An interesting perspective

After training tonight, we went over and supported our women’s team in their quest for the gold and an Olympic berth. They also played Canada. After being down 7 - 3 in the third quarter our USA team rallied to tie the score at 8 and send the game into overtime. Neither team scored in OT which meant the game headed to a penalty shootout. The format for a shootout is that each team picks five players and then each player gets their turn (one team and then the next). After each player has taken their penalty shot a winner is determined. If the score is still tied then the teams alternate (with the same five players taking shots) until a winner is determined. After each team had taken 20 shots the score was still tied. Finally, Canada missed after a USA make and the game was over. Our women won the gold! Very exciting game and pretty amazing that there were so many penalty throws converted in a row. Congrats to our women’s team.

Tomorrow is our turn to play for a gold and hopefully, it will be the same result without the excitement of a penalty shoot out. I was watching both coaches suffer throughout the shootout...

Somehow on the way home, Rick and I ended up in the bus with the Brazilian women’s water polo team. They had just won their first bronze medal at the Pan Ams ever. These girls were so excited. They were playing loud music, dancing and singing and just screaming in delight. It occurred to me how I have felt after winning the silver medal at the Olympics as a player and as a coach. I also have won one silver, along with 4 golds at the Pan Ams in the past. It is amazing how when you don’t win the gold you go away in pain with a silver medal while when you win the bronze you are happy and excited with a medal. I remember that feeling from Beijing also when we won the silver and Serbia won the bronze and they we super excited and we were bummed.

Anyway, tomorrow is a day for us to shine and win the gold. We have been gradually getting better throughout the tournament and tomorrow Tony should be back in the pool with us. This will definitely make us stronger. We are prepared and ready to play at our best in this final game. Ready to take home the gold and qualify for London.

After the women’s game tonight, Rick and I stayed to watch the medal ceremony for the women. I just wanted to hear our national anthem being played so that I could go to bed with those positive thoughts, humming our countries anthem as I drift off.

See you at the pool tomorrow.

Coach