On Tap with Katie Reinprecht '13

KatieReinprecht ’13 is all set to play field hockey for the US Women’s National Team alongside her sister, Julia Reinprecht ’14, this summer at their second Olympic Games. The Daily Princetonian sat down withKatieto discuss her craziest thoughts, her love for field hockey and her Olympic dream.

Daily Princetonian:What is your favorite thing about field hockey?

KatieReinprecht:The fast paced nature of the game and the team camaraderie.

DP:When did you decide to pursue the sport competitively?

KR:I started playing indoor field hockey in [the] fifth grade and fell in love with the game. However, it wasn’t until I made the U-16 national team that I really started to dream about one day playing for the women’s national team.

DP:What were your reactions when you learned that you would be going to the Games in 2012 and in 2016?

KR:I was incredibly honored to be selected to go to the 2012 Olympic Games. It truly felt like a testament to all the hard work I had put into my sport over the past several years. Not only did this feel like an amazing achievement, from a field hockey perspective, but also as an athlete and American. As athletes, we feel the responsibility to represent our country in the best way possible and truly believe we are competing for something greater than ourselves and our sport.

DP:What is it like to have Julia on the team too?

KR:I feel incredibly lucky to play with Julia on our national team. She truly is my best friend, so, off the field, it’s nice to know I will always have my go-to person. On the field, she is one of the hardest working and smartest players we have. I think I can speak for the team in saying we feel super lucky to have her on the field with us.Having a sister on the team means we get to share so many incredible experiences together and make memories that we can look back on for the rest of our lives.

DP:What is one fun team tradition your Olympic team—2012 or 2016—has?

KR:Pregame hacky sack!

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DP:What is the one thing you miss the most about being on the Princeton team?

KR:I miss my teammates and the staff. We genuinely gotalong very well, and I honestly think that played a big part in why we were so successful. I also miss having Massimo’s and Panera catered for our long bus trips.

DP:What is the craziest thought you've had before or during a field hockey match?

KR:"Is that a panda on the field?” This thought actually crossed my mind during a match against Argentina at the World Cup in 2014. It was pouring rain, and I was exhausted and someone in a panda costume ran across the field. I honestly wasn’t sure if my fatigue was making me hallucinate or there was actually a panda. Turns out, I wasn’t imagining things.

DP:What is the one thing you're most excited about for Rio?

KR:To play with my teammates on the world’s biggest stage. There is no way to describe the feeling of getting to represent your country at the Olympic Games and play for something bigger than yourself. This feeling is both powerful and inspiring.

DP:And finally, the typical "On Tap” question:if the four fingers and the thumb of one of your hands could dispense drinks, which drinks would they dispense?

KR:Thumb – Coffee, preferably americano. Index–Flavored seltzer water. Middle–Powerade Zero. Ring–Coke Zero. Pinky–Malbec or Prosecco.