SEIDEMANN Melissa

General
COVID-19 IMPACT
She believes that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US team face a more difficult challenge to win Olympic gold at the 2020 Games in Tokyo than at the previous two Games, where they claimed consecutive titles. The team's preparations for the Games involved playing against high school boys' teams instead of training with some of their Olympic opponents. "It's just so different than what it's ever been. Normally, we see just about every team that we're going to play in the Olympic Games at some point for a week or two weeks training just with that team. In terms of preparation, that's the biggest hurdle that we're going to have to overcome. When you go into an Olympic Games, you want to know exactly what the other team is going to do, you want to know exactly what those other players are going to do. We can learn by watching video. But the best learning is when you know, you get to get your hands dirty and get in there. I know one of the things that we really took pride in in 2012, and 2016, was that we were incredibly prepared for those games. So I think just there is going to be more of a feeling of unease." (insider.com, 04 May 2021)

TOUGH TIMES
One hour before she played her first match at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, her mother suffered a stroke and was taken to hospital. She was told after the match. "I kind of knew something wasn't right. I can usually spot my family in the stands. I spotted my sisters, but not my parents." Her mother suffered a second stroke and spent the rest of 2016 in hospital. In 2017 she was with teammates and friends in Las Vegas, NV, United States of America, at a country music festival where 61 people were killed in a mass shooting. She had left the venue 30 minutes before the shooting and watched events unfold on television nearby. "I felt helpless. Oh my god, my people are there and I want to help them. But there was nothing we could do." (latimes.com, 08 Aug 2020)

COACHING
She is head coach of the girls' water polo team at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, CA, United States of America. She was an assistant water polo coach at the University of California, Irvine between 2016 and 2018, and is a mentor with RISE Athletes. (teamusa.org, 18 Jul 2019; usawaterpolo.org, 31 Aug 2019; ocregister.com, 16 Sep 2020; rise-athletes.waldenapp.com, 01 Jan 2020; latimes.com, 12 Jan 2021; totalwaterpolo.com, 18 Dec 2020)

FURTHER EDUCATION
She has studied for a master's degree in educational technology. (rise-athletes.waldenapp.com, 01 Jan 2020)