BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The nerves did not stop a new hire on the athletics staff at Bridgewater College from competing world-wide on the Argentina Women's Lacrosse National Team. Instead, more optimism grew, and relationships deepened. 

Brisa Uviedo, a recent hire for assistant coach on the field hockey team, has been competing as a national team member in women's lacrosse for Argentina since 2022, a sport that not even she thought she was fully familiar with. 

    "Field hockey is my first sport," said Uviedo. "So, going into these tournaments and still today I get nervous because women's lacrosse isn't my first sport. I played field hockey in college. But it's been great and getting to know each other's roles on the team coming from different levels of the sport who are great players. It's been exciting, and I am grateful for the experience." 

Despite the challenge of learning more about the sport on the fly, Uviedo does not shy away from learning something new each day and taking on each challenge with heart and grit. She has been determined to bring her skills to lacrosse as she has in field hockey for most of her life. 

Over the years, Uviedo has found ways to contribute and bring a fiery and fun energy towards training and competition. Three years ago, passion kicked in. 

In 2022, the University of Mount Olive student-athlete came across a social media post about the national team which sparked immediate interest. Being born in Argentina, Uviedo saw it as an opportunity of a lifetime to represent the country she was born in on the world stage.  

One of the founding coaches of the Argentina National Women's Lacrosse Association, Nico Prandi, brought her into the loop on the national team and Uviedo joined prior to the World Championships. That year marked the first World Championship appearance made by the Argentina national team with Uviedo already making it as a starter.  

"[Brisa] was a great addition to the 2022 squad," said Prandi. "She didn't have the statistical spotlight other players had, but was a constant contributor in intangible ways, always working extremely hard when attacking and when re-defending." 

Once the World Championships wrapped up, Uviedo came back ready to dive deeper with the national squad in January 2023. Training camps began and she got to work. Her first exposure to the team was at the world championships, and soon after, she was excited to expand her relationships with her teammates. 

    "The first world championship was the first time we all met, and we just got tossed into a game. And honestly, we played fantastically. I think that comes from us fighting until the end and being a fun team. Even if we have a tough loss, we're still all there for each other," Uviedo said. 

The team got back together in the summer of 2023 for Uviedo's first ever PALA Sixes Cup held in Kingston, Jamaica. From there, she grew more familiar with the team and was able to connect with each other. They were able to find similarities in play styles and the will to fight until the end. That summer, the Argentina Women's Lacrosse National Team received a bronze medal in the 6v6 format tournament.  

The following year, they took on more competition in the Heritage Cup in Haverford, Pa., and repeated with another bronze medal. Now, in 2025, the national team is looking to make even greater strides after coming off a cup victory in Weston, Mass., among 30 other national teams. 

Up ahead is the 2025 Pan-American Women's Lacrosse Championship Qualifying Event at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Aburndale, Fla., on June 26-30. Although facing tough competition, Uviedo believes they have the team to go far. 

    "Canada and the U.S are a couple of the tougher teams we face heading into this tournament now. Jamaica, who is also in our bracket in the tournament, those teams are harder to face. We're looking good and hoping to go far in the tournament." 

With that strong willed spirit, Coach Prandi also has belief in his teammates, especially Uviedo. Uviedo can adapt and switch positions to make the team work at its best. 

    "Brisa participated with team Argentina in the PALA Sixes Cup in Jamaica, where she contributed greatly on both offense and defense. From that point forward, Brisa transitioned to a defensive role in the national team and is now heading to the Pan-American Lacrosse Championship to represent Argentina as a defender." 

Prandi also realizes her presence impacts their success even when switching positions. Either on the field or off the field, Uviedo finds ways to contribute to the team's success. 

    "Beyond the field, Brisa has always been an extremely coachable player and an amazing teammate. She is humble and is always looking to learn, improve, and contribute however she can." 

These impactful experiences also enhance Uviedo's ability to be coached and to coach, directly benefiting her new position as Assistant Field Hockey Coach at Bridgewater. Head coach Emily Bagby also acknowledges the major impact Uviedo's international playing experience has on her coaching ability. 

"She's able to work on communication skills, relationship building, and fostering a positive team environment within her lacrosse team, and then she's able to bring those skills and experiences into our field hockey program. I feel Brisa is also showing our student-athletes that they are capable of having a balance between their professional and personal lives. Right now, she's coaching field hockey and playing lacrosse at the national level all simultaneously, which I think is incredible," Bagby exclaimed. 

As Uviedo continues to learn, she always wants to improve with the team around her. The team carries a strong bond whenever they get back to training for competition. They do not miss a beat. 

    "We just go with the flow and bring our best energy. It's a lot of fun and we're like family. We get together and even though it's been months since we saw each other it feels like time hasn't passed." 

The vision remains the same for each member of the national team. Work hard but have fun. That's the mindset that Uviedo bolsters every time she competes. From all different ranges of skill levels, Uviedo always learns something new from her teammates. 

    "We have a wide range of level players going from high school to final years in college. I'm learning as I go and learning something new every time. I try my best each day and I think that's what helps bring the team together. We're all representing our country in the end, and we're a great team that finds grit and can still connect with each other." 

The Argentina Women's Lacrosse National Team continues to thrive because of the likeminded ability to connect, to adapt, and to overcome each other's greatest nerves and fears together as they prepare for what's next to come. 

In the PALA Sixes Cup, Argentina will begin facing Jamaica in pool play at 1:30 p.m. ET Thursday, June 26. For more information check out the 2025 Pan American Women's Lacrosse Championship website.