From NCAA to the Olympic Stage
Before the Olympic roster was named in June, and before the team even stepped foot in Ranchi, India for the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier in January, each athlete made a choice. A choice to put their lives on hold for a chance to play on the biggest stage: the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Four athletes that achieved this dream delayed their collegiate journey by taking an Olympic Redshirt/Waiver.
These four athletes are Ashley Sessa, a rising sophomore at Northwestern University; Abby Tamer, a rising junior at University of Michigan; Beth Yeager, a rising junior at Princeton University; and Maddie Zimmer, a rising senior at Northwestern University. Also to note is Emma DeBerdine, who finished her undergraduate degree at Maryland last spring, and took a year off to commit to the U.S. Women’s National Team before she will return to play out her last year of eligibility this coming fall.
For Tamer, coming to the decision of deferring her college enrollment wasn’t an easy one. She was freshly named to the USWNT in January of 2023, and there was no guarantee she would be selected to the Olympic team even if USA did qualify.
“It took me quite a while to decide because I was presented the opportunity before I was actually offered it, so it was difficult to gauge how realistic it was until it was formally offered,” said Tamer. “I discussed the pros and cons with all of my coaches and they were very supportive of whatever way I was leaning on any given day - but they also gave great perspective on the different things that I’d experience like taking time off from school and how challenging it might end up being to come back to a team that you’ve missed a year of being with, or how special it would be to experience the Olympic [Games].”
“I also went to my parents a lot during this time and similarly to my coaches, they were very supportive but also just helped give me confidence in myself as a person and player.”
Eventually, that decision paid off. After being named to the roster for the 2023 Pan American Games and subsequently the 2024 FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier, Tamer notched the winning goal against Japan that secured USA’s qualification to Paris 2024.
“I had to talk to a lot of different people to decide what to do because it was such a big decision, and it was completely out of my comfort zone - but it was one of, if not the biggest opportunity that I had been given so looking back on it, there was no way that I’d be able to say no to that opportunity,” added Tamer.
“The most rewarding thing about this past year is all the hard work and commitment that we’ve put in since we began is coming to fruition and is so much more tangible than it’s been before. We’ve all dedicated so much time toward this goal, and when you get to do that with a group of women who are all just as dedicated as you are, it’s a really special thing to go through.”
For Zimmer, the choice to delay her senior year was a bit easier. With the support of her Wildcat coaches, team and parents, she found a way to work toward one of her lifelong dreams.
"For me, the decision to take an Olympic Waiver was a simple one,” said Zimmer. “Pursuing the Olympic [Games] has been a lifelong dream of mine, so I was willing to do pretty much anything to make that a reality. Luckily, I have the support of Tracey Fuchs both at Northwestern and on Team USA, so my decision was embraced and encouraged by the entire Northwestern Field Hockey staff. My parents were also hugely influential in my decision; they supported me every step of the way and helped me feel secure in my choice to become centralized for the year.”
“Personally, the most rewarding part of my decision was achieving our goal of qualifying for Paris 2024. Still, regardless of the outcome, I don’t regret my decision to become centralized. I’ve grown so much both on and off the field, and I’ve enjoyed learning and connecting with this team.
Despite the success of qualifying for the Olympic Games, it is still hard for both Tamer and Zimmer to be separated from their lives at school.
“One thing that has been super challenging is just missing my friends at school,” said Tamer. “We were, and still are, so close so it’s hard being so far away from them and missing birthdays and big games and things like that, so I’m excited to get back to that.”
“The most challenging thing about choosing to take a year off from school was knowing that I was missing out on all of the fun team bonding and experiences at Northwestern,” added Zimmer. “However, I was able to stay in contact with my teammates and watch all of their games while I was away, so I was able to stay connected and support them through their season.”
On the back of their sacrifices, the day that these four athletes step foot on the pitch in Paris will feel so much sweeter.
#Paris2024 | #MTUSA
