New Minds, New Coaches and New Teammates -

Although I am in Northern Minnesota, with blue skies, bald eagles and Nordic skiers, the Women's National Team is preparing for their first competition of 2008. Defender Cat Whitehill has sent us some thought about how it feels to be back in China.

Wow, I can’t believe I am back in china already. It has been four months now since the World Cup, but it really feels like it was yesterday. When I look around Guangzhou, I definitely think about what happened last September. I don’t know if I will ever be able to forget the 2007 world cup. It was quite an up and down tournament that thankfully ended with our team making its best performance.

Just being surrounded by the Chinese culture makes me think of the dreadful Brazil game yet remember our team feeling a huge sense of relief once we beat one of our biggest rivalries, Norway, 4-1.

Sitting here on my computer writing these thoughts makes me realize how much I want to get back on the pitch and play again. I just want at least one more shot at giving this team a chance to stand on the right podium. I will never forget when I was blasting our national anthem when we won the gold medal (beating Brazil nonetheless), and standing at the very top and I know that we are all aiming towards that same goal. It is good to be back. It is good to know that the Olympics are so close to the World Cup so we are easily reminded of what happened.

Being here with the team, anyone can feel the renewal that is going on in all of us. New minds, new coaches, and new teammates are just the beginning. I believe you will see a new US team out there and I am excited to see the final product.

We are here as a tune up for the Olympics so there is definitely going to be some rust, but we are going to work out the kinks and be ready for qualifying this April and hopefully the Olympics this summer.

We are all so excited, we want the rest of America to have this same sense of renewal and cheer our great country to victories. I guess I get carried away with the Olympic talk, but the Olympics is one of the greatest times for the country to come together and put away all differences and focus on a single goal. I am grateful to have experienced that thrill and looking forward to having it again this August.

The four nations tournament is just the beginning and none of you will see it on TV, but I know we are working really hard so we can represent the United States as best we can! Check back here for updates!