Team USA women's camp features special day of bonding
June 17, 2010
When the training camp for Team USA women was held in Arlington, Texas, in early June, not all training activities were bowling related.
Team USA head coach Rod Ross and assistant coach Kim Terrell-Kearney took the team to Main Event Entertainment in Frisco, Texas, where sports psychologist Dr. Dean Hinitz put the team to the test both in the classroom and on a unique ropes course called "Gravity."
The elevated course has rope bridges, ladders and beams; participants have safety harnesses, but no nets. The purpose of the activity was to take a group of skilled individual athletes and help them come together as a team.
Team USA member Shannon O'Keefe described the training session as "awesome." As part of the session, some team members were blindfolded and had to rely on other team members to help them through the course.
"It was extremely challenging and we had to trust one another to complete the course," O'Keefe said. "There are not a lot of opportunities to be in pressure, high-stress situations as a team and they were able to create that environment. We had to work together to perform. My team is amazing and I'm so grateful to be a part of it."
The team went on to compete on the laser tag course for a bit of extra bonding and fun.
Click here to see Team USA's day of team-building.
Team USA women will compete in several events this year including the Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships on Sept. 25-Oct. 2 in Las Vegas. They also will compete in the QubicaAMF World Cup in Zagreb, Croatia, and the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas in Orlando, Fla.
The United States Bowling Congress, a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the National Governing Body for the sport of bowling, selects and trains three teams - men, women and youth - to represent the United States in international competitions.
Team USA head coach Rod Ross and assistant coach Kim Terrell-Kearney took the team to Main Event Entertainment in Frisco, Texas, where sports psychologist Dr. Dean Hinitz put the team to the test both in the classroom and on a unique ropes course called "Gravity."
The elevated course has rope bridges, ladders and beams; participants have safety harnesses, but no nets. The purpose of the activity was to take a group of skilled individual athletes and help them come together as a team.
Team USA member Shannon O'Keefe described the training session as "awesome." As part of the session, some team members were blindfolded and had to rely on other team members to help them through the course.
"It was extremely challenging and we had to trust one another to complete the course," O'Keefe said. "There are not a lot of opportunities to be in pressure, high-stress situations as a team and they were able to create that environment. We had to work together to perform. My team is amazing and I'm so grateful to be a part of it."
The team went on to compete on the laser tag course for a bit of extra bonding and fun.
Click here to see Team USA's day of team-building.
Team USA women will compete in several events this year including the Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships on Sept. 25-Oct. 2 in Las Vegas. They also will compete in the QubicaAMF World Cup in Zagreb, Croatia, and the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas in Orlando, Fla.
The United States Bowling Congress, a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the National Governing Body for the sport of bowling, selects and trains three teams - men, women and youth - to represent the United States in international competitions.