“To succeed on the world stage, we should focus on drafting the strongest players possible,” Matson, 24, said in a statement shared on social media Thursday night.
Matson said he applied for a tryout in February, but USA Field Hockey “chose not to give me that opportunity.” She added that she “met all the selection criteria” set out in the national organization's bylaws.
“My desire was never to become an Olympian,” said Matson, who until last year was a member of the U.S. national team from 2017. “My request was to be allowed to try out. It is with a heavy heart that I , I have moved on.''
A USA Field Hockey spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Matson's statement Thursday night.
Earlier, the organization told the Philadelphia Inquirer that it had reviewed Matson's request and determined that she did not meet the criteria for consideration for the Olympic team. USA Field Hockey did not say how Matson narrowly missed out, according to investigators, but she was “encouraged to return to field hockey as an athlete and qualify for the next round.” ” he said. [post-2024] cycle. “
In a document detailing the organization's selection process for the 2024 Olympics, one passage states that women's team members will be selected from a pool of athletes in May 2023. The document, dated June last year, indicated that additional players may be invited to go on trial in April or May of this year, but are required to take part in organized matches. It was done. Tryouts are scheduled to take place this weekend in Charlotte.
Matson told Olympic.com last summer that he was stepping away from the national team to devote “all of my attention and energy” to his then-new job as coach at the University of North Carolina.
“door [to playing for Team USA] It’s not closed, but it’s not open either,” she added at the time.
After spending last fall on the Tar Heels' sidelines and becoming the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I history to win a championship, Matson was selected for Team USA at the 2024 Indoor Pan American Cup in Calgary last month. Returned to play. She scored two goals to give the USA the lead, and her score in the shootout after overtime clinched the gold medal.
Matson told the Inquirer that part of his motivation for competing in the tournament was to give USA Field Hockey “an opportunity to see me play again.”
“She changed her mind,” UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham told the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer on Thursday. “She came back to me and she asked me what I thought. I said, 'You're only 23, 24 once.' If you want to play, we'll figure it out. ” We made a plan and figured out a way for her to make it happen. But she had to be chosen and she wasn't chosen. ”
Other UNC officials urged USA Field Hockey to grant Matson's request.Board Chairman John Player Said The organization's position is “beyond comprehension,” it said in a statement.
“Why wouldn't American field hockey give the greatest American athlete in history a chance to compete for a spot on the Olympic team?” Player wrote. “Erin meets all the criteria and is willing, able and ready to travel to Charlotte on Sunday with the full support of her colleagues and team at the University of Carolina. I believe I will reconsider my previous statements and give Erin a chance to compete.”
Trustee Jennifer Halsey Evans described Matson's 2023 activities as a “brief 'vacation' from international competition,” adding, “Erin cares deeply about her sport and her teammates, and is passionate about field hockey. “We want to do everything we can to help spread the word and contribute to America's victory in Paris.” ”
Mr. Player called Mr. Matson “the greatest American field hockey player of all time.” He said she won four NCAA championships as a player and another as a coach last year, was named to the All-American first team five times and was named National Player of the Year three times.
“I am grateful for the support that my UNC family and the entire field hockey community have shown me,” Matson, who grew up in the greater Philadelphia area, said in a statement. “I’m a big shout-out to the women I grew up playing with and to Team USA, who continues to make us all so proud.”
She said Thursday that she declined an invitation from U.S. field hockey officials to meet in Charlotte, saying she was “awaiting a response” because she “didn't want to discuss the Paris Games.”
“We felt it was unfair to take time and attention away from a group in Charlotte that is focused on training for 2024,” Matson said. “After the Paris Games, there will be plenty of time to talk about my involvement in 2026 and 2028, and I look forward to having those discussions.
“I believe that change is needed in American field hockey,” she continued.
