LOS ALAMITOS — Natalie Golda can still feel the emotional tug fr
om her first Olympics.
From the overwhelming spectacle of the opening ceremonies to the indescribable joy of having a medal placed around her neck, Golda has a reserve of experience to draw from when the 2008 Olympics get underway next month.
But the feelings that course through her body will be different this time around.
She is no longer a bright-eyed kid but a veteran leader on a young U.S. Olympic women's water polo team, and Golda acknowledged this is probably her last go-around with the national team.
"Most likely," Golda said before the U.S. kicked off a four-game exhibition series against Australia at Joint Forces Training Base in preparation for its Aug.11 Olympic opener against China.
If the U.S. does well in Beijing it would cap a long run for Golda, 26, who is in her 10th year with the national team. The Rosary High graduate has a lot invested in these Games as one of three remaining players who have unfinished business from the 2004 bronze-medal performance.
Golda was one of the younger players on that squad. Now she's one of the better defenders and outside shooters who plays a larger role in and out of the pool
"I think the first time I didn't feel like a contributor," Golda said. "Now I feel my role has increased and changed and this is going to be completely different Games for me."
Golda defers to three-time Olympians Heather Petri and Brenda Villa for vocal leadership, but she has been known to fire up the team before games or pick up a teammate after a bad practice.
That energy and attitude will be valuable to a U.S. team that has 10 first-time Olympians and an average age of 24.
Despite its youth, it is the same team that won the Pan American Games last year to qualify for this Olympics. The U.S. enters Beijing as the top-ranked team, although Coach Guy Baker says his team is behind Italy and Russia.
Golda remains confident.
"This is probably our more veteran team," Golda said. "I definitely trust these girls. They're all phenomenal athletes and they all know what they're doing and they want to be standing up on that podium."
Golda is still motivated by 2004. She thought the U.S. was the best team that year, but it failed to collect its ultimate goal.
Not that Golda isn't proud of her bronze medal. She keeps it in her mother's China hutch and brings it out for speaking appearances.
A gold medal would be the first for the U.S. women, who won silver in 2000.
It would also close the door on a solid career and neatly allow Golda to start another chapter of her life — she is getting married in January — although she left that door open.
"Part of you wants to go out on top," Golda said.
"But then those successful performances kind of feed that hunger to continue playing and seeing how much better you can become and other things you can accomplish. That's why you keep playing. There are those games where you feel like you can play another game right afterward and you feel like you played mistake-free water polo and every single shot was going for you. That's why you keep playing through all the bad practices and bad games … those good ones keep you going."
HAYES MAKES CUT
While Golda's selection to the Olympic team might have been a formality, it was a bit more complicated for Brittany Hayes.
Hayes was cut from the Pan American Games last year although she had scored a team-leading eight goals in two FINA World League matches. She grinded over the next year, and it paid off when Baker called her into his office June 30 to tell her she made the team.
"It was a mixture of emotions — crying, excitement, awe, shock," Hayes said.
"Definitely tears of joy. It's been a lifelong goal, dream. To have that become a reality was life changing."
It was what Hayes, 23, had thought about since before she starred at Foothill High. It was also a natural progression for someone who is a product of the pipeline, having been a four-time Junior Olympic All-American.
"Personally it was just about learning the system," said Hayes, a left handed attacker.
"I'm not as experienced as some of the veterans — two-time, three-time Olympians. It was about really understanding the system, getting to know who I was playing with a little bit better and getting to understand my role."
Hayes is the first lefty picked to the Olympic team since Maureen O'Toole in 2000. She's also the only member of Foothill's trio of star players, the so-called Big Three that includes Gabbie Dominic and Emily Fehrer, to make an Olympic squad.
"I owe a lot to my high school and my team and my coaches there," Hayes said. "It's a huge honor, not only, to represent my area, my high school, my club team, my country. It's awesome."
om her first Olympics.From the overwhelming spectacle of the opening ceremonies to the indescribable joy of having a medal placed around her neck, Golda has a reserve of experience to draw from when the 2008 Olympics get underway next month.
But the feelings that course through her body will be different this time around.
She is no longer a bright-eyed kid but a veteran leader on a young U.S. Olympic women's water polo team, and Golda acknowledged this is probably her last go-around with the national team.
"Most likely," Golda said before the U.S. kicked off a four-game exhibition series against Australia at Joint Forces Training Base in preparation for its Aug.11 Olympic opener against China.
If the U.S. does well in Beijing it would cap a long run for Golda, 26, who is in her 10th year with the national team. The Rosary High graduate has a lot invested in these Games as one of three remaining players who have unfinished business from the 2004 bronze-medal performance.
Golda was one of the younger players on that squad. Now she's one of the better defenders and outside shooters who plays a larger role in and out of the pool
"I think the first time I didn't feel like a contributor," Golda said. "Now I feel my role has increased and changed and this is going to be completely different Games for me."
Golda defers to three-time Olympians Heather Petri and Brenda Villa for vocal leadership, but she has been known to fire up the team before games or pick up a teammate after a bad practice.
That energy and attitude will be valuable to a U.S. team that has 10 first-time Olympians and an average age of 24.
Despite its youth, it is the same team that won the Pan American Games last year to qualify for this Olympics. The U.S. enters Beijing as the top-ranked team, although Coach Guy Baker says his team is behind Italy and Russia.
Golda remains confident.
"This is probably our more veteran team," Golda said. "I definitely trust these girls. They're all phenomenal athletes and they all know what they're doing and they want to be standing up on that podium."
Golda is still motivated by 2004. She thought the U.S. was the best team that year, but it failed to collect its ultimate goal.
Not that Golda isn't proud of her bronze medal. She keeps it in her mother's China hutch and brings it out for speaking appearances.
A gold medal would be the first for the U.S. women, who won silver in 2000.
It would also close the door on a solid career and neatly allow Golda to start another chapter of her life — she is getting married in January — although she left that door open.
"Part of you wants to go out on top," Golda said.
"But then those successful performances kind of feed that hunger to continue playing and seeing how much better you can become and other things you can accomplish. That's why you keep playing. There are those games where you feel like you can play another game right afterward and you feel like you played mistake-free water polo and every single shot was going for you. That's why you keep playing through all the bad practices and bad games … those good ones keep you going."
HAYES MAKES CUT
While Golda's selection to the Olympic team might have been a formality, it was a bit more complicated for Brittany Hayes.
Hayes was cut from the Pan American Games last year although she had scored a team-leading eight goals in two FINA World League matches. She grinded over the next year, and it paid off when Baker called her into his office June 30 to tell her she made the team.
"It was a mixture of emotions — crying, excitement, awe, shock," Hayes said.
"Definitely tears of joy. It's been a lifelong goal, dream. To have that become a reality was life changing."
It was what Hayes, 23, had thought about since before she starred at Foothill High. It was also a natural progression for someone who is a product of the pipeline, having been a four-time Junior Olympic All-American.
"Personally it was just about learning the system," said Hayes, a left handed attacker.
"I'm not as experienced as some of the veterans — two-time, three-time Olympians. It was about really understanding the system, getting to know who I was playing with a little bit better and getting to understand my role."
Hayes is the first lefty picked to the Olympic team since Maureen O'Toole in 2000. She's also the only member of Foothill's trio of star players, the so-called Big Three that includes Gabbie Dominic and Emily Fehrer, to make an Olympic squad.
"I owe a lot to my high school and my team and my coaches there," Hayes said. "It's a huge honor, not only, to represent my area, my high school, my club team, my country. It's awesome."
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