In less than a week the Canadian Women’s Junior National Team will compete against Team Brazil in the first match of the Pan American Junior Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico. We connected with three athletes to hear their thoughts.
FHC: What are you most looking forward to at the 2012 Pan American Junior Championship?
Natalie Sourisseau: I am really looking forward to having the whole team together again, and to finally play in our first major tournament which we have been working towards for so long. I am also looking forward to being able to put everything we have learned into action in order to hopefully medal, and qualify for the Junior World Cup. We are shooting for gold.
Caashia Karringten: I look forward to seeing where we stand against the other Pan American teams. We will be competing with some teams we have played in the past, and I think it will be the perfect opportunity to see how much we have improved – and use that familiarity to our advantage. There is no doubt in my mind that everyone is physically and emotionally prepared for this tournament.
Hannah Haughn: I’m most looking forward to getting out on the field and seeing how we measure up against other teams. We have been working hard to elevate our game over the last few months and I’m sure the other teams have been as well.
FHC: What are your personal goals for Guadalajara?
NS: My personal goals are to continue working on controlling the tempo of the game as well as my possession skills under pressure.
CK: My goals are to put my best effort forward, and to stay focused throughout the tournament – and ultimately win a gold medal!
HH: Score some goals and to win the tournament! I really believe that we have a good shot if we come to play every game.
FHC: Did the Europe Tour in July prepare you for Guadalajara?
NS: Our tour to Europe helped us build on our team play and tactics, as well as continue to fine tune our skills and build chemistry against some very tough opposition. We also used the tour to develop our offensive game which was missing at times in Argentina.
CK: I think the tour to Europe gave everyone on the team a good idea of what it is to play internationally, especially for the girls who have never played at this level. The speed of the game was a lot faster, and we have adjusted our pace to match the pace we were exposed to in Europe. Additionally, we became more aware of our weaknesses, therefore allowing us to identify what areas needed more practice. Playing some of the best teams in the world can be nerve racking, but at the end of the day, it was a great learning experience, which taught us better game sense. The tour brought us all closer together as a team and gave us the opportunity to form a more solid structure of what defines our style of play.
HH: The Europe tour this summer was amazing. Getting to play strong teams like the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain is something Canada has not been able to do for a while. The games not only forced us to get used to playing at a faster pace and a higher intensity but also served as confidence booster. I think we proved to ourselves and our opponents that we can compete with the top teams.
Visit www.fieldhockey.ca/JRPANAM for updates from the Pan American Junior Championships. Join the conversation on Twitter @fieldhockeycan and use #JrPanAms
