Ticket Time

As Stephanie Cox relaxed in her beach chair in the hall on the team floor (the U.S. hotel is right on the beach and the rooms have balconies, hence the easy availability of beach chairs, plus the wireless Internet only works in the hall), U.S. general manager Cheryl Bailey made her rounds passing out the players game tickets for the first round. Cox' tickets are for her mom, dad, husband, brothers and in-laws. When the tickets are handed out, you know the first game is close at hand. Most of the players will see their families tomorrow in the early afternoon as sharing the Olympic experience with loved ones is one of the reasons the Games are so special. Some of the players families have already arrived in China. The first to land? Nataha's Kai's parents Sharon and Benny Kai...and they had the shortest flight of anyone...from Hawaii.