Youth Olympic Games Blog Post: Day Six

For the next two weeks, Team USA’s ice hockey team will be in Lillehammer, Norway, playing at the Youth Olympic Games. Every day, team leader TC Lewis will be blogging about the team’s experiences as they gear up to try and bring home the gold. This is an insider’s view that readers won’t be able to find anywhere else. For more information on the Youth Olympic Games, click here.

02/15/16

Today for the first time since we arrived in Lillehammer, we were able to be spectators and watch another sport. It was a fun excursion for the whole team. After breakfast, the staff asked the players if they wanted to see some of the luge competition or some of the snowboard cross event.

Since most of the Team USA delegation stays on the same floor within the Olympic village, our players have been able to make friends with US athletes in other sports. The snowboarders and skiers seem to have become especially close with our team, so they really wanted to go and support them at the Alpine Center today.

I don’t think any of us would have guessed how we would actually see the event but as it turns out, we took a gondola from the bottom of the slopes to the very top and then had to walk around the slope to find the area that had the competition. Not the most spectator friendly event, but it was well-worth the trip. We all spent about an hour and a half on the mountain and then took the lift back down.

To get to the area, we had to jump on a shuttle bus that takes a trip from the Olympic Village in Lillehammer to the alpine ski area, which is about 20 minutes north. Thankfully, the trip is easy and free.

Lunch and practice followed. Afterward, the players had some evening downtime before heading off to bed. Curfew is at 11:00 p.m., but after doing so much all day, it doesn’t seem to be too early.

Tomorrow, we play Canada. That’s Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. local time. Wish us luck!

Go Team USA

Takk

— TC

DAY FIVE | DAY SEVEN