Henrico HS alum to represent Team USA at World Floorball Championships

Henrico County native Suzi Lindquist, a 2008 graduate of Henrico High School and 2024 inductee into the school’s athletic hall of fame, will represent the United States at the Women’s World Floorball Championships in Czechia this December.

Lindquist, who earned local acclaim for her field hockey career at Henrico, has since become one of the most accomplished American players in Europe’s floorball scene. Now based in France, she has tallied more than 100 goals in 56 league games, earned 16 “MVP of the Match” awards, and helped her team to three straight championship finals — including a national title in 2023.

“Playing ice hockey and field hockey in Richmond formed the basis of my floorball skills, allowing me to pick it up easily and — since 2019 — compete on the European level and now for the third time on the world stage,” Lindquist said. “The fact that Richmond is helping drive it forward in the U.S. makes this all the more special.”

The Richmond Floorball Club — a group started to grow the sport locally — is rallying behind Lindquist and her teammates with a “USA Women’s Night” fundraiser on Monday, Oct. 13, at Barton Memorial Rink in Hanover. RFC will cover rink costs and donate all proceeds to the U.S. Women’s National Team, which is entirely self-funded. (Each player pays about $3,000 in travel and competition costs to represent the country on the world stage.)

Floorball — a fast-paced, stick-and-ball sport similar to floor hockey but played without skates or pads — is gaining traction in Virginia. RFC’s first summer season featured two tournaments, a 10-week adult league, youth camps and community days that drew more than 200 participants. According to the USA Floorball Association, Virginia membership nearly tripled this summer, and women now make up 31% of players statewide — more than double the national average.

“Everyone in USA Floorball sacrifices to represent the United States in their own way,” said RFC President Nick Baldaino, who also serves on the national sponsorship committee. “These players commit themselves to the team and literally pay their own way. If we can lighten that load even a little, that’s worth it.”

Henrico’s floorball momentum also includes Team USA veteran Michelle Walton, who leads RFC’s youth programs and serves as USA Floorball’s Mid-Atlantic regional director.

“Floorball is a sport that anyone can play,” Walton said. “I love that it’s accessible to everyone and helps young athletes develop stronger skills overall.”

Among the next generation is Aylla DeSantiago, a VCU student and RFC intern who played for the U.S. team at Nationals in Texas this summer while running Richmond’s outreach efforts.

“Floorball has given me opportunities I never imagined,” she said. “To be part of both the grassroots side and the highest level makes me really proud.”

Supporters can attend USA Women’s Night on Oct. 13 or donate directly to the team through its tax-deductible GoFundMe page.