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Dream Team

Mother-daughter alumni duo explore Chilean heritage and love of the game as Field Hockey Women's World Cup volunteers
When Rosita Torres-Ambrogi ’88 heard that the 2023 Field Hockey Junior Women’s World Cup was to be held in Santiago, Chile, she was ecstatic. “I was born there and left for the USA when I was 6 years old,” she recalls. “I have my whole family in Chile.”
 
A former field hockey player for Trinity and coach for over 20 years, Rosita sensed that this could be an opportunity to take her lifelong passions for field hockey and her Chilean heritage and “roll them into one.” As a member of the USA Field Hockey Association, she says she is always looking for ways to be more involved. Little did she know how much of a family experience it would turn out to be. 
 
After a few networking dead ends, she decided one day to send an out-of-the-blue email to the International Federation of FIeld Hockey. “Hi! I was wondering if you would need a volunteer for the Jr WC in Chile. I was born in Santiago and currently live in the USA. I speak fluent Spanish and English, coach field hockey and would love to help out in any way possible.”
 
Then, when she told them that her daughter, Teresita Ambrogi-Torres ’17, was an assistant coach for the Randolph-Macon field hockey team, they soon became a bilingual dream team. Rosita was named the Team USA Field Hockey attaché, while Teresita was tapped for a similar role for Team Japan. Initially a bit hesitant about fulfilling such a demanding role, Teresita eventually decided that the “experience would be worth the uncertainty and fear of what-ifs.”
 
Because of their language skills and knowledge of the game, they were both put in front of the camera to interview players and coaches and offer commentary during game broadcasts. “I often thought about what it would be like to be on the other side of the microphone,” said Teresita. “I also loved watching and analyzing the game play and then getting to use what I saw to ask interesting questions. It was great to see the different coaching styles, strategic game decisions, and the unique vibes of the different teams.”
 
A highlight for Rosita was seeing the inauguration of the fields at Claudia Schüller Stadium, named for the late goalkeeper for the Chilean national team. Rosita was also invited to play in an adult club league in Santiago and help again in any upcoming tournaments.
 
“The icing was getting to know my birthplace, its people, food, and customs/culture on my own,” she said. “The cherry on top was getting to know the USAFH family. It was special because I was able to share the unique history of Santiago and all its precious architecture and stories that I grew up hearing. I was able to share the history of my birthplace and make it a unique experience for the girls and the coaches.” 
 
For Teresita, the trip was a priceless learning experience. “It taught me that I am smarter and stronger than the doubts caused by uncertainty,” she said. “It gave me new friends, new perspectives, and new memories! I am so thankful and proud of my mom for putting herself out there, and I am so happy that I didn’t listen to the ‘what ifs’ and told myself ‘why not’!”
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