Article reposted from Pacific University Oregon
Author: Tamarra Mellick
Dr. Jeff Kawaguchi spent the month of July as the athletic trainer with the U-19 USA Women’s National Basketball team, as they competed in the 2017 FIBA Women’s World Cup. The journey began with 2 weeks of training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The actual event took place in Udine, Italy. After going undefeated in the pre-tournament and pool play, the team qualified for the medal rounds. Following hard fought wins over Puerto Rico, France and Japan, the US team competed in the gold medal game. However, the team fell short of its ultimate goal – losing to Russia 86-84. For their efforts, the team was awarded the silver medal. This was the fourth such event that Dr. Kawaguchi has been a part of. Previously Dr. Kawaguchi served as the athletic trainer for the USA Women’s National Team for the 2001 World University Games (Beijing, China), the 2007 U-19 World Championships (Bratislava, Slovakia) and the 2012 U-17 World Championships (Amsterdam, Netherlands).