Uncovering the Best High School Field Hockey Leagues and Conferences in and around Arlington, VA

Field hockey in Arlington, Virginia, has really taken off in the last few years. No one knows this better than me, who started a rec. club in 2021 and has had to turn people away every year. My camp is over capacity every summer, and many parents have whispered about the club teams growing too large too fast. The field hockey scene is rich with talent and determination, showcasing young athletes dedicated to honing their skills, but if you're like me and you grew up playing or grew up with the sport at your high school, you may remember that field hockey used to be about the high schools. Like all travel sports in this country (another blog for another day) field hockey's travel clubs have taken over the sport. For good or bad, they are the determinng factor in a player's growth, opportunities to play and chances at recruitment.

So where does High School Field Hockey stand in all of this? Or does it have a place at all?

Well in Arlington, it's starting to carve out a spot, but first let's take a look at the Mecca of field hockey, Pennsylvania, and what the situation is there, because if Virginia and Arlington, VA follows the path of field hockey growth that PA has, that's where we will end up.

In Pennsylvania in the 90's high school field hockey was huge. Often the front page headline of the sports section, and many field hockey players went on to play in college, almost by default.

Coaches lined the sidelines of certain HS Field Hockey games to get a chance to talk to the best players, and filled their answering machines with calls begging to be considered.

There was no club field hockey. There were no travel tournaments, and when the season was over, field hockey players picked up their winter sports and went on to their next season.

Today, in Pennsylvania, it's all about the clubs. .There are many reputable field hockey clubs in the state. The biggest most successful club - WC Eagles - has it's own private facility, thousands of members ranging in ages 5-19, and families pay up to $10,000+ per year, drive multiple hours one way to practice in order to wear that WC logo on their shirt.

At a lesser extent, families do the same for smaller clubs as well. Whatever it takes to get your kid at a club, on a team, in front of college coaches so they can be recruited.

As a result, high school field hockey in PA is second tier. It's not the priority, but it is still important, because field hockey is a small world, and high school coaches know one another, they know club coaches, college coaches, and they all mingle throughout the year. Thanks to Max Field Hockey who does a nice job of recognizing top high school and high school players, the high school world continues to be seen and is not (yet) obsolete.

Overview of the Arlington VA Field Hockey Scene

So back to Arlington. In Arlington, VA, high school field hockey features a variety of leagues and conferences that showcase different areas to compete at local and state levels. The competitive nature of the Arlington sports world and in tandem high school field hockey is hard to ignore, Arlington schools keep rising and are the now the schools competing for State Championships as opposed to the past, when VA Beach or Richmond schools were the only top teams. Notably, many athletes aspire to take their field hockey careers to the collegiate level, which motivates them to excel both on and off the field, whether it's for their high school or their club. It all effects the high school scene, just as it does in PA. High School teams are reflecting the growth of the sport and the growth of the area. Just ask the person running the largest rec. club - me!

High School Conferences in Arlington

For public schools, high schools are part of the VHSL, qualifying for Regional or State medals after succeeding in their Districts. The Liberty, Patriot, Concord, and Cardinal Districts are where many compete in our local area, including our three public high schools:

Yorktown High School, Washington-Liberty High School, and Wakefield High School. Yorktown High School’s team has repeatedly won the state championship, and is not going away anytime soon. They are ranked in the top 20 of the Mid-Atlantic Region, according to Max Preps, but neither Yorktown or any other school is in the top 25 nationwide. VA Beach/Richmond and Maryland teams continue to shine overall. In my opinion, it's true. The depth of coaching and talent continue to reign amongst Norfolk Academy, Trinity Episcopal, Archbishop Spalding, Garrison Forest or Bryn Mawr. No where do we see a team from Arlington, nor should we... yet.

In the world of private schools there is the WCAC Conference, the ISL Conference (no Arlington schools) Those in Virginia can compete for a state championship through VISAA (Virginia Independent Athletic Association). They compete against Norfolk Academy and Trinity Episcopal.

For the first time in history a school from the northern Virginia area went to the State Finals for VISAA, yes, it was my own Bishop O'Connell. I couldn't be prouder to compete at such a high level, but like Yorktown, we only broke into the top 20 of the Mid-Atlantic Region, we have yet to get into top 25 nation wide rankings.

So where do these schools stand in the big picture. We are growing. We are breaking new ground. Yorktown and O'Connell were the best in 2025, what will happen in 2026? I'm as curious as you are.