Chu-ee New Years

the stars were in line for Julie Chu in Vancouver Sunday. She was her usual energetic self, a star in both ends of the rink in USA's 11-1 opening game victory over China. Julie happens to be 3/4 Chinese, and is a bit of a goddess to the Chinese players, who love having their picture taken with her. It was also the first day of Chinese New Year, a two week celebration that is bigger than the Olympics in Vancouver's Chinatown. Suddenly Julie, a self-proclaimed nerd among her tragically hip teammates, was the absolute center of global media attention. The throngs of reporters in the UBC Thunderbird Arena mixed zone all needed Julie's wisdom and cultural observations post game. NBC interviewed her during the intermission and post game, along with an intermission feature on her Dad strolling the streets on Chinatown. Julie quoted both of the only two Chinese phrases she knows for Chinese national TV, including Happy New Year. They were delighted. She accommodated the Olympic News Channel, Swedish TV, CTV in Canada, and a slew of print journalists at the end of the mixed zone conveyor belt. She did it all with a brilliant smile and high energy enthusiasm. She is a Harvard-educated spokesperson selling her sport globally.

Her sport is a collection of the best and brightest, flooded with women stretching the boundaries of their potential, accumulating graduate degrees, many coming to U.S. Universities and learning English along the way, all spreading the gospel about their sport. Julie has already helped coach Minnesota - Duluth to an NCAA title (at the expense of current Olympic coach Mark Johnson's Wisconsin Badgers), and would be a supreme choice to take over the Chinese national team coaching ranks once she stops playing. It would be a fitting choice for women's hockey's best ambassador.