Kentwells Steps Down After a Decade at Helm of Indoor USWNT Program

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Following the conclusion of the 2025 FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup, the U.S. Women’s National Indoor Team Head Coach Jun Kentwell and Manager Richard Kentwell have stepped down after a decade of serving in volunteer roles for USA Field Hockey.

“My goal for the women’s indoor program has always been to develop young players for the senior U.S. Women’s National Team and give them their first opportunity to experience competing on the international stage,” commented Jun. “Amongst the many young players who went on to play for the USWNT are Olympians Ashley Sessa, Meredith Sholder, Cassie Sumfest and Beth Yeager, and most recently Reese D’Ariano made her senior national team debut in the Nations Cup.”

“I am proud to leave the indoor program in a strong position and in the hands of the next generation of coaches. I will now give my full focus to the young players in my WC Eagles club.”

“It has been an honor to support the women’s indoor team and program and lead their fundraising efforts over the past years,” added Richard.

Jun was named the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Indoor Team in the fall of 2015, with Richard accompanying her as the manager. They kicked off their tenure by leading the squad at the SPAR Four Nations Indoor Tournament in Durban, South Africa, finishing fourth.

In preparation for the next cycle of Indoor World Cup qualification, in 2017 they had the team compete in a series against Canada and at the Rohrmax Cup in Vienna, Austria. That October at the Indoor Pan American Cup in Georgetown, Guyana, they led USA to a historic achievement as the group won gold and qualified for the first-time ever to attend the FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup.

That following February in Berlin, Germany, they were at the helm of the 2018 FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup team who competed well against indoor powerhouses to finish the event in 10th. The program continued to be on the rise as they navigated through the pandemic with indoor tryouts in the lead up to the next quad of qualification.

Following a postponement and with no fans due to the pandemic, Jun led the team to defend their Indoor Pan American Cup title in 2021, and yet again qualified for the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup. That edition, which was originally scheduled to take place in 2022, was moved to 2023. With the youngest competing roster at the event, USA made headlines, challenging and holding their own against top-tier indoor talent, finishing in 9th place.

The cycle of the FIH Indoor competitions shifted to every 2 years so less than a year later, Jun led her young team to secure a three-peat as Indoor Pan American Cup champions. In the final, USA found themselves trailing to Argentina but fought back to even it at 5-5. In a thrilling shootout, the United Eagles scored all three chances, while Las Leonas missed one, for the 3-2 win.

In January 2025, the Indoor USWNT competed at the Rohrmax Cup in Vienna, Austria in preparation for the world stage. With most competing teams having qualified for the Indoor World Cup less than a month away, the competition was fierce as USA went on to win the event after defeating higher ranked opponents.

With once again having the youngest squad in the tournament, Jun recently led the group to a first-ever spot in the 2025 FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup quarterfinals. They went on to notch another program milestone with the highest-ever finish with seventh, giving them a No. 7 world ranking.