Ali Froede, a Longstreth Sporting Goods sponsored player, recently did a Q&A session with us on her experience at FIH Hockey World League Semi-Finals. Froede has been a member of the USA Field Hockey Women’s National Team since 2015, where she plays defense. She attended Miami University of Ohio, and while there, was awarded First-Team All MAC twice, as well as NFHCA All-West Region Second Team in 2014. First things first, we had to know what her top three favorite moments on the trip were in regards to hockey, and playing in the tournament. She replied that her favorite memory was, of course, winning! She elaborated and said, “This was the first time we have ever won a quarterfinal game – let alone make it to the finals and win.” Her second favorite moment was the thrill of her first major tournament. She said that South Africa was a lot of fun to play in, and that the environment itself was great. Lastly, she recalled that one day at practice two boys were standing at the fence watching them. She said that the team then invited them to play around, and also gave them USA pinnies and sticks, which the boys were super excited about.
We were also curious as to how the team moved past the losses to Argentina and South Africa. We wanted to know if it made things more difficult, or if it made them work even harder. Froede explained that losing to Argentina was not as bad as losing to South Africa. She gave her reasoning when she said, “One, they were the host nation so with that brought a huge supportive crowd that made themselves heard. Two, we felt that we could have definitely won that game, but let exterior factors inhibit us from playing our game – like the refs and the crowd.” In order for the team to get back on track, Froede said, “As a team, we came together and got back to our basics. We are constantly focused on ‘doing our jobs’ – a staple we often remind ourselves to do, and we started playing UN1TED, which ultimately started us in the direction of the finals.” Many new players have been added to the USA Field Hockey Women’s National Team, and we were curious how that affected their game. Froede said, “A focus of the tournament was learning how to play together with new faces. As one of the newer players, it was a great experience to play so many games and gain confidence in myself and my skills on the field.” There are a bunch of neat things to see in South Africa, that you can’t typically see here, so we wanted to know what fun adventures the team went on while they were there. Froede said that on the last day they were in South Africa, they got to go to a lion park. “My favorite was playing [with] and petting the baby lions!” said Froede. “They were so cute and fluffy, and it was amazing getting to touch an animal you normally don’t get to see that close! We also got to feed giraffes, see zebras, wild dogs, and wildebeests. It was a great way to end the trip.” As the Pan American Cup approaches, we wanted to know what the team has learned from this experience in order to have further success in Pan Ams. Froede graciously responded, “We learned that we perform our best when we focus on our individual jobs, and play together and UN1TED. Going into the PAC we are going to take one game at a time and focus on our jobs for the moment.” Although playing in South Africa was fun, Froede is looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd for the Pan Ams. Longstreth Sporting Goods would like to congratulate the USA Field Hockey Women’s National Team on their extraordinary win in the FIH World Hockey League Semi-Finals, and wish them further success in the Pan American Cup. Visit the Longstreth Sporting Goods website to learn more about our sponsored Field Hockey players.
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Rule changes regarding equipment are constantly fluctuating and the latest shift concerns goggles. As many of you know, goggles are a key piece of equipment that high school and middle school women’s field hockey and women’s lacrosse players are required to wear. In order for wire goggles to be legal for women’s field hockey, they must have a wire bar that stretches vertically through the goggle. The comparison between women’s field hockey and women’s lacrosse goggles can be found below. Notice that there is no veritcal bar running through the player’s vision in the lacrosse goggle. The reasoning behind the need for the vertical bar in field hockey is to prevent the toe of a stick from getting in the goggle. In lacrosse, this is not an issue, therefore they do not require the vertical wire piece.
Keep this rule of thumb in mind, you CAN wear your women’s field hockey goggles for lacrosse, but CANNOT wear your women’s lacrosse goggles for field hockey. So if you are a duel-sport athlete and want to invest in only one pair of goggles, your best bet would be to purchase women’s field hockey goggles. Many players prefer Bangerz goggles. There are two styles of Bangerz goggles that can be used for both women’s lacrosse and women’s field hockey. These are the Bangerz Elite Goggle and the Bangerz Sleek Fitting Youth Eyeguard. Unfortunately, the Bangerz Sunglasses Eye Protection is no longer legal for women’s field hockey. However, they are legal for women’s lacrosse. If you’re wondering about your current goggles, or you are just in search of a new pair, feel free to contact Longstreth Sporting Good’s Retail Store or Customer Service with any questions you may have. Visit our Ask the Experts page to forward us any of your sports related questions. We are here to help! Nokona Fastpitch softball gloves have been consistently popular within the softball industry. They have been crafting their products in Nocona, Texas since 1934, and take extreme pride in the fact that they are an American-based product.
The Nokona X2 Buckaroo glove is Nokona’s highest-end Fastpitch softball glove. It comes in three different forms; the fielder’s glove, catcher’s mitt, and first base mitt. This series is made from Nokona’s top-grain Stampede Steerhide and Kangaroo Leathers. This material allows for the Fastpitch softball glove to maintain its structure and shape. The X2 Buckaroo series is of the highest quality for advanced players who want the highest level of performance. The Nokona Alpha softball glove comes in both a fielder’s glove and catcher’s mitt. It is designed so that there is virtually no break-in needed. Nokona gloves are notorious for taking a decent amount of time to break in, so if you are looking for a Nokona Fastpitch softball glove that allows for a lesser break in time, the Alpha series may be what you need. This series is made of the highest quality American Buffalo and Steerhide leathers, making this Fastpitch softball glove lightweight, durable, and high-performing. The Nokona Walnut Fastpitch softball glove series comes in a fielder’s glove, catcher’s mitt, and first base mitt. This softball glove is made from Nokona’s famous Top Grain Steerhide. The Walnut series is a classic Fastpitch softball glove that still has all of the modern technology that softball players enjoy. Nokona also offers their consumers a one-year warranty with their Fastpitch softball glove purchase. This is an outstanding warranty from a company that truly stands behind their products. If you wish to get an extended warranty with your Fastpitch softball glove, then Nokona is your best option. Picking a Fastpitch Softball Glove can be difficult, and being comfortable with your choice is a top priority. Nokona is just one of the many brands of Fastpitch softball gloves that players thoroughly enjoy. Nokona makes top quality softball gloves that break away from the pack in their specialized materials, durability, and dedication to the satisfaction of their consumers. Visit Longstreth.com or the Longstreth Sporting Goods retail store for all your fastpitch softball needs. |
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