On problems with youth hockey

You are right on target, I feel, with key problems in US field hockey. Your opinions and perspectives on national team selections, poor performances of the World Cup team and the lack of media exposure for the NCAA national championships really caught my eye.

I have been on a "crusade" to get the USFHA to demand better performances in the Futures' program. Committed, high-level developmental programs are crucial to any sport looking to succeed in international competition. If our young players are not challenged to perform to a significantly higher level it will become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, for us to qualify for the Olympics in the future.

No matter how good our national coach is, if she doesn't havea significant number of players arriving on the national squad with the ability to play the ball at speed with accuracy and timing she cannot consistently compete with the top countries in the world.

The new rules, namely no offsides and the experimental "non-intentional use of the body" (probably will be adopted, in my opinion, because there is so much more flow and the game may be more marketable???) currently being played in the Champions Trophy in Brisbane, make it even more important we put greater demands on our young talent to execute with much greater efficiency.

Talented teenagers in Australia, Netherlands, Argentina and other top-ranked countries are performing many levels higher than the same age group in the US. Again, many thanks for your thought-provoking coverage of US field hockey.

Vonnie Gros

Collegeville, Pa.

Vonnie Gros was head coach of Team USA through the 1984 Olympics and began the USFHA National Futures Program