Walpole Times - Walpole Field Hockey Star Dina Rizzo Still a Leader

All her athletic life, Walpole’s Dina Rizzo has been a leader.

The 1998 graduate was a leader on the Walpole High field hockey juggernaut that won the state title three of her four years on the squad, while also being a perennial Bay State All-Scholastic.

Then she became a leader on the University of Maryland Division 1 powerhouse that won the 1999 national championship, ending up as an All-American player.

That’s why it’s not surprising that earlier this year the former Walpole High Porker was honored by Direct Federal Credit Union as one of its key supporters for its "Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow" program that kicked off last fall, or that when she suits up for the Pan-Am Games this July, Rizzo will own the third-highest number of international caps (83) among active American female players in the sport of field hockey, trailing only teammates Kate Barber and Carrie Lingo.

Rizzo admitted recently that she still has a love for field hockey competition, and does not want to step away from active play until she makes at least one more push for Olympic qualification with the United States National Team.

"I’ve got a good amount of caps," offered Rizzo, "but I still don’t feel like I’ve come close to what I can accomplish. I would really like to play in the Olympics.

"I’m still enjoying it (playing on the National Team, which she’s done since graduating from college), I love the team, and the coaching staff and support staff have been great. I think we’re getting a lot better; we improved significantly in the last year and a half and we have a great new head coach.

"In July we have the Pan-American Games and if we win, we get an automatic qualification.."

As usual, the American challenge in July is topping the Argentina team, which has ruled the Americas for years and perennially earns the automatic bid. That leaves the rest of the teams from the continent duking it out with the rest of the world for the other berths.

"We want to get on the medal stand for sure," admitted Rizzo. "The team didn’t qualify for the last 20 years, and it’s a big deal this time around."

The most recent Olympic success for the Americans in the sport occurred a generation ago as they took bronze in the 1984 games in Los Angeles.

Rizzo has had to make a lot of sacrifices over the years as she pursued her goal, including missing out on family gatherings and visiting old friends as she jets around the world with the team for competitions with other nations.

As part of the Olympic Job Opportunity Program, Rizzo works at Home Depot near the training center in Virginia Beach, and the company, like others associated with the program, assures a flexible schedule so she can make her national team commitments.

Rizzo is also hoping to fit more time in for the "Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow" program, which has its first awards banquet this May.

The program was developed with a goal of recognizing and lending monetary assistance to female high school athletes in basketball, ice hockey, field hockey and softball. It will award $66,000 in scholarship money this year to 66 recipients from the Bay State and Tri-Valley Leagues, being selected with the help of high school coaches, principals and athletic directors.

Rizzo is traveling in pretty fast company as a supporter of the program. She joined Southwick native, UConn national champion and WNBA professional basketball player Rebecca Lobo, Olympic ice hockey gold medallist Cammi Granato, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Mary Pratt and Wilmington native and four-time field hockey All-American Megan Donnelly as a supporter of the programs.

"I’ve been traveling so much and with the team schedule I haven’t been able to attend events yet," offered Rizzo of the YWLT program, "but hopefully eventually when stuff dies down, I will be able to show my face. It’s amazing what that program has done, and it’s an honor to be associated with it."