Tampa Day 2: Getting ready

The first day proper of the tour, and after a quick morning splash in the pool, Teddington Athletic wanted to get down to business. A team meeting in the resort's central square explained the plan: lunch, then a spot of Pilates, then into the vans and over to the Tampa Bay United campus for training.

But you can't say "training" without saying "raining", and a storm was sweeping in off the Gulf. You fly four and a half thousand miles for a bit of sun, and it rains. (Your pity is soaking through the internet.) Although still warm, the downpour brought with it a risk of lightning; the only thing to do was to sit it out.

An hour later, and after consultation with George at Tampa Bay United, the vans were on the road. The Ed Radice Sports Complex is but one of TBU's campuses around the bay area, and it immediately felt like home to the Teddington girls, decked out again in new training tops (made possible by AppTree software, although not in time to get a logo on it...).

Welcomed by George himself, who gave them warm words and a firm warning to stay hydrated, the girls settled on to the new "turf" – a top-quality artificial surface which drains far more quickly than grass would.

The session also granted the luxury of time. Rather than a hurried pre-match 45 minutes or a Friday night's hour, having unlimited time (and lots of water) gave the coaches plenty of room to work with the team. First they were split into four fours, and by turns, each member of each quartet became the "coach" for the other trio, making suggestions from the sidelines, the better to improve their communication and teamwork.

Then came a fruitful hour (with plenty of water-breaks) working on defensive shape and attacking moves. Having the time to work with the team units was particularly useful, and enjoyed by the girls; the old coaching tactic of finishing with a shooting drill meant that they didn't want to come off the field, even after more than two (well-hydrated) hours.

On Saturday, the girls will return to the Ed Radice complex for their first game against their hosts – specifically the U14 Elite squad, Teddington's toughest Tampa task. There was some hushed nervousness among the visitors as George explained, with neither braggadocio nor false modesty, how the Elite squad were among the best teams in the country for their age group.

But Teddington are no slouches, and more importantly winning is not the main point. The team are here to learn, to examine the possibilities that America might bring, and to have fun. They're already doing all three.