Grassi Announces Retirement from U.S. Men's National Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - After 22 years in the U.S. system, 13 years on the U.S. Men’s National Team and 71 senior international outdoor caps, Alex Grassi (Brookeville, Md.) will be hanging up his Team USA jersey.

Grassi was introduced to field hockey in the first grade by his elementary school physical education teacher at Mater Amoris Montessori School in Ashton, Md. At that time, all the kids learned to play on the school's basketball court. By the time Grassi was in fourth grade, the school had put down turf over the asphalt, and he had joined the school's travel team – the Ocelots. Every year the Ocelots competed at Cal Cup in the U-12 Co-Ed division, a trip that families looked forward to every year. Grassi had his big break after he graduated sixth grade, when his physical education teacher made a call to USA Field Hockey to secure him a try out for the Junior U.S. Men’s National Team in Moorpark, Calif. In 2003, he was named to the U-16 USMNT, kicking off a long and successful career with USA Field Hockey.

Four years later, Grassi was selected for the U-21 USMNT, and in 2008 participated in the Junior Pan American Championship, helping the team to a bronze finish. He officially became a part of the senior team in 2012.

“The phone call from Chris Clements selecting me to the USMNT was a moment I'll never forget,” recalled Grassi. “As a young player, it was one of my biggest goals. I was with my family at the time of the call, so it was great to share that moment with them.”

Grassi’s first big foray onto the international stage came at the 2013 Pan American Cup in Brampton, Canada, where the team finished fourth. Over the next decade, he participated in numerous test series, as well as several Pan American and international events. In 2015, Grassi was back in Canada for the Pan American Games, then played in another Pan American Cup in 2017 – this time on familiar turf in Lancaster, Pa. He considers winning bronze at this event to be one of the highlights of his career, among others.

“Earning my 50th cap in the same game as Paul Singh was also a really cool moment to share with a teammate,” said Grassi. “Playing in the Pan American Games was an awesome experience as well, one I'll never forget. Winning bronze in the 2017 Pan American Cup at home was probably my favorite moment.”

Grassi’s repertoire also includes a silver medal finish at the 2019 3 Nations Invitational and two gold medals – the 2016 World League Round 1 and 2018 Hockey Series Open.

Toward the end of his career, Grassi made the switch from outdoor to focusing on the indoor game. He was named to the Indoor USMNT in 2022, and that year participated in the test matches between USA and Canada (CanAm Indoor Series). In 2023, he played at the Nkosi Cup in Cape Town, South Africa.

When asked what it’s like being part of Team USA, Grassi explained, “It's been a privilege to wear the USA jersey - representing the United States means a great deal to me. Playing for the team takes a lot of effort, patience, and sacrifice, and not every moment is fun. But going through the difficult stuff alongside your teammates and staying focused on the big picture helps keep you motivated and gets you through it. I really liked being in a centralized training environment like the one we had in Chula Vista. The players living and training together helped us become a more cohesive team and made me a much better individual player. I was able to focus on all the skills I wanted to fix and others I needed to develop.”

Grassi retires from Team USA with 71 international outdoor caps and 10 indoor caps. He tallied an impressive 17 outdoor goals in addition to 2 indoor goals.

Moving forward, Grassi plans to stay involved with field hockey. With over a decade of experience coaching, he hopes to get back into coaching in the greater Washington, D.C. area. He has also been a member of the USA Field Hockey Board of Directors since 2019 as an Athlete Representative and currently serves as the chair of the Athlete Advisory Committee. 

“I really enjoy growing the game, teaching field hockey to the next generation,” said Grassi. “I'll continue sitting on the USA Field Hockey Board of Directors supporting and representing all of our National Team athletes. I'm really looking forward to rooting on both our National Teams in Los Angeles at the 2028 Olympics!”

Grassi shared the individuals that he would like to thank, who supported him during his field hockey career, “First, I have to thank my family. They have supported me, encouraged me, and cheered me on every step of the way. I would never have made it this far without them and I can't thank them enough. They spent countless hours with me on practice fields or driving to tournaments when I was a kid, and they supported me when I sacrificed family time to move across the country to train or travel around the world to compete. I also have to thank my teammates. I've shared the field with some of them going all the way back to the U-16 USMNT, and others I competed against at Cal Cup back when we were U-12s. I'm proud I was able to compete alongside those guys and glad to call them my friends. Lastly, I have to thank all my friends who don't play field hockey. Even though most of them don't know the rules, they still showed up decked out in red, white, and blue to cheer on the U.S. Men’s National Team.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Alex for some time, and every interaction with him has been a positive and uplifting experience," said Allan Law, USMNT Head Coach. "He has dedicated an enormous part of his life to the U.S. Men’s National Team, and his passion for Team USA is truly infectious. Alex has set an incredible example of what it means to represent the USA. While his presence on the squad will be deeply missed, he will always remain a part of our family and continue to support the senior U.S. Men’s National Team and the growth of boys’ and men’s field hockey in the United States."

"I congratulate Alex on an impressive career and wish him the best for his future endeavors.”