While head coach John Lizama acknowledges that his team enters the 2011 Pacific Games shorthanded and lacking extensive international experience, he still expects Guam's women's volleyball team to compete for the gold medal.
"As with any team that I have taken abroad to compete, our goal is to win the entire thing and that's the gold medal," Lizama said. "We've trained for the past eight months to capture the gold medal in New Caledonia. Our motto is: 'If we're not there to win the gold, then why go?'"
Lizama started his national team program in February 2010, and kept about 25 players practicing to form a pool from which to select his 12-woman traveling squad. Only nine, however, will go to the Pacific Games.
"With this season for the Pacific Games in New Caledonia, we've been riddled with injuries. To date, six of our women have had or will be having knee surgery. We have another member who has a torn shoulder ligament and has been out for over a year now," Lizama said.
Still other players recently gave birth or are pregnant, he said.
"These have decimated our numbers but the nine ladies representing Guam will bear the flag with distinction and honor, and are ready and more than capable of winning the gold medal for Guam," he said.
The players
The nine players are Catherine Aquinde, Estella Blas (captain), Gemma Datuin, Colleen Flores (co-captain), Charmaine Garcia, Shanniqua Mendiola, Crista Nauta, Jesse Pinkston and Camaryn Rupley.
Lizama's assistant coach is Nathaniel Pineda. Rounding out his staff is team manager Cheryl Wahl.
Lizama said that he and his coaching staff stress the team concept.
"If we go in there with the right attitude and play as a team and trust in all the training -- both physical and mental -- we will have a successful campaign," he said. "Each lady going brings a special element that will make us competitive in New Caledonia, but most importantly, we're united in one cause: to win a gold medal. Anything short will not do."
In order to achieve its goal, Lizama said his team must overcome its height disadvantage.
"We do have ladies now that measure nearly 6 feet, but because of the new offensive system, it's been a work in progress to get them to a level I know they are capable of playing: international volleyball where we can compete with anyone in our region," he said.
And Guam will have to reach that level in order to topple the powerhouse Tahiti team. "They have captured the gold medal at these events since 1987 and all roads to the gold medal will be through Tahiti," Lizama said. "New Caledonia, Fiji and the Samoans will also be tough competition."
The new offensive system Lizama referred to has not been used on Guam, he said, since 1999.
"We take many risks and play as aggressively as the men do now. So the ladies are fairly new to the system, but have picked up on it very well," he said.
Lizama, who holds an Australian level II volleyball coaching certification, has had much success coaching internationally. He most recently led the Guam women to gold at the 2010 Micronesian Games in Palau.
Lizama said many people helped the team prepare for the Pacific Games, including assistant coaches Shaun Juan and Ken Rosete, team trainer Hyato Atalig, and players Kenny Leon Guerrero, Nik Chaco, Tristan Tapia, Dave Rillera, Tatiana Sablan, Heather Frey and Nina Mosley. He gave thanks to all of them.
"Once we have a full complement of the ladies training in our national team, I believe in a few short years, we will not just be competitive within our region, but competitive internationally," Lizama said. "With the full support of all our team coaches and trainers and Guam, we are well on our way to becoming a force in international volleyball."