(Photo by Bill Millios)
Athlete tackles third sport in third Deaflympicsby Rachel Benedict on September 3, 2009 For American athlete Tamara Foronda, competing at the Deaflympics isn’t a new thing, but a tendency. Foronda will play indoor volleyball at the 2009 Taipei Deaflympics, making this her third Games. What makes her stand out from the crowd of veterans, however, is the fact that it’s also her third Deaflympic sport. Foronda first arrived on the international stage as a team handball player at the 2001 Rome Games, where the team won silver. Her first experience with the sport was at the tryouts, but more impressively, as a 16-year-old, she garnered team most valuable player honors. “I originally wanted to play volleyball but didn’t know anything about the tryouts, so when I heard of team handball, I jumped at the chance of playing at the Deaflympics,” Foronda said. After the 2001 Deaflympics, Foronda focused on her primary event, indoor volleyball, in high school and college. At the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, she received the most valuable player award three of her four years. She continued her decorated career at Gallaudet University, where she received her first of two Capitol Athletic Conference player of the year awards in 2004. In October 2005, after she was cut from the U.S. Indoor Volleyball Team for the 2005 Melbourne Deaflympics, two months before the Games, the USA Deaf Sports Federation approached Foronda about playing beach volleyball. She accepted, and with little time to practice, surprised spectators and fans by winning a bronze medal. “I basically used my indoor volleyball skills and experience out on the beach, as I had no time to practice.” Foronda said. Despite her skills, the transition from indoor to outdoor posed its challenges for Foronda. Comparing beach to indoor volleyball is difficult, she said, since the environments are completely different. “In beach volleyball, there are elements that I would worry about, such as the weather, hot sand and competition times during the day, while in indoor [volleyball], it doesn’t matter.” When comparing team dynamics, she said, “Indoor volleyball has a stronger sense of team and intensity, but on the beach, playing smart is more important, and it can feel like an individual sport.” After the 2005 Deaflympics, Foronda received the WIDEX All Fair Play Athlete and the 2005 USA Sports Federation Sportswoman of the Year awards in recognition of her performance. Back in the United States after her second Games, Foronda’s star continued to rise at Gallaudet. She earned her second CAC player of the year award in 2006 and was the CAC Student-Athlete of the Year in 2007 while ranking No. 1in hits per game in Division III competition. She was named National Player of the Week in NCAA’s Division III and carried her team to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament in 2006. As a member of the 2009 team for the Taipei Deaflympics, Foronda is known as a spectacular hitter, but her ability to be a great defensive player is less well known. It’s an asset that, says Coach Boren, contributes greatly to the team’s success. “Her defensive prowess will also be a factor to the team’s dynamics in the back row along with Kristina Burke and Shana Lehmann,” Boren said. Foronda said she chose to play indoor volleyball instead of beach volleyball in Taipei “because it’s the sport I love the most.” She also cited as a reason the fact that most of her teammates from Gallaudet’s 2006 Sweet 16 team are also on the U.S. Deaflympic team this year. Additionally, Foronda couldn’t resist the opportunity to play for Coach Lynn Ray Boren again, she said. “Coach Boren, the team and opportunities I had on the indoor team made it easy to decide to play indoors,” Foronda said. “This being my third Deaflympics, I am more calm and I know what to expect, but I am more excited than ever for a real shot at gold.” Boren said the transition for Foronda would be easier since she has not only Deaflympics experience, but also experience playing with most of the U.S. volleyball team at Gallaudet. Additionally, all the players have played or trained at a camp with Boren prior to the Games. Boren had Foronda travel to the Washington, D.C., area to train and compete locally with the team several times during the past year. The team met Aug. 9 to begin training camp in D.C. before departing for Taiwan on Aug. 27. “I am confident that her transition from beach volleyball to the volleyball court will have a positive impact on her performance on the volleyball court because it increased her level of confidence as an individual,” Boren said. “Tamara knows what it takes to be a winner, with intensity that boosts the confidence of the team to contribute towards USA Volleyball's success in the end. “Everyone shares the same passion and goal, and that will pull the team together towards what we all are working for.” Going into the Taipei Deaflymics, Foronda carries a heavy weight. Public expectations of her as a 2009 Deaflympics MVP and gold medalist are high, and anything short of another gold will be considered a letdown. However, Foronda opts not to acknowledge the pressure, but rather to focus on her goals. “Every Deaflympics is different, and it’s a new team and a new goal for me this time: getting a gold medal!” |
 Women's volleyball athlete Tamijo Foronda (Photo by USA Deaflympic Media Team)
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