THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 21, 1996 TAG: 9607210305
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: TOM ROBINSON
LENGTH: 67 lines
After one evening of observation, I can report that the condition of U.S. men's field hockey is perilous, and mostly consists of green-shirted Pakistanis overwhelming a bunch of retreating California guys with red knee socks and pierced body parts.
Looks, in this case, do not tell the real story, I am told. While they are supposed to be improved, the Americans remain bad at this sport their countrymen associate only with women.
They remain disrespected on their own shores and around the globe, where anyone who cares knows the Americans are in the Olympics only because they are hosting.
And yes, after the good roughing up that reigning world champ Pakistan gave them Saturday, a 4-0 thrashing that to their credit was not completely ugly, they remain winless all-time in Olympic competition.
``One half of hockey, one half of ballroom dancing,'' groused Jon Clark, the Englishman in his first year as U.S. coach. ``If we didn't have mental strength, you're looking at nil-10.''
This is not a fine state of affairs to those who are serious about their men's field hockey. Jeff Woods, for instance, a guy who played three sports at Churchland High School in the '70s, none of which was field hockey.
But Woods, the women's hockey coach at Radford University for 10 years, is an assistant coach with the U.S. men's team in charge of film analysis. How a Portsmouth kid wanders onto the national men's field hockey scene will come in a minute.
For now, understand that Woods is one of the believers who brushed off Saturday's effort as a disappointment, but who insists that the future of U.S. men's hockey is, as they say, ahead of it.
``Hopefully, we'll get our win here, or two or three,'' Woods said. ``We think we can finish above 12th (last). But we have to do it.''
They will not do it by taking two shots on goal, as happened Saturday.
They are good enough, though, to at least beat Argentina, their Monday opponent, and Spain. They beat both in May in Spain.
``What happened in the past has nothing to do with us,'' said Steve Jennings, 26, a Washington D.C. resident and one of four non-Californians on the 16-man team. ``Of course we want to win, but we want to win because we want the respect of the world, not so much because we want to win the first game in U.S. history. We have expectations that are beyond that.''
Woods hopes to help nudge them there. A 1976 Churchland graduate with degrees from James Madison and Virginia Tech, Woods was introduced to men's field hockey as a college student during a semester in England.
He eventually tried out for and failed to make the U.S. team, but he was hooked. Sure, he drew some funny looks around Blacksburg, practicing his stickwork on tennis courts and such, but it was a small price.
``You get over it,'' Woods said. ``Everyone you talk to almost, except those who know, think it's a woman's sport just because it was introduced to the U.S. that way back in the early 1900s. We just don't know. It's not feminine. Even the women who play are tough.''
Men play a game of speed, precision, flying bodies and busted lips, same as the women's version only faster. The Americans look a little lost sometimes, but they love it enough to train year-round for annual stipends of about $6,000.
And like Woods more than a decade ago, they are still not fully understood by their people. But with their pride on the line here and a World Cup qualifying spot at stake in October, they have come too far to limp away.
``Sports Illustrated has been disrespecting us, Time magazine has been disrespecting us,'' said defenseman Otto Steffers. ``It's time for them to find out U.S. men's field hockey is on the move.''
They'll have to stop backpedaling first.
KEYWORDS: OLYMPIC GAMES 1996 by CNB