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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following a 3-year career with the U.S. Women’s National Team and more than 9 years within the women’s program, Brooke DeBerdine (Millersville, Pa.) has officially announced her retirement from the team. The 25-year-old Paris 2024 Olympian competed in 55 international matches for Team USA.
Like many from her area of Millersville, Pa., DeBerdine first tried field hockey because Jill (Witmer) Funk, Rio 2016 Olympian, went to her high school and coached her at a summer camp. An avid soccer player growing up she thought that was going to be her main sport but when it was moved to the fall for high school sports – she had to make a choice. For one season she played both but ultimately decided to pick field hockey. She credits her mom for being a big influence on helping her pick field hockey, as she too was a player herself.
DeBerdine was a four-year varsity athlete for Penn Manor High School, where she scored 54 goals and had 63 assists in her career. She helped the Comets to four straight section championships, two league titles, twice finishing in the top four in the state and a co-state championship in 2014. She had a breakout senior season where she tallied 24 goals with 28 assists while being named All-American. She was named Penn Manor Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016 and to the All-State Team, All-Section First Team, All-League Team and All-Region Team. While playing for Penn Manor, DeBerdine also competed in the club scene with Penn Lanco and Nook Hockey.
In 2012, DeBerdine started her journey in the Olympic Development Pathway program, Futures (now Nexus) and was involved for five years. She was selected for four National Futures Championships or Futures Elite Championships, three AAU Junior Olympic Games, four consecutive Junior National Camps (JNC) and four Young Women’s National Championships.
Starting in 2015, she was first named to the U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team and each subsequent year moved up an age level to U-19 USWNT in 2016 and U-21 USWNT in 2017. In 2016, she was assisted the U-21 squad to an eighth place finish at the FIH Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile. She remained within the U-21 program through 2020 when she aged out and tried out for the senior squad.
DeBerdine played collegiately at the University of Maryland (2017-2021). Her freshman year she started in all 23 games and collected many personal accolades in her five seasons. She was a two-time recipient of Big Ten Preseason Honors, four-time NFHCA All Mid-Atlantic Region Team, two-time All-Big Ten Team, two-time NCAA All-Tournament Team and two-time NFHCA All-American. She helped Maryland to two Big Ten Regular Season titles (2018, 2019), one Big Ten Championship (2018) and two NCAA runner up finishes (2017, 2018). In her season year, she was named the NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Player of the Year, Honda Sports Award Finalists and notched the stat of being Maryland’s first athlete to start in 100 career games. She also earned Maryland’s Student Athlete of the Year award and Big Ten Medal of Honor, both in 2022.
In 2021, DeBerdine was named to the U.S. Women’s National Team and on November 26 played in her first cap against Canada. That following spring, she had her first senior international trip when she played in the 2021-22 FIH Hockey Pro League season.
After being named a reserve for the 2022 Pan American Cup in Santiago, Chile and missing out on the roster for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, DeBerdine persevered and made the squad for the 2024 FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier in Ranchi, India. A historic run, which was memorable in itself, she helped the United Eagles secure qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In June 2024, DeBerdine was named to the U.S. Olympic Women’s National Team to represent USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Like any athlete’s career, reaching the pinnacle of sport is an achievement in itself, but she also described many other moments of being on the USWNT as top highlights in her career.
In her career she went on to compete in two more seasons of the FIH Hockey Pro League (2022-23, 2023-24) and in multiple test series.
DeBerdine retires having competed in 55 international senior matches. She added, “It’s hard to describe the joy you feel when you get to push toward goals with your best friends every day. As I have been reflecting on my journey the past couple months, I have been fortunate to acknowledge that my career was not one straight line up. There were the most inspiring periods probably in my life and some of the most challenging as well, but ultimately, they have made me who I am today and for that I am grateful for every phase my career brought me.”
“The women, coaches, and support staff I have gotten to live day in and day out with the past 3 years are truly amazing people. We were teammates but this past year especially, we became best friends who got to do our jobs together and push toward a childhood dream. I will always be so grateful to USA Field Hockey for bringing them into my life.”
DeBerdine has a long list of individuals she would like to thank, all who have impacted her career through the years. She wanted to start by thanking her family. She said, “My parents have given up a lot and missed important moments to be on my sideline every step of the way. They were my first phone call always when I was nervous about an upcoming game or had exciting news to share. My brother, Nate, is always mine and Emma’s biggest supporter, and I am grateful to be able to look up to him in so many ways as I start my next phase of life.” Lastly, she gave a special thank you to her sister, Emma, for giving her the opportunity to share monumental moments with her. Having both played at Maryland and on the USWNT, doing it with her sister by her side was ten-times more special. She described, “After growing up and pushing each other and fighting like sisters do, Emma has become my best friend, and I can’t wait to support her as she continues her career.” She thanks her boyfriend, Jonah, who sacrificed so much throughout their relationship to allow her to excel in her playing career. She credits his selflessness over the last 7.5 years to one of the main reasons she is proud to be his partner.
DeBerdine goes on to thank all the USA coaching staffs who she has been led by on the National Team. She states each USA coach in her career was truly encouraging in all aspects of life, not just on the field, and she is fortunate to have learned from them. DeBerdine concluded with, “And lastly thank you to all my teammates for bringing so much joy into my life. I am and will always be your biggest supporter. I can’t wait to watch what mountain this team climbs next. Here’s to the United Eagles!”
“Brooke epitomized what it is to be an elite athlete and team player,” commented David Passmore, USWNT Head Coach. “Always looking at ways to improve herself, Brooke made great strides during her last year in the USWNT embracing some setbacks with integrity and humility. She was a popular athlete with staff and athletes alike, bringing a great sense of fun and compassion in equal measure. It is disappointing for the team that we have lost her as a player and person but she left on a great Paris performance and all the staff and athletes wish her the very best with her future.”
DeBerdine now lives back in Pennsylvania with her boyfriend, Jonah, and recently accepted a job as an Inventory Specialist at Rhoads Energy. Rhoads Energy is her family’s company that her father, Mike, is now the CEO of after her late grandfather, “Poppa.” She described what this means to her, “I am extremely grateful and proud to be able to work here alongside the wonderful employees (including my brother Nate), that make up Rhoads Energy.”
