U.S. U20 Women Embrace Hong Kong Experience, Local Traditions

HONG KONG, China — The U.S. U20 Women’s National Team is in Hong Kong, China for the World Lacrosse World Championship. Opening ceremonies were Thursday at Mong Kok Stadium. 

With a roster full of college lacrosse stars and the top incoming freshman in the nation, the U.S. boasts the most experienced roster in the program’s history. The challenge of winning a gold medal, however, will be unlike anything these players have ever experienced — traveling across the world to compete at the first world championship on Asian soil since 1997 and taking in a culture they’ve never experienced.

I’ll be traveling with the U.S. U20 Women throughout the world championship, checking in on the highlights of the trip, both on and off the field. As the U.S. chases gold, they’ll get a crash course in the cultural traditions of Hong Kong and interact with fans from across the globe.

Rise and shine, America. Here’s Chapter 1 of the journey of the U.S. U20 Women’s National Team.

Tuesday, Aug. 13 — 11 a.m. HKT

The effects of the 13-hour Cathay Pacific flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong were starting to wear off by the time U.S. team manager Angela McMahon led a team morning walk along Nathan Road in downtown Kowloon — the most densely populated of Hong Kong’s three regions.

After 10 minutes, the 22 players stepped under the traditional Chinese gate and into the Tin Hau Temple — one of more than 100 temples dedicated to the Cantonese Empress of Heaven. Players walked through the temple, past the burning incense and took plenty of group photos in the adjacent courtyard.

For an hour, the chase for gold and the preparation for a world championship took a backseat. The morning stroll turned right and headed down the famous Temple Street — an area known for its vibrant night markets and flea markets selling cheap merchandise. 

As members of the U.S U20 team took photos under the colorful lanterns that hung above them, I walked with Brigid Duffy and Emma LoPinto, who reflected on a whirlwind 48 hours.

“None of us have been this far across the world,” Duffy said. “To be able to see different ways of living is great. To have this free time to explore is awesome. It’s like New York City with even more colors.”

“It’s just feels very authentic here,” LoPinto said. “Getting a taste of this culture has been something I’ve been looking forward to.”

The walk lasted no longer than an hour, but it provided the players a glimpse at the community in which they’d be immersed for two weeks. The coaching staff, led by Kelly Amonte Hiller, made it a mission to surround players with opportunities to learn about Hong Kong (as I’ll cover later on).

Still, LoPinto couldn't help but look ahead to Thursday’s opening ceremonies, where the team would walk onto the first world stage for the first time since winning the gold medal (as a U19 squad) five years ago in Ontario. Amonte Hiller coached that team too.

“The opening ceremonies will be super special,” LoPinto said. “I’m excited to see and meet all the other teams walking around. It’s also going to be a dream come true to walk out and represent the United States.”

Tuesday, Aug. 13 — 1 p.m. HKT

Duffy and Ally Reilly sat at the bottom of the Kino Theatre in the U.S. U20 team’s hotel, peering upward at the their 20 teammates as they spoke eloquently about their experience playing for Army West Point.

They wanted to speak about the privilege that lay ahead and how they could honor their country as they competed for gold.

After sharing their experiences as the first members of a service academy to play for any U.S. women’s national team, Reilly and Duffy offered advice to their teammates.

“When we put the Army jersey on, we have to have a high standard for ourselves,” Reilly said. “I don’t think that’s any different than wearing USA across your chest. There are so many people looking up to you, knowing that you are representing your country as a whole.”

“Think of the little boys and girls watching you, wanting to be in that spot,” Duffy said. “This is different than playing in college. Everyone knows who is on this team now, so it’s important to always set an example.”

In the first team meeting since landing in Hong Kong, Amonte Hiller and her staff walked through pregame procedures, allowing Reilly and Duffy to lead a conversation on how the U.S. would honor the flag during the national anthem. 

Amonte Hiller then pivoted back to her players, watching on front of the tiered seats of the Kino Theatre. She asked her players for one thing they had enjoyed about the experience to that point, and after a few seconds of silence, the floodgates opened.

Madi Smith talked about her teammates cheering her on as she warmed up prior to the first practice on Monday night.

Emma Muchnick praised Lydia Colasante’s leadership qualities.

Shea Baker shouted out Kori Edmondson for climbing on into the bus to help carry bags into the hotel.

Duffy said, “Brigid makes us laugh a lot.” Reilly thanked Maddie Epke for buying her Starbucks.

Then Hannah Rudolph, one of the youngest players on the team, took the floor.

“I feel so free to make a mistake and be able to learn from it,” she said. “You guys are the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

Tuesday, Aug. 13 — 3:30 p.m. HKT

The thunder from a mid-afternoon Hong Kong storm (which seemed more intense than back home) was nothing compared to the noise coming from the stands of Kowloon Tsai Sports Ground.

Each rumble meant 30 more minutes the U.S. women had to wait before taking the field for practice. However, this team is not one for wasting time. They immediately jumped into group name association games before pivoting to TikTok trends while coaches looked on smiling.

As the rain dissipated, the fun continued to ramp up. I’m not sure how it happened, but the 22 players headed behind the stands, turned up the Bluetooth speaker and started a dance circle.

As a 31-year-old who grew up in the early 2000s, I was proud. They started with the “Cotton Eye Joe,” followed by “Crank Day” by Soulja Boy before bringing in Vanessa Lueng, the Hong Kong team liaison.

Lueng had spent the better part of the last two days with the U.S., and they embraced her presence as a member of the team. However, Tuesday afternoon might have been her official initiation.

She smiled as she learned the Cupid Shuffle, the “Wops” and plenty other dance floor favorites. I even felt the urge to start dancing in the background — the energy was infectious.

“Vanessa lights up the room from her dance moves to her sick sunglasses and her willingness to try anything we throw at her,” Reagan O’Brien said. “Over the past few days, she’s opened up and become a core member of our team. She’s putting a smile of everyone’s faces.”

For most of the U.S. team members, Lueng was the first person from Hong Kong with whom they were able to engage. Over the past few days, players have had individual interactions with others from across the world.

Just a few hours earlier, Aliya Polisky had offered up the idea of making friendship bracelets to offer to connections made during the tournament — a unanimously approved suggestion. 

Assistant coach Michelle Tumolo, who played in the 2017 women’s senior world championship, enjoyed the idea but offered some advice.

“Make sure that connection is deep,” she said. “You’re not just giving this to someone. This means something to them.”

Wednesday, Aug. 14 — 3 p.m. HKT

Cameras flashed for what felt like 10 minutes as team members stood on stage posing in their colorful Qipao dresses. Below them was a line of children holding lacrosse sticks and smiling. 

Fresh off a meet-and-greet with children at the Shamshuipo Kaifong Welfare Association Primary School, the U.S. women got the chance to wear traditional Chinese dresses and take pictures with dignitaries of the Sham Shui Po District — one of 18 districts in Hong Kong.

The Primary School served as the conclusion of an afternoon full of touring the markets, trying traditional cuisine like tofu pudding, making calligraphy and cultivating Zen gardens in Sham Shui Po, the district with the second-lowest household income in Hong Kong.

The tour was led by District Officer Paul Wong and included members of the Hong Kong women’s senior team — an excursion intended to continue educating the U.S. team about the community in which they competed.

“We wanted to show them some of our wide history in the district,” Wong said of the tour. “As I can see, members of the team seem to be enjoying themselves. I hope we can give them a taste of Chinese culture.”

As the cameras went quiet and we waited for the bus arrive at the Primary School, Kaitlyn Davies kneeled next to her new friend, Jacob — a 7-year-old who had just picked up a stick. 

Jacob had spent much of the last hour sitting with Davies, the Florida defender who recently made the trip to the final four over Memorial Day weekend. She asked him about his background in lacrosse, his favorite sport and helped him as he tried to articulate what it meant to meet a U.S. national team player.

“He was so cute, talking about how lacrosse was his favorite over soccer and pickle ball,” she said.

For Davies, who also spent time chatting with Hong Kong national team players who had watched her at Florida, the moment was surreal. She hadn’t anticipated the type of attention that the U.S. team would garner in Hong Kong.

“When we walk out of our rooms, we’re still thinking, ‘I can’t even believe we’re here.’ Everyone looks so surprised to see us. It’s like we’re celebrities,” she said. “It’s amazing how much they look up to us. I didn’t expect them to see us as role models. It’s really humbling.”

As the U.S. U20 team turns the page to the competition starting Friday against Germany, the players won’t soon forget the cultural experiences they shared during the first few days of the journey to Hong Kong.