How CBS Sports Network and USA Field Hockey’s international participation are setting up the road to LA28: an interview with USA Field Hockey President Simon Hoskins

Fans want more field hockey — that’s the story. Photo: USA Field Hockey

With the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 reaching a national television audience in the United States and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games drawing closer, USA Field Hockey sees a rare opportunity to turn visibility into lasting momentum.

In this Q&A, USA Field Hockey President Simon Hoskins discusses what broader exposure can mean for the sport, how national-team athletes can inspire the next generation and why converting first-time viewers into players and fans will be central to the game’s growth.

FAN: What does having the FIH World Cup on CBS Sports Network mean for the growth of field hockey here in the United States? 

SH: “Having the FIH Hockey World Cup aired on CBS Sports Network was tremendous opportunity to not only give the U.S. Women’s National Team exposure, but to introduce the sport to a much broader American audience. Visibility matters and when people can see the sport at the highest level, understand the athletes and their stories, and experience the excitement of a World Cup, it creates an opportunity to turn curiosity into interest.”

Simon Hoskins is pictured on the right at the FIH World Cup 2026 in Belgium. Photo: USA Field Hockey

FAN: For someone watching field hockey for the first time, what do you hope they take away from the sport? 

SH: “Field hockey is fast, physical, highly skilled, and incredibly dynamic. There is level of athleticism and strategy to the game that can surprise someone seeing it for the first time. I hope someone walks away thinking, “That was incredible” and “I want to try this."

FAN: How do you turn the exposure from this World Cup into long-term growth for field hockey in America?

SH: “Exposure is the starting point, not the end goal. The opportunity is to create a pathway from someone seeing the sport for the first time to actually engaging with it.

We are currently working on a strategy that will connect the visibility of our U.S. National Teams with opportunities at the local level. Stay tuned for how that will look in the lead up to LA28.”

FAN: There has been an obvious shift within USA Field Hockey's organization throughout the past decade that's led to televised, international visibility — from USA's participation in international qualifiers, to the Paris Olympics, to the FIH World Cup, and soon LA28.

From your vantage point, what is that doing for the game here in the United States? 

SH: “I think we’re seeing the compounding effect of investing in our U.S. National Teams and the ability to tell the USA Field Hockey story. Every time our teams compete on a major international stage, it creates another opportunity for Americans to discover the sport. The Olympic Qualifier, Paris 2024 and the FIH Hockey World Cup were significant moments for visibility. And LA28 represents an unprecedented opportunity because of the home Games.

We also cannot go without saying that majority of the internationally televised games would not have been possible without the support and passion of field hockey enthusiasts within the major production channels. USA Field Hockey pushes ideas and we get the support of those who believe the sport should be on mainstream media.”

Team USA at the FIH World Cup 2026 in Belgium. Photo: USA Field Hockey

FAN: We have so many young athletes playing field hockey in this country. What does the next step look like to turn that participation into a bigger fan base? 

SH: “We need young athletes to not only play the sport but know the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team athletes representing them internationally. We want them following players on social media, watching our U.S. National Team games, attending events, and seeing those athletes in their own communities. 

A lot of our LA28 Marketing/Communications and Activation Plans revolve around our athletes and their storytelling. We are confident that the execution of those plans will help bridge the gap between the younger athletes playing to making connections with our U.S. National Team athletes, and to ultimately building the USA fan base.”

FAN: How important was this World Cup in building momentum toward LA28? 

SH: “Every major competitor between now and LA28 is an opportunity to build competitive momentum, but also to build awareness and excitement around the teams and athletes.

LA28 gives us something very unique - the opportunity to bring the Olympic experience to American fans and introduce field hockey to an entirely new audience. The FIH Hockey World Cup set the foundation and will help us build toward the moment of LA28 ,but a lot of work will be done between now and then.”

FAN: What were USA Field Hockey's successes at this event -- ones that maybe fans don't realize and should celebrate?  

SH: “First, our U.S. Women’s National Team returned to the FIH Hockey World Cup after missing the previous edition, and finishing 10th in the world is an important accomplishment in itself.

Secondly, the team’s participation and exposure generated more than nine million social media views, which tells us that people are paying attention and that there is an appetite for these stories.”

FAN: Do you think the FIH Hockey World Cup has helped or is helping to promote recognizable stars and personalities that attract fans to the sport? 

SH: “People connect with people before they connect with organizations or event sports. 

The FIH Hockey World Cup helped establish the platform of making our athletes household names within the field hockey community. Now, we must continue that momentum leading into LA28 and do it double-time with our U.S. Men’s National Team competing.”

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