Team USA is in Santiago, Chile on its quest to earn a berth to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
Several of the USA Women’s National Field Hockey athletes took a red shirt from their respective college to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The United Eagles have put in the work, so now it’s just a matter of wait and see how they do.
FAN reached out to USA Field Hockey’s head coach David Passmore to find out how preparation for the games went.
USA played Canada in a round of friendly competition at the end of the summer. They were also supposed to play against South Africa, but the team was unable to travel to the United States.
FAN Q: What event was held instead of competition against South Africa in preparation of the Pan Am games? And, what did the games reveal to the coaching staff in general?
David Passmore A: “We were fortunate to play our men’s U21 team three times. This level of competition stretched us physically and tactically, which is exactly what you need before going into a major tournament. We were really pleased with two of our performances and it showed we are physically in the right place while allowing us to tighten up on some tactical components of our play.”
FAN Q: What has the team been focusing on during practices? And, for how long have they been working together prior to the Pan Ams?
David Passmore A: “The team came together as a group at the end of July and have worked really hard since that point. We have focused on speeding up our play, tactical structures and also our set pieces, especially our penalty corner attack.”
FAN Q: What types of bonding activities and technical training have been involved in preparations for the games?
David Passmore A: “Our athletes take care of this area during our centralized program and have had beach days, Halloween competitions, squad BBQs and lots of fun before and after each session. This group does not need too much formally done for them in this respect as they are a close bunch who enjoy each others company.”
FAN Q: What strengths are you looking forward to showing off? What would you like team USA to do better during the tournament?
David Passmore A: “We need to perform more consistently within and between games as this was lacking in our play during the Pro League in June-July. This will mean that our defensive principles and structures remain strong and that should allow us to bring the speed and flair at the right moments in games which is a strength.”
FAN Q: Are you looking at any one team as the biggest threat?
David Passmore A: “While Argentina are the highest ranked team (No. 3 in the world) and are also in our pool, we will take each and every game as it comes treating each opponent with the same level of respect and detail in our preparation and delivery.”
Photo: Submitted
Tournament schedule: USA Field Hockey
