Festival of spirit, skill, success...and the odd surprise
When I was offered the chance to report on this year's World
Championship here in Maryland, it didn't take me long to make
my mind up. I quickly said yes'.
England have won two silver medals (1989 and 1993) and consecutive
bronzes (1997 and 2001), so were rightly one of the medal-favourites
for honours at this year's tournament.
Having spoken to head coach Lois Richardson and a number
of the England team it quickly became apparent that our national
side had ambitious aspirations.
Successful tours to Australia and America signalled England's
intent to learn and play against the best, with convincing
victories which followed in the Home Internationals, where
Japan guested for pre-World Cup experience.
It's my first Women's World Cup having been the ELA Press
Officer for the men's team in Perth, Australia, in 2002, and
then last year for both the men (a young side) and women (the
latter respectively a 3rd string) at the European Championship,
staged in Slavia, a small town on the outskirts of Prague.
Having seen England finish a disappointing sixth place at
the 2002 World Championship Down Under, I was happy to report
the men's team won gold in the Czech Republic, while England
women won bronze with a nerve-racking victory over the hosts.
Both Championships I covered were fun, nerve-racking and
an invaluable learning experience - pretty much the story
of this Championship thus far.
I will take away my own memories away from Annapolis, but
for the ten nations competing, spectators, support staff,
volunteers, team doctors, commentators and press, they will
all have their own stories to tell.
But let me give you an round-up of the best and worst bits
of life away at a top international tournament.
By far the funniest story on these shores, for me and my
US comrades at least, has been the ensuing battle between
the Aussies and the English.
Of course both teams have strived for success on the pitch,
but off it there's been all manner of fun and games.
England stole Australia's cherished mascot - a Kangaroo by
the name of Skippy - which led to the Aussies stealing England's
team fridge from their dorms.
That little tussle is ongoing, while England were greeted
by the wrong national anthem in their last pool game with
Canada at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.
Anthems have been quite-uplifting here, especially for Scotland
with their very own (four) bag-pipers, fully kilted-up and
playing their hearts out.
Amazingly these bag-pipers have not been shipped over, but
herald from Maryland's Eastern shore.
The Chesapeake Caledonian Pipes and Drums were asked by the
Scottish team to play the 'Flower of Scotland' before every
match. Everyone has enjoyed their presence and pleasant tunes.
A strong family presence has also been noticed with four
sets of sisters, three sets who play for the same countries
respectively.
Germany have Lisa and Eva Schulte, New Zealand Michelle and
Natalie Turner, while England have the Kirchheimer sisters,
Rachel and Sarah.
England also have Lizzie McCosh (25), but her younger sister,
Caroline (22) has been starring for the Scottish team. It
would have surely been an interesting battle if the pair had
gone head-to-head here at the Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
'I'm quite glad we didn't end up playing each other,' revealed
Lizzie. 'It would have been a bit strange for us both.'
As well as all the young guns competing in this year's competition,
many of whom are playing in their first World Cup, there have
also been some notable performance from those players who
have been 'around for a while'.
England's Sarah Butt is playing in her fifth World Cup. A
remarkable and commendable achievement, aged 38 and a mother-of-two.
Hats off to you Sarah - or 'Ritchie' as she is affectionately
known to her team-mates.
But it is Scotland's Valerie Houston, a 41-year-old former
civil engineer and now rugby coach in the UK, who is the tournament's
oldest player. Houston is set to retire after this year's
Championship, but is still going strong and loving the sport
she started as a youngster over 25 years ago.
'I'll be stopping after this year, but you never know. As
long as I'm fit and still enjoying it I might carry on,' said
attacker Houston, who heralds from Gretna Green.
'I still love competing. The World Cup has changed so much
since I've played in it. We used to play with wooden sticks,
but now it's plastic sticks and the competition is just so
much harder because every country improves each year.'
Houston added: 'I still play because I love the game so much.
'The only problem is it takes you longer to recover!', she
added with a big smile on her face.
This year's Championships has also seen 48 teams from six
different countries, including a team made of players from
Stockport, Mellor and Wirral, all of whom play in the Women's
North of England Premier League.
The 'Cup of Nations' has run over four days, with Under-19
domestic and international teams competing in a friendly tournament
designed to celebrate the sport of women's lacrosse, but without
the pressures involved with a recruiting event.
'It's a full circle event aimed at having some fun and giving
players the chance top savour the special atmosphere of an
top international event like this,' said Steve Willett, head
of the World Cup Marketing Committee, delighted with the success
of this year's inaugural event.
'There's no winner, just a festival spirit and the chance
for lacrosse fans to watch some good games and get a flavour
of playing against teams from around the world.'
This year has also seen the introduction of eye wear. Though
eye wear is not required under international governance, U.S.
head coach Sue Stahl thought it appropriate to comply with
domestic standards, with all women's lacrosse players having
to wear protection in 2005.
The Japanese have been seen sporting the odd piece of eye
wear, as have other nations including the Czech Republic and
Japan. Will the mandate ever catch on in England? We'll have
to wait and see.
And, before I conclude, let's not forget the umpires, who
have all played key roles in making this event a success.
Of course they can't always get every call right, but there
professionalism has been there to admire.
Steve Taylor is England's only referee. He was recently joined
here in Annapolis by his wife and new baby daughter, who both
travelled to stay with Steve from their home in Canada. It
just proves Lacrosse really is a family attraction!
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