The North Jersey Field Hockey Association (NJFHA) has a rich tradition of preserving the game of field hockey and the integrity of women's sports. Traces of the league's impressive history of National and International successes is still eminent when watching players of all ages compete every Sunday in the fall on the turf of Kean University. Even the sidelines have history to tell when players like Sophie Dickenson, 94, and her friend, 80 year old Margaret Joseph, both former North Jersey Field Hockey players come to cheer on their team, The Masters. Young players are inspired to see Dr. Lillian Wright, 80, take to the field to play the game that she has loved for so long.

The future of the league and the sport of field hockey is reflected in the eyes of aspiring players like the daughters of Sally Jo Placa-Madsen of the Passaic Team, who come to watch their mom play on family fun day.

The North Jersey Field Hockey Association celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2002, commemorating the formation of a league designed to encourage women's sports as well as the love of the game shared by members throughout the ages. It is a league that welcomes players of all ages and skill levels to compete in one arena, proving that field hockey is indeed a lifetime sport.

Traditionally, the NJFHA played all of their games on grass fields at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield, NJ. Games were played on two sometimes muddy fields so four teams would be playing at once. Players often were seen painting the goal posts or lining the fields. "If we wanted to play, we had to rake leaves off the field ourselves before a game," remembers Karen Loupassakis of the Union team. "That was part of the fun of the league, players were actually part of making it happen."

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the NJFHA sponsored play days and clinics for local high schools. NJFHA players would coach the high school players in both skills and scrimmages. Over the years, changes in NJISAA rules forced these clinics to be discontinued.

The 1970s and 1980s also saw the NJFHA being very involved in both National and International play. The NJFHA had players represented on an All-Star Team known as New Atlantic which included regional players from Long Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. A selection committee chose players to make up a first and second team to play on Saturdays and travel all over the world to destinations throughout the United States, England, Canada and Jamaica.

The New Atlantic team was very successful nationwide and made its mark by winning many tournaments. "There were many years where the New Atlantic Team was made up mostly of players from North Jersey", recalls Karen Loupassakis of the Union Team. Dr. Lillian Wright of the Masters Team played at the National level well into her sixties.

The New Atlantic team would travel to the National Field Hockey Tournament along with adult players from across the nation to compete over the Thanksgiving weekend. Every year the tournament would be held in a different region such as Detroit, Denver, and Boston or locally in New Jersey or New York. This changed in the 1980s when the tournament was moved to only warm weather locations and became the National Field Hockey Festival. Today, the majority of players at the festival are from high schools but there still are adult players thanks in part to the NJFHA who sends a team to the Festival every year.

Internationally, the NJFHA was involved in hosting teams in the 1970s and 1980s as well as traveling abroad to compete. The NJFHA hosted a team from Belgium and one from Great Britain and Ireland known as the "G-Brits". Players were mostly 19-20 years old and played in exhibition games against teams in the NJFHA. Local high school teams would come to watch these games and NJFHA players would host the international players overnight. "It was a great experience for everyone involved," said NJFHA member Karen Loupassakis.

In the late 1990s, the NJFHA moved it games to the turf at Kean University and hired outside, professional referees. These changes intensified the pace of the game. Gabby Gordon, who has been playing goalie with the Bergen team for the past 7 seasons said of the league, "The Bergen team as many of the teams has had the same core players throughout the years and I really look forward to seeing the same group of people every fall. It's like a reunion."

In 2002, President Lisa Coster of the Passaic team introduced Family Fun Day where players were invited to bring their families to enjoy refreshments and the games. "Family Fun Day is a great way to include the family in an interest that you have," said Sally Jo Placa-Madsen of the Passaic Team. "Especially if you have daughters. It can spark an interest in playing and it is wonderful for children to see their mom's playing a lifetime sport."

Today the NJFHA is made up of over 160 players from four states. Many things have changed since the league's debut in 1927. Today's members continue to enjoy the friendships formed and the love of the game of field hockey.

Written by Caralee Gately
Special thanks to Karen Loupassakis, Sophie Dickenson, Gabby Gordon and Sally Jo Placa-Madsen for the great information for this article.