Beijing 2008 - Wow!

We did it! We are back in the final four in the Olympic Games for the first time since 1992. The guys did great today. We beat Germany in a thriller 8 – 7. It was a great team effort. I am so proud of them. We celebrated and had a nice team dinner this evening. When I spoke to the team tonight I told them to reflect back and think for a minute about how far we have come. Back in December when we had our first training camp together not too many people believed that we had any chance at all. In fact, most had written us off. Even many of my friends would ask me if I was sure that I wanted to do this.

I am proud of the guys. They believed and they learned to trust each other and believe in each other. Along the way we have become a family - a group of individuals that has become a true “team” with a single purpose. These guys have come here and proven to the world on the biggest stage in all of sports that they are one of the best teams in the world. They deserve a lot of credit and each one of them as been an important part of our success.

So here is the situation. The win today gives us a bye in the semi –finals. On Friday we will play the winner of the Spain vs. Serbia game. We have a day off tomorrow (we are going to go for a light swim and try to rest the bodies and minds). Then on Weds. we will resume our training and begin to prepare for our game on Friday. We will also go as a team and watch the Spain/Serbia game so that all the guys will have the opportunity to do some scouting.

The support that we have here is awesome. So many friends and family have travelled to Beijing and are here yelling and screaming as loud as they can. It is fun to see all of the American flags waving in the crowd and hear that familiar USA USA USA chant. I also want to say thank you to so many people back home that have been emailing and texting their good wishes. The support that we are feeling is great. The guys feel it and they know that you are all out there cheering for us. Thank you and get ready for a fun weekend.

Personally, I am feeling emotionally drained tonight. The extra day off is a blessing. We can all use the rest and it is going to prove to be a huge advantage for us to come into the semifinals fresh. I am so happy for these guys. They have given me a great ride. I have enjoyed being a part of this group and seeing these guys grow as a team in front of my eyes.

GO USA! See you at the pool!

Coach
P.S. I am pretty sure I injured my left arm in the game today doing a fist pump. OK I am getting pretty excited on the bench. My voice and my arm should be fully recovered by Friday. Look out world here we come…