USA vs. Canada - Observations
The USA Women's National Team played Canada twice - Saturday, June 10th and Tuesday, June 13th. As most of the people who might be reading this know, the first game was a USA victory, 25-10 and the second game was a narrow USA defeat, 20-18. I played in Tuesday's game and here are my observations from the camp:
* Altitude + Heat + Sun = I think I'm gonna keel over. Fitness is a major factor in winning or losing these types of games. It's really hard to prepare for playing a mile high in 90+ degree heat, but it's critical that we train for those conditions. (Sidenote - Edmonton elevation is half that of Boulder, but still will be formidable for those of us training at sea level!) I have to give serious props to my teammate Tina Nesburg who has the most amazing work rate around! She has an incredible mental strength to get through gruelling workouts on her own and is ALWAYS in support all around the field. She does a great job of constantly going forward and it's that kind of mentality and fitness that we all want to emulate.
* Good fields make a HUGE difference. Other than the usual bumps and bruises, our bodies didn't feel like they've been dragged behind a speeding car the next day. Grass is a wonderful thing...and to think of the crappy fields we're play on!
* Team = you win together, you lose together. A loss is not the direct result of one or two people, it's a culmination of what 15 players have done together in 80 minutes. Some decisions or moments are more "high profile" than others, but a team doesn't win or lose because of one individual. Also, something great is that we're building our ability to come back fighting in the second half. That was one of the biggest lessons we learned as a team in Tuesday's game, and it's important to know we can dig ourselves out of a hole.
* Decision-making is one of the most difficult things to teach in rugby. These decisions feel like they happen in a matter of seconds and it's hard to factor in all the variables of the game at hand. Experience plays a critical role and it's this on-field decision-making that makes rugby unique. It's just the players out there - no sideline coaching, no playbook to look at, and no offensive coordinator to consult. We have to figure it out on our own in a matter of seconds.
* Players can't be afraid to take risks. As a player, you're chosen to be on a team because of who you are, what you can add to the team, and all your past performance. The coaches and the team believe in you and they're not looking to scrutinize what you did wrong, they're looking for you to continue growing as a player. Don't think about it as living up to an expectation, but rather bringing all your experience into a game. You're on the field for a reason.
* Boulder, CO is a beautiful place. With the Rockies as a backdrop, "crunchy" people biking and jogging everywhere, a river that runs through town, organic supermarkets on almost every corner, hiking trails only a few minutes outside town, and a collective laid-back attitude makes this a wonderful destination for the healthy traveler.
* Most of us have put our lives on hold for this World Cup vision. We're basically treading water and making ends meet until the end of August, when the tour starts. After the WC, most likely many of our lives will change - some will retire, some will move, some will take time off, some will make a career move, go back to school, etc. We're all fully committed to this vision and have put a lot on hold to see this through. I know personally, there are a number of things that I'm just putting on the back-burner. For most of us, everything falls into 2 distinct time periods - BWC and AWC.
The camp itself was a great experience. We stayed in Williams Village dorms of University of Colorado, along with 600 cheerleaders for the first few days. What a funny juxtaposition - USA Women's Rugby Team and "Cheer Camp". These girls with ribbons, eyeshadow, and short-shorts were out there in the blazing sun rehearsing the same 4 bars of "Walking on Sunshine" for, what seemed like, an eternity. During meals, we would try to pick out the future rugby players from the bunch.
A big shout out to the girls from Castle View HS who decorated our floor the night before our game. It's funny, but it made a difference. Despite some of the negative elements associated with cheering, there is something good to be said for their positivity and the "cheer spirit".
* Altitude + Heat + Sun = I think I'm gonna keel over. Fitness is a major factor in winning or losing these types of games. It's really hard to prepare for playing a mile high in 90+ degree heat, but it's critical that we train for those conditions. (Sidenote - Edmonton elevation is half that of Boulder, but still will be formidable for those of us training at sea level!) I have to give serious props to my teammate Tina Nesburg who has the most amazing work rate around! She has an incredible mental strength to get through gruelling workouts on her own and is ALWAYS in support all around the field. She does a great job of constantly going forward and it's that kind of mentality and fitness that we all want to emulate.
* Good fields make a HUGE difference. Other than the usual bumps and bruises, our bodies didn't feel like they've been dragged behind a speeding car the next day. Grass is a wonderful thing...and to think of the crappy fields we're play on!
* Team = you win together, you lose together. A loss is not the direct result of one or two people, it's a culmination of what 15 players have done together in 80 minutes. Some decisions or moments are more "high profile" than others, but a team doesn't win or lose because of one individual. Also, something great is that we're building our ability to come back fighting in the second half. That was one of the biggest lessons we learned as a team in Tuesday's game, and it's important to know we can dig ourselves out of a hole.
* Decision-making is one of the most difficult things to teach in rugby. These decisions feel like they happen in a matter of seconds and it's hard to factor in all the variables of the game at hand. Experience plays a critical role and it's this on-field decision-making that makes rugby unique. It's just the players out there - no sideline coaching, no playbook to look at, and no offensive coordinator to consult. We have to figure it out on our own in a matter of seconds.
* Players can't be afraid to take risks. As a player, you're chosen to be on a team because of who you are, what you can add to the team, and all your past performance. The coaches and the team believe in you and they're not looking to scrutinize what you did wrong, they're looking for you to continue growing as a player. Don't think about it as living up to an expectation, but rather bringing all your experience into a game. You're on the field for a reason.
* Boulder, CO is a beautiful place. With the Rockies as a backdrop, "crunchy" people biking and jogging everywhere, a river that runs through town, organic supermarkets on almost every corner, hiking trails only a few minutes outside town, and a collective laid-back attitude makes this a wonderful destination for the healthy traveler.
* Most of us have put our lives on hold for this World Cup vision. We're basically treading water and making ends meet until the end of August, when the tour starts. After the WC, most likely many of our lives will change - some will retire, some will move, some will take time off, some will make a career move, go back to school, etc. We're all fully committed to this vision and have put a lot on hold to see this through. I know personally, there are a number of things that I'm just putting on the back-burner. For most of us, everything falls into 2 distinct time periods - BWC and AWC.
The camp itself was a great experience. We stayed in Williams Village dorms of University of Colorado, along with 600 cheerleaders for the first few days. What a funny juxtaposition - USA Women's Rugby Team and "Cheer Camp". These girls with ribbons, eyeshadow, and short-shorts were out there in the blazing sun rehearsing the same 4 bars of "Walking on Sunshine" for, what seemed like, an eternity. During meals, we would try to pick out the future rugby players from the bunch.
A big shout out to the girls from Castle View HS who decorated our floor the night before our game. It's funny, but it made a difference. Despite some of the negative elements associated with cheering, there is something good to be said for their positivity and the "cheer spirit".
posted by Lee Knight at 1:10 PM
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