Field Hockey Rules Committee Welcomes New Members - 2018-2019

NFHS rules writing committees consist of experts in the given sport.  Each committee member is nominated by state associations, as is the chairperson, who guides the members through their work.  Each of the NFHS’s eight sections are represented on the given rules committee.  To allow for equal representation, there is also a member of the NFHS Coaches Association and the NFHS Officials Association on each rules committee.  Each committee member serves a four-year term.

The NFHS is pleased to welcome three new members of the Field Hockey Rules Committee:

Lynette Mitzel, Section 2, is in her 11th year with the Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Athletics. After playing field hockey at Penn State, she began her athletics career coaching collegiate field hockey, before transitioning to the high school sector and the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. She serves as a representative on the Board of Control, Finance Committee, Officials Committee, Nominating Committee, and Appeals Committee for the MPSSAA. She is also the secretary for the MPSSAA Executive Council. She assisted in the development of the state-wide Student Athlete Leadership Conference, has presented at all nine conferences, and has accompanied Maryland delegates to the national conference. In the 2010-2011 academic year, she took over as the director for the MPSSAA Girls State Basketball Committee.

Kari DiGuilio, Section 7, is from San Diego, California. She previously served on the NFHS Field Hockey Rules Committee from 2012-2015 and is excited to rejoin the group. A San Diego native, Kari played High School field hockey at Serra High School and then in college at Central Michigan University. Currently, Kari serves as a teacher and Athletic Director at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, Ca., while also assisting the Varsity Field Hockey team. She has served the San Dieguito Union High School District for the past 20 years. For 13 of those years she served as the Head Varsity Field Hockey Coach at Torrey Pines High School in Del Mar, Ca. She was recognized as San Diego Field Hockey Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2003, as well as the 2016 Athletic Director of the Year and Southern California State AD of the Year. Kari currently resides in San Marcos, Ca. with her husband and 4 children.

Christine Couteau, NFHS Officials Association, has been involved in many aspects of field hockey since she was 6 years old. She played for the French National Team in the 1980s, and now wears the red, white and blue for the USA National Masters O50 Team, having competed in the 2014, 2016 and 2018 Master’s World Cups. She is also a level II coach and can be found coaching youth in her home town of San Jose every spring. Christine is also passionate about umpiring and umpire development. She holds a level III umpire certification from USA Field Hockey, she trains and assigns all the high school umpires for the vibrant Bay Area high school leagues, and she is on the field with her whistle as often as she can! She is honored to serve again on the NFHS Field Hockey Rules Committee. Outside of hockey, Christine works as a consultant for small business accounting and HR. She moved to the Bay Area over 20 years ago for her husband's work and they have two daughters.

The new members take over for Sandra Yost (Section 2), Justina Williams (Section 7) and Brian Nutter (NFHS Officials Association).  Each of the outgoing committee members served the membership well.

The Field Hockey Rules Committee Meeting will take place January 7-9, 2019 in Indianapolis, IN.