Maddie Hinch Taking On Tokyo

As fans, we often think of athletes as superheroes — capable of amazing feats and withstanding unlimited amounts of pressure and expectations. For British field hockey goalie, Maddie Hinch, these expectations caused her to step away from the game that she had reached the pinnacle of in 2016 when she backstopped Great Britain to a gold medal in Rio. 

Hinch was not just on the team in 2016 but played the hero when the gold-medal game against the Netherlands went to a penalty shootout. Hinch saved all four of the Netherland’s shots and was hailed as one of the primary reasons Great Britain came home with the gold. 

Hinch’s superstardom continued as she continued her run as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, winning the International Field Hockey Federation’s goalkeeper of the year award in 2016, 2017 and 2018. While Hinch was seeming invincible and playing the best field hockey of her career, those expectations began to wear on her.

"I felt like I had to be a superhuman every time I stepped on the pitch and only perfect would work. I've never been perfect. I always let in bad goals leading into the Olympics.” Hinch said in an interview with Team Great Britain’s press, “All that got forgotten because of the medal. They were the demons I was fighting, those highs and lows and it's been tough.”

Hinch would step away from the international team in 2018 as she needed time to work on getting back in the frame of mind to play. While she continued to play professionally, the Great Britain field hockey team was going through a lot of changes. When Hinch returned to international competition in 2019, she found a much different program.

When Hinch stepped into the goal during the 2016 run, she had been a debuting Olympian on an experienced team, now she will be one of just seven returning players from that team tasked with mentoring nine players making their first Olympics appearances. The team also went through a coaching change in 2018. With a young and inexperienced team, Great Britain goes into these Olympics ranked sixth in the world. 

More than the team being different Maddie Hinch will be entering the Olympics as a new person, too. Hinch has a whole new perspective on career and field hockey after missing the game during her time away. 

“I constantly remind myself that the reason I'm there is that I just love stopping hockey balls,” Hinch said about her reinvigorated love for the game. Field hockey had seemed like a constant pressure but is now again a passion. Hinch says this new perspective also makes her appreciate the opportunity to compete at the Olympics once again. 

"Now I value the opportunity of being at the Games so much more. As a youngster, you're constantly ticking boxes and chasing something and you miss the importance of being at an Olympics,” Hinch said, “You never sit back and take it all in. Now, I've been through so much, and I'm just so looking forward to having this opportunity to do it again.”

Check out Ambassador Sami Jo Smalls Podcast with special guest Naya Tappa!

Tapper Makes Olympic Debut as One of The Most Decorated Rugby Players in American History

Naya Tapper Taking on Tokyo

One of the most interesting storylines of every Olympics is seeing new athletes take the stage in their Olympic debuts. One such first-time Olympian is the American Rugby Sevens winger; Naya Tapper.

Tapper makes her Olympic debut as one of the most decorated rugby players in American history. In her young career, Tapper has already become the second all-time leading scorer of tries for the American team. She also led the Americans to the silver medal at the 2019 Pan-American Games in Lima. At just 26-years old, the North Carolina native has already made her mark on the sport of rugby.

Tapper didn’t always seem destined for this success, however. In the lead-up to these Olympic Games, Tapper revealed in an interview with WCNC Charlotte that she was cut from the American team in 2016. Her coach saw potential in her, however, and decided to put her back in the academy shortly after that. 

"I'm going to put you in an academy for you to get better," Tapper recalled her coach telling her. "And if you get better, we'll rock and roll with it. And if you don't this will be the end of your career as a rugby player - with the national team at least." 

This proved to be the first setback in Tapper’s rugby career that had just only started when she arrived at the University of North Carolina and decided to try out for the rugby team. Tapper had always been naturally gifted at sports, running track and field in high school, and proved to be just as adept at rugby at UNC-Chapel Hill. This is one of the reasons Tapper says she was shocked when she was cut from the team, but also took the opportunity to take the setback as a challenge to commit even further to the sport. 

“If you take up the challenge, everything is not going to be easy," Tapper said, “I was waking up at 4 a.m. to go train, going back home to sleep and then going to work for 8 hours at Buffalo Wild Wings.” 

From there, Tapper’s rugby career skyrocketed and the winger has developed into one of the most influential players in the game. Tapper is set to be an ambassador for a new league, Premiere Rugby Sevens (PR7s), an organization that will fight for pay equality for men and women rugby players. PR7s will be a barn-storming league that will feature one-day tournaments in select cities in the US with 6 men’s teams and 4 women’s teams. 

From her fight for equal pay to her Olympic debut, Tapper has come a long way from being one of the first cuts to the American rugby team in 2016. Tapper is poised to be one of the most interesting athletes to watch during the Tokyo Olympics.

Check out Ambassador Sami Jo Smalls Podcast with special guest Naya Tappa!

Watch this exclusive interview between Naya and rugby fan, Joannah!

Jenna Caira Living Life-Long Dream at 2020 Olympics

SheIS Ambassador Taking on Tokyo

Jenna Caira is a Canadian softball pitcher that will be making her Olympic debut in Tokyo. More importantly, however, Caira will be living out a childhood dream. 

In an interview with CTV leading up to the Olympics, Caira recalled her fourth birthday. At her Birthday party, Caira’s uncle asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. Her response? Wanting to play softball for Team Canada at the Olympic Games. Now 32-years old, Caira will have that opportunity at the Summer Games. 

Caira’s Olympic dream coming true was never a certainty though. In fact, there are many factors that led to this Summer’s appearance being a long shot. The most obvious of course being the COVID-19 pandemic which put off plans for the Olympic Games in their entirety. After a tumultuous year, that has finally been resolved enough to hold the competition. 

Apart from the Pandemic putting a halt to the Olympic Games, it wasn’t long ago that Caira was done playing the sport herself. The Richmond Hill, Ontario-born pitcher retired from playing softball in 2016 after pitching Canada to the Pan American Games Gold Medal in 2015. In an interview with The Daily Orange (the newspaper for Caira’s alma mater; Syracuse) Caira stated that winning that Gold Medal was the highest achievement she could attain in softball; since the sport was not an Olympic sport at the time. 

“I felt like I truly had done everything I could as a player, as a teammate, as a leader for this program and for my country in terms of softball,” Caira said. “I just felt like I needed to determine who I was outside of softball.”

When the International Olympic Committee announced that softball would be making its return in 2020, however, Caira knew she had to be a part of it. Despite all of the obstacles in her way, Jenna Caira now stands at the precipice of achieving her life-long goal of competing in the Olympic Games. 

Though representing your country at the Olympics is a great honor and the latest achievement in Caira’s career, it is just the latest in a line of accomplishments the pitcher has racked up over her career. Caira played her collegiate softball at Syracuse University where she became the only pitcher in Big East history to accrue 1000 strikeouts. Caira also holds the records for wins, starts, innings, strikeouts and earned run average for a Syracuse pitcher. 

To go with her University accomplishments, Caira also has a strong international record, leading Canada to several impressive finishes in major competitions. The Syracuse product won silver medals at the Pan American Games in 2011 and 2019 to go along with her gold in 2015, as well as won bronze medals at the World Championships in 2010 and 2018. Caira’s signature weapon this whole time has been her change up, which her coach, Todd Martin, calls “the best in the world.” With all her past success, Caira and Team Canada are set up for success at this year’s Olympic Games with a #3 world ranking in softball and medal-ing on their minds.

Caira never really spends much time away from the game as even in her retirement and time away, the pitcher operates Softball camps for children in her native country of Canada. From her passion for the game as well as her continued excellence, Jenna Caira will be achieving a childhood dream when she takes the field for Team Canada at the 2020 Olympic Games. More than that, however, she will serve as an inspiration to aspiring softball players around the world. 

Check out Ambassador Sami Jo Smalls Podcast with special guest Jenna Caira!

Watch this exclusive interview between Jenna and SheIS President, Brenda Andress!