Young Star Keeps Busy Schedule
BY MICHAEL BULLOCK FOR THE PATRIOT-NEWS
Way too concerned about what lies ahead, Lorrie Fair doesn't spend much time pondering the past.
If she did, the 21-year-old Californian still might be reveling in the U.S. Women's National Team's dramatic victory over China in last summer's World Cup final. Or North Carolina's 2-0 conquest of Notre Dame in December's NCAA championship game.
Instead, Fair is concentrating on today, tomorrow and the day after that.
Tonight she'll get an up-close look at T&T when the U.S. opens Women's Gold Cup 2000 at Hersheypark Stadium. It's all part of a whirlwind 15 months for Fair that will come to a close in September at the Olympics in Australia.
Then, it's on to Philadelphia next spring and the Women's United Soccer Association.
"It wasn't the whole big picture that I was looking at," Fair said after the U.S. worked out yesterday at Dickinson Park. "I was looking at what was next, what was ahead of me.
"Coming off the World Cup it seems like I had a little time to celebrate and stuff, but less than a month later I was training. I had achieved the goal of winning the Wolrd Cup, but my goal had to immediately change to 'I've got to get in shape for preseason and win this national title.' "
Whew!
"So, the goals change and once it was like the national title was over, well, what now? New coach coming in, I've got to make residency, I wasnt to make the Olympic Team, I want to win the gold," added Fair, who returned to Carolina for her senior season following the World Cup.
"I guess my approach on it was what you do in the past shouldn't have anything to do with what you're doing now. If you dwell on what you've done in the past, you're not going to stay on top and you're not going to succeed in the things that you want to succeed at in the future."
Actually, what the Carolina All-American has done in the not-so-distant past may help her succeed in the future.
The youngest player on last year's World Cup championship side, Fiar shuffled from one position to another, filling in wherever then-U.S. coach Tony DiCicco needed her.
When April Heinrichs grabbed the coaching reins in January, however, she had a highly defined role in mind for the defensive MVP of December's NCAA Final Four: a home in the midfield. In fact, Fair has made 12 appearances since Heinrichs took over, starting nine times.
Four starts came at the Pacific Cup, either outside or inside, earlier this month in Australia. Fair responded offensively, too, netting two of her five international goals during a 9-1 thumping of Canada on June 2.
One of those scores came when the 5-3 Fair nodded in a Shannon MacMillan cross from the edge of the 6-yard box after outleaping a Canadian player five inches taller.
"She's doing well," said defender Joy Fawcett. "Every game she seems to get better."
"April's approach to it was 'We need you to hone in on a position,' " said Fair, whose identical twin sister, Ronnie, has made three appearances with the full women's team. "I'm glad. I played outside mid a couple of games in Australia, but that's not where my focus needs to be.
"First of all, I love center mid. Second of all, I'm glad I have a focus so I don't have to spread myself too thin across too many positions. It's great if she needs someone to play somewhere else. I can maybe do that, but that's where I need my best."
If Fair continues to perform well alongside veteran Julie Foudy, Heinrichs will have a decision to make when Michelle Akers returns from a shoulder injury.
Though she's already made 64 international appearances since joining the team as a 17-year-old in 1996, just getting in the game isn't what Fiar envisions.
"It's those last 15 minutes of the games when I first got on the team in '96," Fair said with a laugh.
"That's a cap, I guess. I don't know if caps is what I aim for. That's not a goal.
"I want to be starting. I want to be playing 90 [minutes]. I want to affect this team in a game in a positive way. I want to help my team win."