July 13, 2024
CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The U. S. Women’s National Rugby Sevens Team is the U. S. National Team in the U. S. The U. S. is looking for a strong performance in what will be the third Olympic Games involving the sport.
As the team prepares to travel to France on Sunday to begin final preparations for what it hopes will be the first tournament to conclude with a medal around the neck of the team members, Liz Strohecker, a graduate of East Palestine High School in 2003, runs quietly. the scenes with the team to make sure all the little major points are fixed.
Strohecker is the leader of the United States women’s rugby sevens team, just as she did in 2021 at the Tokyo Games. She’s essentially a secretary’s rugby edition, as she’s in charge of things like planning, supplemental nutritional needs, and protecting athletes against too many logistical questions from their families.
While the 2021 Games took place in the COVID era, spectators, the existing Olympic tournament will be played at France’s national stadium, the Stade de France, with an expected total capacity of 80,000 spectators over the full three days of the tournament.
“It’s going to be the biggest crowd our players have ever played in front of,” Strohecker said.
In 2016, during the Rio de Janeiro Games in Brazil, the festival was set up in a 15,000-seat transitional stadium. In 2021, Tokyo Stadium had the capacity to hold about 50,000 people, but no enthusiasts were allowed to watch in the stadium.
Strohecker, who has worked for USA Rugby since 2018, said this time he had to respond to all ticket requests from friends and family two years before the Paris Games. It’s part of the task when you have to deal with the public.
“My role is similar to that of past Games, but the only difference now is that my circle of family and friends will be there,” Strohecker said.
He said a big part of his duties would be to answer questions from family and friends to avoid as much stress as possible for athletes competing in Paris. This includes the preparation of information packets explaining relevant information on transport and accommodation to families. He said he was also in charge of a WhatsApp messaging organization for all friends and family so he could relay information to them if needed.
And what questions are already emerging?
“Can I bring symptoms to the stadium? » Strohecker.
It’s unclear at this time, Strohecker said. He said all the places have other policies and they will know more once they get to France.
“Security in Paris will increase,” Strohecker said. There will be restrictions. They even said that if you’re staying at an Airbnb you’ll need a certain QR code, otherwise you won’t be able to drive there.
He said that the security principals fear terrorism.
“Security in Tokyo is also tight, although for another reason,” Strohecker said.
The team will fly into Charles De Gualle Airport on Sunday and then depart for base camp in Tours, central France, about 3 hours by bus from Paris. They will use this time at base camp to acclimatise to the heat and will put on an exhibition against Ireland at the education centre. On July 22, the team will leave for the Olympic Village.
Time from then on will be a whirlwind. The men’s Olympic rugby festival kicks off on July 24 and will be the first medal awarded by a team when it concludes on July 27, just one day after the opening ceremony on the Seine. The festival will begin on July 28. The United States will face Japan at 10:30 a. m. m. EST, followed by Brazil at 2 p. m. EST of that day. The Eagles will end their pool play with a game at 9:30 a. m. m. against France on 29 July. The elimination and placement rounds will continue on July 29 and 30. The gold medal game will take place at 1:45 p. m. m. EST on July 30th. .
Strohecker said the team needed commitments after the tournament and would go back house Aug. 2. The team hopes one of the ones engagements will be a to Champions Park close to the Eiffel Tower.
“If you are a medalist, the next day you can stop by there between four and four in the afternoon. and 10 p. m. and there are all kinds of media and events that athletes can participate in,” Strohecker said.
And what are the chances of the U. S. team winning its first medal in women’s rugby?
“The same old groups like France, New Zealand and Australia (will be the favorites),” Strohecker said. “Sevens is a complicated game. Anyone can win a game at any time, so we made sure not to select any team. ” too lightly. If you’re not fully focused for 14 minutes, it’s an easy game to lose, which is why we take each and every game very seriously.
The United States is 25-1 to win the gold medal and an 11-4 chance of winning a medal. New Zealand are the heavy favourites with odds of 11-10 to win gold.
The Eagles may not be starless at the Games. Veteran Ilona Maher has carved out a significant niche for herself on social media, adding TikTok. Known for her straightforward and blatantly fair way of showcasing the struggles of being a female athlete in a game that sits outside the mainstream, Maher has used this platform to advertise well-known fitness and good looks products.
“I think it speaks really well about the game and what it’s like to be a woman in the game,” Strohecker said. “The other day I was at my doctor’s office, I opened up a magazine and there she was. It’s not what you expect, so it’s really cool to see someone from a game that probably wouldn’t be that popular in the US. receiving so much attention.
Strohecker said that his relationships with Maher were one hundred percent authentic and said that the user you see on TikTok is the user you see in real life.
“I commend her for being true to herself and what she posts because I don’t think it’s necessarily easy to do,” Strohecker said.
When we think of France, the quality of the country’s cuisine is one of the first things that jumps out at you, but surprisingly, Strohecker said that what is served at tournaments is not ideal for the athletes competing.
“I learned that food is never as smart as it needs to be,” Strohecker said. “It can get a little boring, which is why we do a lot of plans and preparations around food to make sure that certain athletes have other options, whether they have nutritional restrictions or just have enough of the usual stuff. “
He said the heavy foods France is known for are what athletes eat.
“They eat poultry breasts, vegetables and undeniable carbohydrates, but in France they eat a lot of fish, beef and rich, heavy foods,” says Strohecker. “That’s why we strive to get what they need. “
Strohecker said athletes are free to explore and pass out for coffee or any other extra food they want, but she wants to give them options.
“We’ve planned everything, but not everything is under our control, so we have to be agile and be able to pivot in the moment,” Strohecker said. “It’s just whatever you have to do when you’re attending huge events. “
Observations
̄ The Stade de France will host athletics competitions once the men’s and women’s rugby tournaments have finished.
̄ Strohecker said that there would be no friends or family in Paris.
“It’s a little pricey, so I don’t have anyone to come to Paris,” Strohecker said. “People were paying $10,000 just for their hotel for a week in Paris. I’m going to paint all the time, so I might not be able to spend time with someone coming to Paris.
¯ Just like anyone from East Palestine, Strohecker said she was glued to the news during the February 2023 toxic train derailment. She said at the time of the derailment both of her parents were living within a mile radius of the derailment site.
“I was obviously very worried about (my parents),” Strohecker said. No one (from USA Rugby) contacted me because I don’t think anyone knew exactly where I was from in Ohio. Some other people asked me, “Hey, have you heard of this?””I told them yes, it’s my hometown. Since then, it is easier for other people to see where I come from.
She said her mother has since moved to Virginia to be with her sister, as her stepfather passed away two weeks after the derailment. His father still lives in East Palestine.
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