The world of field hockey is about to witness history. USA Field Hockey has announced that the organization has been invited by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to send a team to the inaugural 2026 FIH Para Hockey World Cup, a tournament that represents a monumental step forward for inclusivity in the sport.

The historic competition will be held from August 21-25, 2026, across two venues in Amstelveen, Netherlands and Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium. The timing is no coincidence. The Para Hockey World Cup has been strategically scheduled to run alongside the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, ensuring that para athletes receive the visibility, infrastructure, and global audience their talents deserve.

To lead the first-ever U.S. Para Hockey World Cup Team into this uncharted territory, USA Field Hockey has appointed Heidi Lewis and Lindsay Jackson as volunteer co-head coaches. The decision to install a dual-coaching structure speaks to the significance of the occasion and the depth of preparation required to build a competitive program from the ground up.

The creation of the FIH Para Hockey World Cup marks a turning point not just for American field hockey, but for the global sport as a whole. For decades, field hockey has been one of the most popular team sports on the international stage, particularly across Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Yet opportunities for para athletes to compete at the highest level in the discipline have remained limited compared to other sports that have long embraced para competition at world championship and Paralympic level.

That changes this summer in Belgium and the Netherlands.

For the United States, participation in the inaugural event carries particular weight. American field hockey has been working steadily to grow the sport domestically, and the inclusion of a para program adds an entirely new dimension to that mission. It sends a clear message that field hockey in America is a sport for everyone, regardless of ability.

The volunteer nature of the co-head coaching appointments also underscores an important reality about the current state of para field hockey. This is a program being built on passion and commitment rather than deep institutional funding. Lewis and Jackson are stepping into roles that require them to identify talent, develop tactical systems, and prepare a squad for international competition, all while navigating the challenges that come with launching something entirely new.

The choice of Amstelveen and Louvain-La-Neuve as host cities provides a fitting backdrop for such a milestone. The Netherlands and Belgium are traditional powerhouses of field hockey, home to some of the most passionate and knowledgeable fans in the sport. Playing alongside the FIH Hockey World Cup means the para athletes will benefit from world-class facilities and an atmosphere befitting the occasion.

As the August tournament approaches, attention will turn to squad selection and the identification of para athletes across the United States who can represent their country on this unprecedented stage. The pathway that begins here could eventually lead to even greater recognition, including potential inclusion in future multi-sport events.

For now, though, the focus is on the simple and powerful fact that this tournament exists at all. The 2026 FIH Para Hockey World Cup is not just another entry on the international calendar. It is a statement of intent from the global hockey community that the sport belongs to everyone. And the United States will be there from the very beginning.