History

In 2010 Rutger Wiese (IUP Head Coach) and Olivia Netzler Gray (RMU Head Coach) founded Venom in the Halls of Winchester Thurston gym starting with 6 players in our first Winter Indoor season. After the first winter season they hired Assistant Coach Benjamin Peters. Growing the club within Western Pennsylvania in the next few years Olivia moved to Louisville to coach. Then Rutger moved away to be the Assistant Coach at Harvard promoting Benjamin to Head Coach & Club Director. In 2017, Coach Benjamin Peters took the helm of the club after Rutger Wiese became the head coach of the USA Men's National Team. Since then the club has grown the athlete base from 35 to over 150. Boasting 6 National Indoor Championships (3 U-14, 1 U-16, 2 U-19). 8 U-19 National Indoor Qualifications & 6 U-16 National Indoor Qualifications. 2021 Thanksgiving Showcase Championship and many regular season Spooky Nook championship's. In 2018 Coach Kyla Spallone joined Venom whilst coaching at Seton Hill. Among the growing club the coaching staff expanded and the club structure took a shift with Benjamin Peters taking the Club Administrator role and promoting Kyla Spallone to Club Director.

We strive to be the premier youth field hockey club in Western Pennsylvania, serving the needs of both Girls and Boys between ages 6-19 by providing an open learning environment in which each individual can shine and perform at the highest level. We are helping the local field hockey community grow by making a competitive space to grow and learn to be among the best in the country.

Our goal is to prepare all players for a high level of competition. We do not have any try-outs to join the club because no player should be turned away if they have a desire to play the sport.  With that in mind, only the players who are ready to compete at the highest level will be selected to travel to the NITQ's & Showcase events.