. . .And Beyond

Terry Walsh stood at the easel at the center of the hallway (which served as a makeshift meeting room). On the easel sat a large blank sheet of crisp white paper. 18 pairs of captivated, curious eyes stared at the Hockey Master, Walsh, waiting for him to reveal yet another secret, magical, and simple key to sporting success. Terry paused, in the dramatic way of a stage performer, inhaling deeply – his lips curling together in confirmation of the potency of the information he was about to disclose. He exhaled, and just as we thought that he was about to reveal his magical wisdom, he held the silence a moment longer. We held our breaths, daring not to break the growing suspense of the silence. Then, Terry turned his back from us, moved his pen to the paper, and wrote one word boldly across the paper’s face. Stepping back from the easel, Terry whispered his magical word . . . CONFIDENCE. A shiver rushed down my spine. This was the missing piece. The missing piece to puzzle started long ag...

Childhood. Where is that place - that place of freedom, of imagination? Where lies that open field of fearlessness where the uninhibited state of innocence invigorates the soul’s astute awareness of the limitlessness of life? The rain was falling like grand pearly pellets from the sky, breaking their form only when they collided with the ground. The team sat huddled under the protection of the dugout, gazing upon the flooded turf wondering whether practice would be or would not be. They watched the rainfall from behind an invisible vale of separation – a vale constructed from some unconscious fear of rain. Crowded together, the masses waited for someone to tell them what to do. Waiting. Watching. The torrential rain continued to taunt the team. “I will not give you respite. I will not stop. I will continue to pour upon your playing field, pounding it with my pearly, pellets of power.” The team heard the rain’s message. They started to grow restless. And then, in a courageous stand agai...

Tension is a powerful force. In my 10th grade physics class, I had to build a model rubber band car. Unfortunately, (unlike my older brother Andrew) I do not possess the gift of mechanics, so my first attempt at rubber band car building failed miserably. The car was supposed to travel down the length of the hallway (at least 25 meters) – and if I remember correctly mine went about 4. The idea behind the rubber band car was simple – the rubber band was attached to one end of the car. In order to move the car forward, the band was coiled around the axel of the wheel on the opposite end (I can’t remember specifically which axel, front or back, but that is insignificant to my story). The car was supposed to move on the principle of converting potential energy (in the form of tension) into usable energy – when the band was released, the tension created a force that was supposed to propel the car forward. The key was to coil the band as tightly as possible around the axel, creating as much...

Kayla Bashore saw the large bouquet of beautiful flowers when she stepped off the team bus at the Club de Campo Hockey Club in Cordoba, Argentina. When she came to Argentina last week, she knew she was in the 90s; but upon seeing the flowers, she realized tonight was her night – tonight, she was to join the Century Club. Teammate, and good friend, Lauren Crandall walked up to Bashore, gave her a squeeze, and offered her congratulations. It was then that Bashore, more casually known as KB, was overcome with the significance of the night. Emotion overwhelmed her as her mind traveled back to a time 5 years prior. The scene was similar. There was a buzz of excitement in the air; loud Spanish music pumped vibrantly through the venue – the light of day was giving way to the darkness of night as the stadium lights shun upon the reason for the gathering, the green hockey pitch. A roaring, enthusiastic, and patriotic Argentine crowd filled the stands in eager anticipation of the match between A...

The advent and commercialization of the internet, specifically the recent growth of social media networks like facebook and twitter, have challenged the hierarchy of tour leisure activities undertaken by the members of the USA field hockey team. Facebooking, which falls under the more general category of internet play, is closing the gap on the team’s number one tour past-time, good ‘ole, traditional r-e-a-d-i-n-g. Yes folks, believe it or not, book reading (and by book, if you have forgotten what they are, I mean those long stories composed of related words on touchable paper, bound together in either paperback or hard back) still has a stronghold on spot number one. It makes me proud to know we are a team who values substance. I have taken it upon myself to perform some research into the “substance” of which we are reading. My research has led me to some interesting questions and conclusions regarding the relationship between who you are and what you read. Remember that saying, “You ...

Jacki Kintzer stood in the elevator with USA National team mate Katelyn Falgowski after the team’s pre-match meeting. As the elevator doors closed, Kintzer turned to Falgo and said nervously, “Lee (headcoach) told me I was in green. I don’t have a green jersey; I only have a yellow one.” Falgo smiled, and reassured her teammate not to worry. Falgo, a young veteran on the national team, knew her University of North Carolina teammate Kintzer would be formally presented with her Green #31 jersey in due course. On February 14, Jacki had earned her stripes with the National Team, getting the call as starting goalkeeper in the team’s match against Argentina. Accordingly, she would be officially presented her USA uniform shirt prior to field departure. The first international cap (first match) is a celebratory moment in the career of a hockey player. It is both a triumph and a reward for the talent and hardwork of years dedicated to the sport – it also marks the start of a new journey represe...

My name is Rachel. I am a procrastinator. Its one of my major pitfalls. You see, right about now, I should be packing (and by packing I mean randomly stuffing) my clothes into my travel bag, but instead I find myself writing the blog report. In our first match against Argentina, we fell short of victory - 2 goals short. We played well, strong defensively, but could not get on the scoreboard. So we did not play well enough to earn the W. Tonight we have an opportunity to earn what we left on the table last night. We will play our final match in Mendoza (the home of the Malbec wine) this evening at 7:30 Argentine time. After the match, we have a late night barbeque, followed by a red eye bus trip over the mountains to Cordoba. I am envisioning the bus trip to be "league of our own" style. I could see Lee doing a great rendition of Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan, manager of the Rockford Peaches. Growing up it was always one of my favorite movie - the whole sport / sister theme always ...

Life was swell. The ease of routine seemed to have resettled upon the members of the team as the return of Tuesday training was welcomed by the shining California sun. The rays of that sun peaked through the 8 am morning haze as the hockeyers ascended the hockey hill (the hockey field sits in the valley below the hill). And it seemed that all was well in the world; the entire squad was reunited for a competitive game of powerball and training. But we knew, in the back of our minds, our impending fate. The fate of untimely, teamly separation – the fate of tiresome travel to a foreign land in the lower hemisphere – the fate belonging to the pinnie, tanned hides of those who would endure the hot, humid temperatures of long Argentine days. A fate (un)welcomed by the return of swollen, plane-cramped legs. It was Wednesday, February 11. The day that the training center was departed – and a new journey started. We met at the San Diego airport at midday. The number one topic of conversation -...

The USA Women's Field Hockey Team resumed preparation for the 2010 World Cup on January 11, 2010 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. The first order on the menu is earning World Cup Qualification (the WC Qualifier will be held in Chula Vista, CA in March). And lets not fool ourselves, earning Qualification will be no casual stroll in the park; the team will face Pan Am rivals Canada and Mexico, European contenders Belgium and France, and Asian power Korea. So it should be no surprise when I say the team has been served a full plate, both literally and figuratively. Speaking of full plates – you ought to see the OTC Dining Hall. You have to understand, the dining hall at the OTC is a special place – it’s a hub of daily activity with the primary purpose of fueling the bodies of focused, hard training athletes. Its secondary function is purely social – let me tell you, there is nothing like coming together over a good meal after a long day at the office. Recent...