Middle School Field Hockey, Grades 6-8 | Birmingham Field Hockey

The Details

Everything you need to know

Who	Grades 6, 7 and 8. No experience needed, and beginners are genuinely welcome. Our grades 3 to 8 teams play as the Birmingham Bobcats, the youth side of Birmingham Field Hockey.
Cost	$200 for the season. Covers coaching, uniforms, team equipment (balls, goalie gear, cones) and official fees.
Season	Practices run twice a week through Tuesday, October 13. Final game Friday, October 16.
Registration	Closed for the 2026 season
Tuesday practice	Seaholm Baseball Field · 6:00–7:30 PM 2436 W Lincoln St, Birmingham, MI 48009 · Sept 22, Sept 29, Oct 6, Oct 13
Sunday practice	Groves Baseball Field · 3:00–4:30 PM 20500 W 13 Mile Rd, Beverly Hills, MI 48025 · Sept 20, Sept 27, Oct 4, Oct 11 Our grades 3–5 clinic runs at the same time on the same field, so families with players in both groups make one trip.
Games	Eight games across five dates, all away, plus a halftime showcase at Seaholm on Sept 30. Full schedule below.
Attendance	Come to what you can. Missing some practices is not a problem.
Coaches	Jillian Chesney, Middle School Head Coach. Amy Murray, Varsity Head Coach and program lead. Courtney Pachuta, Assistant Coach and Team Admin. Meet the coaches →
Required first	A current USA Field Hockey State Chapter membership. Select Great Lakes as your team affiliation. Get it here →
What to bring	Stick, hard field hockey shin guards, mouthguard and water. Players also need an all-black skort or plain black shorts for games, and both pairs of socks, white and black. Socks must cover shin guards. Pinnies are provided and returned at the end of the season, so there is no uniform to buy. See the equipment guide →

Shin guards matter. Soccer shin guards are not allowed. Check the equipment guide before you buy.

The Schedule

Eight games this fall

Every game this season is away, so there is no home field to plan around. Two of the five game dates are play days with back-to-back games.

Save or Print the Schedule · One Page

Saturday, Sept 19	Play day at Grosse Pointe South · two games Arrive 10:00 AM. Games at 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM · opponents to be announced Grosse Pointe South High School, 11 Grosse Pointe Blvd, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236
Saturday, Sept 26	Possible 7v7 play day at Dexter · not confirmed Morning · times and opponents to be announced Dexter High School, 2200 N Parker Rd, Dexter, MI 48130. This one is still being worked out and may not happen. Please do not build your Saturday around it.
Wednesday, Sept 30	Halftime showcase at Seaholm Players arrive 5:45 PM · our Bobcats take the field at halftime of the 6:00 PM varsity game vs Grand Blanc Seaholm High School, 2436 W Lincoln St, Birmingham, MI 48009. Pinnies and black bottoms, bring both pairs of socks.
Friday, Oct 2	at Grosse Pointe South · 5:30 PM Grosse Pointe South High School, 11 Grosse Pointe Blvd, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236
Saturday, Oct 3	Play day at Sacred Heart · three games 9:00 AM vs Detroit Country Day · 12:00 PM vs Sacred Heart · 1:00 PM vs Grosse Pointe United Academy of the Sacred Heart, 1250 Kensington Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304. Four-team round robin, roughly 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, so plan for a long day. Families are welcome to bring a tent or table and set up in the grassy areas across from the upper field.
Friday, Oct 9	at Cranbrook · 5:00 PM Cranbrook Kingswood, 39221 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304. The campus is large, so watch GroupMe for which field.
Friday, Oct 16	at Sacred Heart · 5:00 PM Academy of the Sacred Heart, 1250 Kensington Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304. Final game on the schedule.

Start times are what we have. End times go in GroupMe as we get them.

GroupMe · where everything day to day goes

Our team GroupMe is a private group for registered players and their parents. Post there if your player will miss a practice or a game, if she is running late, for weather or field changes, carpools, end times, and any question for the coaches.

Please do not text or email one coach separately about a missed practice. Post it in GroupMe so all three coaches see it.

Already registered? The join link was emailed to you. If you cannot find it, request it below and we will send it to you.

Request to Join the GroupMe

Registration

Registration is closed for 2026

Sign-ups for the fall middle school season closed Sunday, September 20. The season is underway and the roster is set.

Want to hear about next season?

Join the interest list and we will email you as soon as registration opens. We also post schedules, photos and sign-up news on Instagram.

Join the Interest List

Follow @bham.fieldhockey →

Questions about the program? bhamfieldhockey@gmail.com

No surprises

How registration works when it opens

STEP 01

Register

Fill out a short form, add your USA Field Hockey membership number, and pay securely by card.

STEP 02

Confirmation

You get an email confirming your player's spot on the roster.

STEP 03

See you at practice

We send practice details, the schedule and an equipment checklist, and add you to the team GroupMe.

Parent Questions

The things parents actually ask

My daughter has never played. Is this really for her?

Yes. This team is built for both. Some players are continuing from our summer clinic and some are picking up a stick for the first time this September. Field hockey is new to almost everyone in Michigan, so nobody has a five-year head start.

What does the $200 actually cover?

Coaching, uniforms, official fees for games, and all the team equipment including balls, cones and goalie gear. The only things you buy separately are a stick, shin guards, a mouthguard and an all-black skort for games.

What if we have to miss practices?

Come to what you can. This is a first-year program and we would rather have your player for part of the season than not at all. There are two practices a week specifically so families have some flexibility.

Does my child have to attend a Birmingham school?

League play requires that your player attends a Birmingham middle school. We ask for your school on the registration form so we can confirm eligibility and plan around school calendars. Our grades 3–5 Learn to Play clinic is open to players from neighboring communities as well.

Why do we need a USA Field Hockey membership?

It is what covers the players for insurance. You only need the State Chapter level, and you select Great Lakes as the team affiliation. The membership is good for a year and carries over to any other program we run, including winter.

Are soccer shin guards okay?

No. Field hockey shin guards are a different shape and offer different protection. Also avoid the navy blue ones with slits in them. Bloomfield Sport carries the right kind, and the equipment guide walks through exactly what to look for.

I also have a younger player. Can they come at the same time?

Yes. Our Learn to Play clinic for grades 3 through 5 runs Sundays at the same time on the same field. One drop-off covers both. See the 3–5 clinic →

Is there a tryout or are players cut?

No tryouts and no cuts. Everyone who registers is on the team.

Middle school field hockey. With real games.