PHOENIX — While Christian Pulisic has found a new team in AC Milan, he'll find his way back to the U.S. Men's National Team soon.
But, Captain America isn't the only south central Pennsylvania native to represent the stars and stripes, in fact, he's not even the first one from his hometown.
"I, 100%, give credit to my high school coaches because I had coaches in other sports that allowed me to get to practice and possibly miss some games and vice-versa.," recalled Jaime Pagliarulo. "They worked with me and if I didn't have the outlet of other sports, I don't think I would have ever stuck with soccer."
Pagliarulo grew up in Hershey playing soccer, field hockey, basketball, and softball for the Trojans. She was a Mid-Penn all-star in every sport. She stuck with soccer and played goalkeeper for George Mason in college, while also earning a spot on the Under 20 national team. It all led to a life-changing moment over the phone.
"The first call was after the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. They won the gold, and they're going on their victory tour and I got a call in my college dorm room that I was going to hop on board and join the tour," said Pagiarulo. "And literally, while I'm on the phone talking to the administrator, I've got the picture of the gold medal stand and the team up there and I'm thinking, 'Do they have the wrong person?'"
When you think of names that are the foundation of what the women's national team has become, Carla Overbeck, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and Brandi Chastain are just a few and Pagliarulo was about to join that roster.
"The bus is waiting for me outside of O'Hare Airport and I remember with my backpack, the bus pulls up and I just put my head down and just start walking back on the bus," remembers Pagliarulo. "I hear this, 'Hey Pags, have a seat,' and it was Brandi Chastain and she shifted over and I sat down and she talked all the way on the bus and just made me feel comfortable because that's what those players did. They were so deliberate about creating a culture long term, knowing that these young players are the future."
There are not many women who have worn the U.S.A's crest with the national team, and even watching today's World Cup, there are still elements that instantly take Pagliaruso back to the friendlies she saw playing time.
"It always hits you at some point in the game and the National Anthem is always the biggest one. When you hear that, you know what those players are feeling, and also when you see the players make a mistake. You just kind of live it with them and that feeling of proving yourself then again and bouncing back as quickly as you can. You kind of feel those emotions with those players, because you've been there," said Pagliarulo.
She's played professionally, coached in the college and high school ranks, and even now as a physical education teacher in Arizona, she still pulls from what she learned as a member of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.
"You know, I still think of the times where we would get off the bus and Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm were the first to grab equipment bags and we had people on staff to do that. Here they were because they were part of the team. When those veteran players do it, you follow suit real quick," said Pagliarulo. "I try to carry that same work ethic into my professional life now, as well. Be the first one to grab the bag and be the first one to offer to help. Be the first one here and the last one to leave. All those things that I learned from the veteran players, I carry over now."
And to this day, she's still teammates with Foudy, and they're both still thinking of the next generation.
"I played with Julie with the U.S. National team for three years, but also with the San Diego Spirit for three years. She has a leadership academy and we've been doing that, I hate to even guess, for over 20 years now," laughs Pagliarulo. "It's taking all those things we've learned, those life lessons, and share it now with the next generation. Something she always talks about, probably one of the most important things about that U.S. National team is they laughed. They laughed all the time. They would rip each other throats out on the training pitch or in a match, but they never took themselves too seriously. They just had joy in everything they did. That's something we want to make sure the younger generation still has. As youth sports become more and more intense at a younger age, we're starting to rip the joy out of it. From my high school coaches and my club coaches who just loved being around sports and did it for the right reasons. I'm so grateful that from a young age, I always had perspective."