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It was fajita night, a light-filled, casual gathering of the family in the early 20th-century colonial home where Laila Edwards grew up, celebrating her homecoming from field hockey. Suddenly, an excited scream pierced the air.
Four generations of the Edwards family turned to see “dumbfounded Leila” and her old friend and teammate Caroline Harvey Huddled in front of the phone, “giggling breathlessly” and exclaiming “oh my God”.
What makes them happy? social media posts cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. arrives NBA Edwards’ No. 10 USA Hockey jersey was proudly worn during the game.
The moment is a testament to her growing influence as Edwards prepares to make history at next month’s Olympics in Cortina, Milan, where she will become the first black woman to represent the United States at the Olympics. puck.
Edwards understands clevelandHer reaction was “wow” despite having a rich sporting history despite leaving the city years ago to pursue her hockey career.
She added: “He was born in Ohio. His father played for the Cavaliers. legend. I think it’s really cool that he does that when he doesn’t have to. ”
Just one day later that November, Edwards himself graced the ice at the same downtown arena, participating in the opening matchup and adding an assist in a decisive 4-1 victory. Canada.
At just 21 years old, the 6-foot-1-inch (185 cm), 195-pound (88 kg) defenseman is an impressive presence on the ice, possessing a rare combination of powerful shooting, exceptional speed and deft playmaking ability.
Her talent has not gone unnoticed, with captain and U.S. women’s hockey icon Hilary Knight declaring: “Lyla is the future of the game. I think what you’re seeing is someone who is getting into her skill set, but is just scratching the surface.”
Edwards’ stature in the sport is so high that USA Hockey arranged their game in Cleveland to turn it into a poignant “coming out party” for a player who is finishing his senior season at the top of his game Wisconsin.
The four-day visit allowed her to train on the ice she’s known since childhood and, most importantly, reconnect with her family, who have watched her remarkable growth largely from afar.
Her journey began at the age of three, following in the footsteps of her brother Bobby and sister Charla, who was introduced to hockey by her father Robert, who also played at Wisconsin.
At age 11, her outstanding development led coaches to suggest she play with girls two and three years older than her, prompting her to make the difficult decision to leave Cleveland for a more established developmental program.
including an elite women’s team pittsburghthen attended high school at Bishop Kearney Selects Academy rochester, New Yorkbefore she moved to Wisconsin.
Looking back on her return, Edwards said, “The idea of going from a 400-seat rink to the biggest sporting event in the world, it’s like, wow. Starting my Olympic career in Cleveland with my family, it feels like a full-circle moment.”
Her father, Robert, recalled the emotional toll of her early departure: “What we didn’t expect was that we would miss her as much as we did, and the loss of not being able to see her grow up. I don’t regret doing it, but I feel like it wasn’t the best part of her being gone.”
He cited her maturity and academic prowess as factors in their decision. Edwards spent his high school years at Bishop Carney High School, a school known for producing quality players, including Olympic teammate Caroline HarveyHaley Wing, Kristen Sims and Ava McNaughton.
Edwards himself faced significant personal challenges while away from home. That included rapid growth — growing about five inches while working at Kearney — and considerable sacrifices, like having to give up his high school graduation to compete in the under-18 world championships.
Crucially, she also made her own path as a black athlete in a sport dominated by white athletes.
“In order to overcome some of the things you have to go through in this sport, you have to be strong,” Edwards said of the unique pressure. “There’s a lot that happens in the locker room, outside, with the coaches, in practice, with the fans,” she added, declining to elaborate. “You absolutely have to be strong. I think that’s huge in terms of representation and being a role model.”
Her toughness extends to her on-ice adaptability, including a successful transition from forward to defense. U.S. coach John Wroblewski praised her strength in facing challenges, describing her as “an inspirational person. I think it’s innate. That’s what Laila is. She’s a gamer. She’s the real deal.”
Edwards made his U.S. national team debut as a forward and was named MVP at the 2024 World Championships. American Lost narrowly in the gold medal match Canada.
At last year’s world championships, Edwards admitted she “had trouble transitioning to defense,” although she still contributed a goal and three assists en route to a gold medal.
Looking back on the experience, Edwards noted: “I didn’t have my best game, but to me, that’s not what the game was all about. We won and I learned a lot, so it was a win as well. I think my expectations were small It’s higher now. ”
In fact, Edwards has always thrived in the face of adversity. “‘Challenge’ is a good word because I don’t see it as a negative. I see it as something I can learn from,” she explains. “So I always strive to be a great athlete and a great player. But more importantly, be a good person, a role model, a teammate.”
Back home, Edwards found a moment of peace as he sat on the couch between his parents.
The living room bookshelves are lined with plaques, trophies and medals, foreshadowing more honors to come. However, for Robert Gray-Edwards and Charonne Gray-Edwards, the focus of the evening was simply to cherish the precious moments spent with their now-grown daughter, who is about to take the world stage.
Her mother Charoni summed up their unwavering love and support: “We told her we loved her no matter what. You won’t be perfect. You won’t always win. You won’t always be the top scorer. But you will always be our Leila.”