The prizes are out there, scholarships to big-time colleges like Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Indiana, Boston University, Louisville, Ohio, Wake Forest, Old Dominion, Colorado, Stanford, California and Pacific.

Since 2001, more than 60 North County high school field hockey players have gone on to play in college.

To get a scholarship, though, one must do more than play the game in high school.

Girls need to get involved in the summer, most notably the National Futures Program, which is run by USA Field Hockey.

"USA Field Hockey uses Futures as a pipeline for Olympic athletes," said San Pasqual High coach Paula Conway, who is also the regional coaching director for the Futures program in California.

"The Nationals Futures Championships for under-19 and under-16 draws nearly every Division I college coach in the country. It's a meat market."

Lauren Greenwald and Molly Cassidy of La Costa Canyon were invited to the Under-21 Junior National Camp in Boston this summer. They and former Torrey Pines standout Katie Griswold, who is playing at Indiana, were on the Olympic Development Select team.

Cassidy and Paige Simmons of Torrey Pines were among the 128 players chosen for the AAU Junior Olympics in Virginia Beach, Va. They went on to play in a tournament in Knoxville, Tenn.

Most North County schools have girls involved in the Futures program at some level. Of the 40 California girls selected to play in the National Futures Championships, 14 are from North County.

In Southern California, the Futures program is based at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. Players are chosen for one of several levels after tryout sessions.

"Once you get into Futures, you're destined to play college field hockey," Conway said. "Futures begins the training process for collegiate programs. And I'd say that 90 percent of our U.S. national team players got their starts in Futures."

San Pasqual graduate Tiffany Snow, the NCAA player of the year her senior season at Old Dominion, is now a mainstay on a U.S. national team, which will play in an Olympic qualifying tournament in April. Snow used Futures as springboard to college.

Valley Center coach Katy Moyneur and Westview coach Kelli Gannon both played at San Pasqual, starred at Michigan and played for the U.S. national team.

Both got their starts in Futures.

"I told my team that I highly recommend getting involved in Futures because you train with the best," said Moyneur, who coached a program in Michigan and hopes to coach Futures in San Diego. "They're going to start a program for eighth graders, so it's going to be a huge part of a player's development.

"I don't think I would have gotten to Michigan without playing Futures. Just playing in high school isn't good enough in this sport."

Gannon followed much the same road as Moyneur to get to college.

"I got involved after my sophomore year at San Pasqual," said Gannon, who is now the head coach for a Futures under-19 team. "The only way to improve your skills is to play over the summer. And Futures is the best summer program because you're playing against the best of the best.

"Futures is the only avenue to get national recognition."

Fallbrook coach Kathy Waite knows the importance of Futures, but doesn't necessarily agree with Gannon.

"Yes, Futures is important," Waite said. "If you're not in it, you need to be very proactive in other areas over the summer.

"All the college coaches look to Futures first, but you can benefit a lot by playing in indoor tournaments, in the Field Hockey Festival, Cal Cup or just going to two or three camps.

"I'm a big proponent of girls getting involved in more that one activity, more than one sport. And while Futures is great, once you're in, you're committed to one sport - field hockey."

San Marcos coach Jonathan St. John was involved in Futures for three years. In 2006, his San Jose U-16 team that featured La Costa Canyon goalies Cassidy and Haleh Nourani placed third in the U.S. Field Hockey Futures Championship Tournament in Virginia Beach.

"All the powerhouse high school programs in San Diego County are well represented in Futures," St. John said. "Just having one or two players involved can make a huge difference.

"I got out of it this summer because, for my school, I thought it was more important to help start a middle-school program. The only problem with Futures is that it's expensive and it's time-consuming."

Shawn Cassidy's daughter Molly, La Costa Canyon's goalie, is heavily involved in Futures, and he believes the time, effort and money are worth it.

"The program is outstanding," Shawn Cassidy said. "It's a big discovery ground for colleges. And if you have dreams beyond college - things like the Olympics - you have to be involved.

"Everything is run in a college-type atmosphere. Parent contact is limited, and that's good not to have Mom or Dad in your ear."

Molly Cassidy fully understands the opportunity she has been afforded.

"Field hockey has changed my life," Cassidy said. "So I got involved at Diegueno Middle School. When I got into goaltending in seventh grade, I got some great help from Tom Vano."

Vano was the goalie on the 1996 U.S. men's Olympic team.

This summer at Futures, Cassidy worked with Jeb Saez, another former Vano student, who is currently the goalie for the U.S. men's national team.

"Tom Vano used to put water bottles on my feet and make me play in goal," Cassidy said. "I felt like the Michelin Man. He helped me so much.

"And now, oh my gosh, I enjoy playing in goal so much that I'd never play any other position."

A catcher on the La Costa Canyon softball team, Cassidy feels field hockey is her ticket to college and Futures will make her a better field hockey player.

"Futures has taken me to a lot of places, Holland and college campuses like Michigan State, Maryland and Wake Forest," Cassidy said. "I've been able to experience college life back East. I've seen colleges in big cities and in rural communities.

"I've experienced life in the dorms.

"And it has made me a better player."

New Mission Hills coach Amy Kivett grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., and played college field hockey for the University at Albany.

So she has seen the sport on both coasts.

"In the East, field hockey is a college sport," Kivett said. "On the West Coast, it's more popular in high school. There are some great high school programs in San Diego County, and we're trying to join them.

"But we only have two girls involved in Futures. We need to get more involved because you work year-round and get tremendous one-on-one attention.

"The schools are team oriented, and that's the way it should. But without the work you get on individual skills at Futures, it's hard to get ahead."

- Contact staff writer John Maffei at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com.