|
|
ICANEWS
Diciembre 2004, Año 2 # 6 |
|
Las Leonas:
A model to copy |
| by Felicitas Frontini
/ hockey player Trinity Club
María Marta Frontini / former hockey player Sporting
Club |
|
Ilustración
Maria Marta Parpaglioni |
It was November 2002. Our
country was touching rock bottom and in flames. However, on
the other side of the world, a group of young Argentine hockey
players taught the world how with effort, responsibility,
team spirit, patience, perseverance, talent and guts,
we can overcome the toughest obstacles to
achieve a goal. That's why, on winning the World Cup in Perth,
Australia, our brave “Leonas” wrote some of the
finest and most glorious pages of our country's sport history
and conquered the heart of all the Argentine people.
The Argentine field hockey team has been playing together
for a long time, and they have had the same coach -outstanding
Sergio Vigil- since 1997.The permanency of most of the players
in the team is a big advantage for them as they get to know
each other very well in comparison to other teams that change
players much more often. Moreover, there is a great unity
among “Las Leonas.” This union is very important
for them to have reached the significant number of triumphs
that they have scored in the past 4 years.
The name “Las Leonas” was made up
by Vanina Oneto when her husband suggested that “el
Seleccionado Argentino de hockey sobre césped”
was too long a name. The first time they used it and even
wore a lioness badge on their shirts! was in Sydney, and as
such they played, to start dreaming the most exciting dream:
an Olympic final. Luckily, after the silver medal in Sydney
2000, the Argentine local authorities began fostering
field hockey in schools and institutions and that is a very
good sign.
The Athens Olympic Games proved to be an excellent event for
our hockey players. With no doping offences
and athletes who embodied the Olympic ideals,
“Las Leonas” were once more a success, true ambassadors
of fair play and respect for their opponents ... and so a
whole nation grabbed the light blue and white
flag (and assorted lucky charms!) and cheered them
up from their homes and from their hearts!
There is still a long way to go. Our society has to support
hockey and other amateur sports in general a bit more ...
though as I see it, it isn't necessary to get paid in order
to play “professionally.” You can be a great “professional”
without earning any money ... just like “Las Leonas.”
Top |
| Glossary |
guts: agallas
overcome: superar
outstanding: sobresaliente
make up: crear
silver: plata
foster: promover
offence: infracción
embody: representar
grab: tomar
cheer up: alentar
Top |
|
|
