BUT, it’s really about more than just getting things. Team Processing is the first stop for all Team USA athletes when they arrive in Vancouver. They stay here at the Delta Hotel for their first 24 hours, before taking off for the Athlete Villages. It sets the mood and the energy level they take with them throughout the Games. It creates a sense of Team USA and patriotism. It’s the transformation from being a member of the national team to becoming a member of the U.S. Olympic Team.
The vibe and the excitement is pretty neat to be around. Here’s a summary of what the athletes go through.
After they arrive at the airport, they’re brought to the Delta Hotel where they check into their rooms before heading to the Team USA room for a healthy lunch.
The athletes then start in their favorite room, the apparel room. They’re given a white shopping cart and a check list, they line up, and they’re off to the races.
They get a total of about 50 items, including shoes, jackets, fleeces, sweaters, turtlenecks, pins, pants, hats, mittens, socks, sweatshirts, vests, boots, you name it! All of the apparel is either Nike or Polo Ralph Lauren. The athletes make their way around the room, trying things on at the different stations and throwing one of everything into their cart along the way.
Here’s women’s hockey player Julie Chu getting excited about the gear…
After about an hour and a half in the apparel room, the athletes get checked out and bagged up.
From there, it’s on to the Polo tailors. The athletes get completely suited up in their Opening and Closing Ceremony uniforms and are measured for any alterations that are necessary. The tailors are pretty busy every night, considering the large quads of our speedskaters and the tiny frames of our figure skaters. The athletes pretty much have the extreme of every body type.
The other reason they have to suit up is that PRL is very particular about how their fancy duds are worn. They put a lot of money into that one moment when the athletes walk out of the tunnel and into the Opening Ceremony stadium, so they want them to look like the perfect, iconic American role models. After being walked and talked through the uniforms, they receive these reminder cards:
If you can’t read this, the Opening Ceremony guy reads:
“Wear cap slightly over ears with flag patch on the left.”
“Hair should be well-groomed.”
“Fold turtleneck in half for a soft roll.”
“Leave two snaps of jacket open, fasten the bottom three snaps.”
“Scrunch socks over pant legs – pant logo should be visible.”
“Lace boots and tie at back.”
They don't fool around!
Once they graduate from PRL fashion school, they’re on to more goodies.
They get sized for official U.S. Olympic rings from O.C. Tanner and choose among a few U.S. Olympic watch options from Hamilton.
In the midst of the stations, I pull them away for interviews with NBC and other camera crews capturing athlete content. Here is our one set of twins on the 2010 U.S. Team, hockey players Jocelyn and Monique Lamoureux.
The athletes also go through a final medical screening, try on Nike leather jacket options, and get official U.S. Team headshots and team photos. On their way back to their rooms, they stop at shipping and are able to send any of the items back home for free, except of course the Nike podium wear, and the PRL Opening and Closing Ceremony uniforms.
After a healthy dinner back in the Team USA room, I’m up! I run the Team Processing Briefing and the Olympic Ambassador Program. More on that later.
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