PARIS — Emma Hayes wants her players on the U.S. women’s national team to train together, prepare together and play together as a unit on the field.
She also very much wants them to sing together.
Hayes, who started as USWNT coach in June, has stressed the importance of having fun to her team and — among other activities — introduced a karaoke machine to the group that has become an essential part of the Americans’ Olympic experience.
At a news conference ahead of Saturday’s gold medal match with Brazil, captain Lindsey Horan and Hayes spent several moments in front of a room of global journalists debating the relative power rankings among karaoke performers on the U.S. roster.
“It’s between Mal and Rose,” Hayes began, referencing Mallory Swanson and Rose Lavelle.
“You think so? There might be some dark horses … like Trin?” Horan replied, offering Trinity Rodman as a contender — an argument which sent Hayes into thoughtful reflection.
“Do you know what? You are right,” Hayes said, noting Rodman’s strong performance on a recent bus ride. “But I think the most extroverted are Rose and Mal — they’ve got the sort of Taylor Swift moves,” she said.
Horan agreed, adding that Lavelle also has the largest catalogue of memorized lyrics among the players.
“She doesn’t even have to look at the screen,” Horan said with legitimate admiration as Hayes said, “She’s got the cat moves.”
Horan also made clear that she doesn’t do karaoke herself — “you need a lot more in me to get me on the mic” — but said that if she did sing, she would do Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Hayes, with no hesitation, said her go-to song is Vanilla Ice’s classic, “Ice Ice Baby,” which drew a knowing nod from Horan. “I liked that one as a teenager,” Hayes said. “I could do that one quite well.”
Karaoke is only one element of an off-field collection of activities that the U.S. players can do in between their work. While not wanting to paint with a broad brush, Hayes said that she believes there are differences between what teams of female athletes and male athletes might find enjoyable to do during their downtime.
