By: Scott Bentley | C&G Newspapers | Published September 11, 2025
METRO DETROIT — The six high school girls field hockey matches Aug. 19 were the first field hockey games in Michigan played as a Michigan High School Athletic Association-sponsored sport.
The 2025 school year is the inaugural season for girls field hockey in the MHSAA after a vote in May of 2024 approved the addition. The committee also voted to add boys volleyball, which will play its first season as an MHSAA sport in the spring of 2026.
“Field hockey has been among the sports that have shown interest in receiving sponsorship … for a little while,” MHSAA Director of Communications Geoff Kimmerly said. “And we found ourselves in a position over the last couple of years to add a sport or two.”
Field hockey is growing across the nation and the MHSAA sponsorship will provide more of an opportunity for girls to participate in the sport.
“Having that MHSAA attached to it potentially brings more attention, obviously,” Kimmerly said. “I’m hoping that charges things up in that community. I think we’re excited because we’re always looking to add activities that our students are most excited about.”
Another factor in the addition to the MHSAA lineup is when the season falls in the school calendar. In terms of multisport athletes, soccer and lacrosse is where there is expected to be the most overlap. Girls field hockey will be a fall sport, while girls lacrosse and soccer will stay in the spring.
“We think that there’s enough of a connection between lacrosse and soccer that we won’t necessarily be taking athletes away from other fall sports,” Kimmerly said.
Girls field hockey has been an established sport in the area for a while now, even if it wasn’t a sponsored activity. The MHSAA will help promote and guide the sport from the foundation that’s been in place for a while.
“It’s been really exciting. It’s something we’ve been working for and wanting for a long time,” Novi coach and MHSAA Field Hockey Committee member Amy Kilgore said. “We had a great representative body that organized our tournament, and we’ve had a state title since the ’80s … but the perception will change dramatically.”
This sponsorship will add to a sport that also already has an established network of club teams around the state. The club field hockey scene is vital for recruiting and playing at the next level, and this move can help grow the club scene significantly.
“There’s a really robust club system in the US,” Kilgore said. “But not in Michigan, Michigan just has three clubs. … It’s exciting to see those changes and opportunities for girls to get recognized.”
Kilgore herself runs the Live Oak Field Hockey Club, which aims to grow the sport in Livingston and Oakland counties. The club wants to make sure the experience is fun and is open to all skill levels.
Kilgore currently coaches a competitive Novi team and had a successful playing career before making the jump to coaching. She became used to hearing things that try to delegitimize the sport.
“We would get comments growing up, ‘I play a real sport,’ ‘Your sport isn’t even recognized,’ and ‘Oh, you’re just a club,’ Kilgore said.
“Winning a MHSAA state title or regional title … it certainly carries a different weight,” Kilgore said.
This sponsorship will also provide more opportunities to recognize players. Now that the sport has the MHSAA structure, there will be the chance for district, regional and conference titles that weren’t available before. Athletes will have a more clear path to playing at the next level.
“To watch it grow both in metro Detroit and on the west side of the state I think would be a huge thing for us,” Kilgore said. “For girls to have a certain sense of pride … that it’s no different than any other sport, that’s the hope.”
The state finals will be played on Oct. 25 at a location that has yet to be announced. For more information on the Live Oak Field Hockey Club, visit liveoakfieldhockeyclub.com or email liveoakfieldhockeyclub@gmail.com.