Bears Field Hockey Club: Welcome

A special word of thanks to the Knights of Columbus Council #7774 in Cedarbrook for their generous dontation which enabled us to purchase regulation size goals so that we can have home games!  We are also so thankful to the anonymous donor who gave us enough funds to purchase goalie equipment this year!

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Fall Season Information

Our first practice of the Fall season starts August 23rd at 1 PM at the field at Mater Ecclesiae Catholic Church in Berlin, NJ. 

Please make sure you have your USA Field Hockey Membership updated and the current forms are all filled out.  Also, please make sure you come in FULL UNIFORM, skirt, team shirt (will get you one if you are new this year), shin guards, cleats, mouth guard and stick. Please go under "Bears Hockey News and Updates" and then click on "Uniform and Equipment information 2009-2010" to get all the information about what to wear etc...

All of the above items can be found on this website.  Look forward to a new season and our FIRST time playing outside clubs! GO BEARS!

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Welcome!  We are the Mater Ecclesiae Bears Field Hockey Club, located in Berlin NJ.  We welcome all girls ages 6-18, who are interested in learning the wonderful sport of field hockey to come join us each Sunday for practice at 1 PM.

First, if you are interested in signing up please contact me, Coach. Myers (bearshockeyclub@comcast.net) so that I can send you a sign up sheet and additional forms that need to be filled out.  Forms are also available to print out under the "forms" tab on this website.

  We have two teams: The Little Cubs (ages 6-9) and The Lady Bears (ages 10-18).

Practices are every Sunday at 1PM at the field of Mater Ecclesiae Roman Catholic Church on Berlin-Cross Keys Road in Berlin, NJ.  Our 2009 Regular Season Play begins August 16th.

A little about our Patroness: Our Patroness for The Bears Field Hockey Club is St. Ursula. Ursula means small female bear in Latin. The Order of Ursulines, founded in 1535 by Angela Merici, and especially devoted to the education of young girls, has also helped to spread throughout the world the name of St. Ursula. St. Ursula was named the patron saint of students.

A little about Field Hockey: History ---> The exact origins of field hockey are unclear, but there is evidence that ancient Egyptian cultures played a variation of this ball-and-stick game 4,000 years ago. Modern field hockey was shaped in England during the 18th and 19th centuries and was introduced to the United States in 1901 when Constance Applebee, an English physical education teacher, attended a conference at Harvard and taught the game at many local women’s schools. Internationally, field hockey is primarily a men’s sport; however, in the United States, it is almost exclusively a women’s sport.

Object of the Game ---> To hit the ball from within the striking circle, through the opponent’s goal, to score points. The team with the most goals at the end of the game, wins.

Equipment ----> The primary equipment in field hockey is a stick and a ball. The stick has a flat side and a rounded side. Players may only hit the ball with the flat side, or the “striking surface,” of the stick. Players also wear protective equipment, including mouth guards, shin guards, and optional face protection. Uniforms consist of a jersey, a skirt, and knee-length socks. The home team usually wears a light jersey and the away team wears a dark jersey. Goalies wear a different color jersey than their teammates, as well as additional protective equipment, including goalie pads, chest protector, facemask, throat protector, and other optional padding.

Positions ---> There are 11 players on the field per team, including the goalie and 10 field players. Formations often consist of four forwards, three halfbacks, three fullbacks, and one goalkeeper, known as a 4-3-3 formation. Variations, such as the 5-3-2, are also used, depending on the coach’s strategy.

Forwards: Primary scorers who spend most of their time between the midfield and the opponent’s goal.

Midfielders: Must be able to play both defense and offense and have the stamina to run the field in the transition between offense and defense. Also called “links.”

Fullbacks: Primarily defend the opposing forwards and attempt to clear the ball when it gets close to the goal. Some coaches assign a single defender, called a “sweeper,” who plays closest to her own goal behind the fullbacks.

Goalie: Stands in front of goal to block shots with her body and stick. Must have quick reflexes and ability to communicate defensive strategies to teammates.

Hello players,

As you know we are in the process of picking team captains for both the Little Cubs and the Lady Bears.  We will be choosing two captains for each team based on:

Dear Players and Families,

We need to get our family recipes in to Mrs. Mantoan (fatface78@yahoo.com) by the end of the week (October 4th) at the latest.  This cookbook will raise funds for our team!  Thank you to all who have handed in your recipes so far.  

+JMJ+
Coach Myers 

Hi Players,

One month of practice has already swept by.  September was the month to make sure everything has been handed in, all the necessary forms etc and to ensure that all players have purchased all their equipment for practice.

Beginning October 5th ALL players must be on the field in FULL uniform...no exceptions.  If you do not come fully prepared from the list below, you will have to sit out or practice on the sidelines.  This is NOT for punishment; this is for your own safety.  Full uniform includes:

1.   Appropriate skirt (plaid or navy blue)

2.  White or gold polo shirt

3.  Shin guards

4.  Proper footwear, which may be cleats or sneakers

5.  Navy blue sports socks to go over your shin guards

6.  Mouth guard

Most of you come prepared every week, but a lot of you have not worn a mouth guard.  While I understand they are cumbersome, you have to wear one especially now that we are really learning to hit the ball and doing some scrimmaging.

See you at next Sunday's practice,

+JMJ+
Coach Myers

Hi players and parents!

Here is a rundown of what is needed by Sunday, August 31st at our first practice and what to expect.

You will need to have these forms completed (extra copies will be available at the registration table on Sunday), all of which can be downloaded on this site under "forms".

1.  The Waiver/Release Participation Form

2.  A copy of your USA Field Hockey Membership form.

3.  A signed Code of Conduct Form.

4.  The Time and Commitment Letter.

5.  If you are borrowing a field hockey stick from the club you will also need to sign an stick inventory form.

It seems like a lot, but you only have to do this once and be done with it.  We want to insure all players and spectators are safe and eligible to be out on the field and that's why we require all 4 to be signed.  It would help our Team Coordinator, Mrs. Mantoan a great deal if these are already signed on Sunday.

Practice will begin promptly at 1:00.  Be ready on the field with your paperwork and in uniform.  Each will hand in your paperwork at the registration table, be issued a stick if necessary and proceed to the field for warm-ups and introductions.  If we keep it organized we can make sure we maximize our time together.

Should you have ANY questions, please email Coach Myers before Sunday bearshockeyclub@comcast.net

If you want to play field hockey this season, please go to USA field hockey and sign up.  You can only be on the field if you are a member of USA field hockey so we can make sure you are properly insured.

Please try to get this done before we start practice on August 31st.

PLEASE PRINT OUT A COPY OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND BRING IT ON SUNDAY!