ADAPTING TO CONDITIONS, TEAM USA WOMEN MOVE TO 4-2
WCF / Celine Stucki
When it comes to the Olympic stage, the obvious storylines of resiliency, commitment, skill, and dedication adequately sum up the journey for every athlete at the Games. However, the examples of adaptation don’t come to a halt once at the Olympics. In fact, the skill becomes even more important than ever before.
Covid-19 prepared everyone to adapt and overcome, and athletes were no exception. For curlers, it meant understanding how to maximize virtual time with teammates and hone in on building strength through dry-land training and strategical discussions so that when ice, borders, and tournaments opened back up, they’d be as prepared as possible.
The same skills and mindset required to navigate the pandemic have proven to be useful in competition. Even the biggest stage, to a certain extent, is a microcosm of variables and uncertainty.
The obvious variable in competition is the performance of opponents, and while significant in a nine-game round robin, the Teams at the Olympic Games have faced each other a number of times at events all over the world.
Even the most minor playing conditions, however, can impact team systems and processes more than meets the eye, which is why Teams spend so much time focusing on the psychological aspect of the game and ensuring that Team systems, ranging from communication to sweeping, are rock solid.
The U.S. Women’s Team (Tabitha Peterson, Nina Roth, Becca Hamilton, Tara Peterson, and Aileen Geving) have the benefit of familiarity, playing on the same roster now for two quadrennials, which goes a long way in the pressure-cooker of a round robin that is the Olympic Games.
"We've known each other for a long, long time. Tara and I played together since we were little kids, Nina and Becca played juniors for a long time, so we're all very close,” said skip Tabitha Peterson. “We've all played with each other in some combination before. We've just got a lot of open and honest communication about everything, so we can be close and keep getting close.”
In addition to years of preparation, the comfort with each other on the ice might’ve helped settle nerves as the Team started the round robin with 3-0 record, winning over ROC, Denmark, and China.
After the unblemished 3-0 start, Team USA dropped two games in a row to Great Britain and then reigning Olympic Gold Medalists, Sweden.
Tabitha Peterson’s voice had become hoarse from yelling to sweepers on the ice, and what might sound like a minor inconvenience, actually requires the team to pay extra attention to detail on every shot as communication challenges are intensified when there are three other games going on at the same time.
"Tab is working on getting her voice back, and we all know where we have to pick it up,” said second Becca Hamilton.
Fortunately for Team Peterson, this wasn’t their first rendezvous with overcoming a hoarse teammate.
"Tab uses a lot of hand signals so the outside sweeper comes into play a lot more,” added Hamilton. “They're looking up constantly and the thrower has a lot more involvement, too."
In only a one-game day on Monday, the Team defeated Korea in a game that was important in regaining momentum before heading into the final three matchups of round robin play.
"Getting back in the 'W' column is huge,” said lead Tara Peterson after defeating Korea 8-6. “We have to keep those wins coming and just follow our process. We played better this game.”
Despite the win and some added time for Tabitha Peterson’s voice to rest, there were a new set of variables on the sheet as the rocks curled more than they had all competition due to routine maintenance called “sanding” the rocks.
"I think execution was a lot higher. We had a little better handle on the ice, so that made shot making easy,” said Tabitha Peterson. “And we love the extra curling we're getting with the rocks being sanded."
While the Team enjoyed and reaped the benefits of the added curl, it still required added calculation.
But that’s curling. The mental demands of all shapes and sizes don’t let up, making the need of having a process to fall back on all the more important.
“When we're out there, we're just focusing on our process and not focusing on outcomes,” concluded Peterson. “It's just one rock at a time and concentrating on that.”
Team USA sits at a 4-2 overall record and will face Switzerland in tomorrow afternoon’s (local time) matchup.
USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Toyota, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), and Sitrin, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People.
