for athletes to play with us.
How many teams are at each level? - This will vary depending on total registration numbers. However, you can picture our levels forming a pyramid shape - we have the most number of Development teams, slightly fewer Academy teams, and then Performance makes up the smallest level-only 1 team in 2022.
Is each level available at every location? - Not every level is currently available at every location. Our plan is to grow our programs so that we can offer all three levels at every location. Currently, however, only our Madeira location offers all programs in order to facilitate proper numbers and resources for teams.
Why are there price differences between the three levels? - Two major factors - length of program and the number of competitions. Development programs are slightly shorter and include one competition day, while Academy and Performance programs run an extra two weeks and include two outside competitions,
Do I need to commit to a full year? - Nope! You can sign up for one, two, or three seasons per year, depending on your family’s schedule.
As we need to schedule outside competitions a few months in advance, we will probably ask for interest in Academy and Performance in advance, but those responses are not binding.
Are there tryouts for the different levels? - We do not hold tryouts! There is a place in Beyond Sticks for anyone who wants to play with us.
At our Academy level, we recommend that players have a minimum of 2-3 years of playing experience along with some team and game experience. If you’re a current Development athlete your coach may recommend at the end of a season that you move up to Academy.
Our Performance level is for 10th-12th players with 2-3 levels of experience who currently play or played last season on their high school’s varsity team. Exceptions can be made for 9th grade athletes playing on varsity with permission from Beyond Sticks staff.
How far will I need to travel for games, play days, or tournaments? - Our Development end of season play dates will always be hosted at one of our local sites, currently at the Madeira School.
We will strive to host at least one out of two outside competitions for our Academy and Performance teams at a local site to minimize travel. If we attend a tournament that is not at one of our partner locations we will limit travel to a 90 minute radius from your normal training site.
Are there extra costs for the games, play days, or tournaments? - There are no extra fees for the games, play days, and tournaments included as part of your 8 week or 10 week season - those are included in your program registration!
Performance players may be offered opportunities to travel to optional showcase or college recruiting tournaments. We will target tournaments within a 2.5 hour driving distance, but additional costs will be attached to those opportunities including tournament fees, coaches, meals, and hotels. We are not a club and have no plans to be a traditional club, so please see many local great clubs in the area if that is what you are looking for a full year commitment with lots of big tournaments.
Summer Camp FAQs
What are the qualifications of the Beyond Sticks summer coaches?
Our summer camp coaches are current US and international NCAA coaches and often hold Level 1 and Level 2 USA Coaching certifications. Check out our summer 2021 coaching staff here. We often have current college athletes assist our head coaches; we’ve decided they add a cool factor that adults simply don’t have!
Can I register my team for camp?
We love having teams join us for our Bootcamp and Preseason camps! Each team member will need to sign up individually but we will group the entire team together if you send us a message.
How can I tell if a camp is still open?
Camp registration remains open until the week before camp is scheduled to begin. If a camp is full before that time, you will be notified during the registration process and placed on a waiting list. Waiting lists DO MOVE though, so please register! You will not be charged unless you are moved off of the waitlist.
Do players get recruited at your camps?
Yes...and no. The college coaches that join us are always in recruiting mode and are sure to connect with you if they are interested in beginning a recruiting relationship. Even if you aren’t interested in that school, our camps create a special environment where athletes can ask open and honest questions to coaches about playing in college at different levels. That said, if you aren’t interested in playing in college, the coaches are there to help all athletes learn so you will get the same amount of attention regardless.
Be sure to pack sunscreen, lots of water, your lunch, and sneakers! Click here for more information.
What should I bring to camp each day?
What is our phone policy at camp?
Many campers come to camp alone and we want to give athletes the chance to bond with one another. Therefore, we discourage phone use during down time and keep phones in one place for athletes to check, but they don’t have them on them.