USA Field Hockey Looking to Continue Growth

Pam Stuper, the head field hockey coach at Yale, played on three national championship teams at Old Dominion University, and on the United States national team from 1990-1998, earning a bronze medal at the 1994 World Cup. She currently chairs the USA Field Hockey Board of Directors. She will be writing for the 2012 London Olympics blog throughout the Games.

We read about the trials and tribulations of sport at the Olympic Games. We hear about it; it’s everywhere. Team USA certainly faced its share of tests at Riverbank Arena, which is hosting the Olympic field hockey tournament. After two losses, each by one goal, against Australia and New Zealand, we are, of course, disappointed. However, I still smile at the progress USA Field Hockey has made since the Beijing Games.
Americans want results right away. We think “if I do this, I get that, right?” We want it yesterday. And if we didn’t get it yesterday, we want it now. That burning desire is the same in sports.
Some will say we failed in London by not coming home with a medal. I say we won. We’ve won the hearts of the hockey world. We are the talk of the town. Our first Olympic win against the Argentines was not a fluke. It was our second victory over Argentina in less than 10 months and the world sees our potential. We can play with the best. We can beat the best.
To be the best is the next step in the process. As we strive for consistency in our play, focus on capitalizing on our 25-yard and circle penetrations, and find our Abby Wambach, we will continue to be a team to reckon with on the international hockey scene. The day will come when we will be medal contenders, when we will be Olympic or World Champions. It’s not far away. We need to be patient, to believe, and to support our women as they compete with the best to become the best.
As Michael Phelps recently said, “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream the farther you get.”