The men had the same morning schedule as the women, but we did our "light" training mid afternoon while the ladies picked up their official gear (pictured in Veronica's post).  The sun was out off and on today, but we did get some rain during our training run.  When they call it acclimatization, they really mean it!  Attached is a picture of the park we trained in today.

Olympic Uniforms

The day began with opening remarks for the Olympics. We were reminded how important our appointment is to the Olympic Games and how much these games mean to the players. Just like the players are aiming for the gold medal, as referees we should also aim high and set our goals for the reaching the final. We met and heard from all of the staff. We have many people here who are supporting the referees, which include instructors, assessors, video analysts, IT staff, physical therapists, masseurs, sports psychologist, and fitness instructors. The women received the Olympic uniforms today. The men will be picking up their uniforms tomorrow. We rode for over an hour to get the the Olympic distribution center. Along the way, several landmarks in the city were pointed out, including the Buckingham Palace, the Tower, and the Tower Bridge.

At the Olympic Distribution Center we were given two sets of clothes: one for casual wear, and the other is the official formal uniform. We are giving you guys a sneak preview of what you will be seeing when watching the Olympics. All the officials participating in the Olympic Games will be wearing these uniforms. We were also given a booklet with instructions on how to wear and care for our clothes so that the officials look "smart and stylish at all times." Sean posted a picture of the Adidas gear we received upon arrival. It seriously feels like Christmas in July! We have been given tons of new gear.

Tomorrow should be an interesting day. We will be doing the yo-yo test for training. Stay tuned...

Today's been a pretty long day.  We had our first meeting all morning.  After lunch, the women went off to get our Olympic gear.  When we got back, we did a light workout in the park to knock some of the travel out of our legs.  It actually kind of worked out for us since the rain stopped by the time it was time for us to run.  Finally, we had our medical exam and dinner. 

Jet lag is catching up to me, so I didn't want to write too much, but I just had to share one photo.  I know it's hard to see, but these four officials have each been to the last three Olympics (Athens, Beijing, and now London).  The sign behind them says "Inspire a Generation." Kind of cool huh?  From left to right they are Jenny from Sweden, Kari, Marisa from Spain, and Tempa from Benin. 

Day one in the books.  Mostly an informal day as referees and assistant referees arrived at various times throughout the morning and afternoon.  Everyone received their gear (uniforms, gear, etc.) and had the opportunity to exchange for different sizes as needed.  It was a long day for most as the time differences begin to even up.  Breakfast tomorrow @ 7:30am, then we have the opening remarks, followed by an outline of expectations and logistics for the tournament.  Stay tuned as the excitement for us builds a little each day...

The official paperwork has arrived, we now have our accrediation to the 2012 Olympic Games. All we need to do is find the accrediation station at Heathrow...  Follow the signs the instructions say.

USA v Canada:  our final match before we head off to the Olympic games just concluded on June 30th in Sandy Utah.  Thank you everyone who got a chance to watch and support your USA WNT team and your referee team too.

The game checked in at over 100 degrees and over 4,500 feet of elevation.  This isn't the kind of thing we are expecting in London, that's for sure.

Just 15 days before we board the plane for the Olympics.  Focus, focus, focus.. pack!

Ready to Run

There are lots of little milestones when you get invited to a big tournament.  There’s the preparation and hoping that maybe all that hard work will translate into an appointment.  There’s the moment you get the letter and excitement starts to set in, but you know there is still a lot to do before you get there.  Next you have to pass the test.  This is a moment of happiness for knocking off one more obstacle, but also a moment of pride at the achievement. 

This past weekend, the women’s FIFA panel from the USA gathered in Chicago to take the fitness test.  This year the fitness test was being given in country for the Olympics and the Women’s U-20 World Cup.  It was great to jump that last hurdle and pass the fitness test, but it’s even better when you can do it as a team.  Just like on the field, Kari led the team and set a great pace for us despite the heat.  Going around the track, one lap seemed to just melt into the next with friends encouraging us, keeping us entertained with jokes, and bringing us water. 

There are at least three more milestones to this tournament.  One was checked off when we got our plane tickets after we passed the test.  That’s the signal that the tournament is almost here and final preparations are underway.  Yes, it’s still a month off, but it’s become real and I get a big smile on my face and my heart races a little every time I think about it.  Now we just have to wait for the next big milestones, the flight to London, and our first match!