Whitpain Olympic Field Hockey Star Signs Global Endorsement Deal

Katie O’Donnell, a current player of Team USA Field Hockey and a native of Blue Bell, recently announced her endorsement agreement to represent and advise STX, global sporting goods manufacturer.

According to a spokesperson for O’Donnell, the field hockey star will work with STX product management and R&D groups  to help develop the next generation of STX field hockey products.

O’Donnell, a standout player from the University of Maryland and the 2010 Women’s Sports Foundation Sportwoman of the Year, will work with STX through 2016.

A recent press release on O’Donnell’s signing with STX provides more details on the growing national popularity of the sport and her role in continuing that growth through the sports company:

O’Donnell appeared in the 2012 Summer Games for Team USA and is the most decorated field hockey athlete in the nation, with commendations that range from College All-America to being named the Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation in 2010, a title she shares with the likes of Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Serena and Venus Williams. O’Donnell has been at the forefront of the most recent resurgence in American field hockey, having led the team to a Gold medal at the Pan Am Games in 2011.

“We are so excited that Katie has decided the STX brand of equipment is the right choice for her as she begins preparations for her run up to and through the 2016 Summer Games,” said STX Field Hockey Brand Manager Emily Hughes in the release. “To have an athlete and person of Katie’s caliber make a deliberate and thoughtful decision about aligning her playing future with our products is an incredible validation of the work our product team is doing here. Nothing short of an honor,” continued Hughes.

O’Donnell will work closely with the STX product management and R&D groups, located in Baltimore, in developing the next generation of STX field hockey products. While STX is already the US market leader in field hockey market share, the company has, of late, expressed a renewed commitment to driving further innovation in the category, something that appealed to O’Donnell in her decision-making process.  “Having had the opportunity to see the energy and effort that is being poured into field hockey at STX is really amazing,” said O’Donnell, “It is clear that STX recognizes the true potential in our sport and the athletes who participate in it. I am really excited to get behind their efforts to advance the game here in the US and abroad.”

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of STX Field Hockey, and the company has been highly active in the marketplace. With its continued commitment to the sport, STX recently signed the University of Maryland field hockey team, American field hockey icon Carrie Lingo and partnered with USA Field Hockey for the Play It Forward program, which aims to encourage youth participation in the sport.

In recent news about the U.S. Women’s Field Hockey Team, the team advanced to the World League Round 3 with a near-perfect record. Round 3 will be the first qualifying opportunity for the 2014 World Cup, which will be held in London England in June.

For more information, visit www.stx.com.