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JULY 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 31 AY L O R H E I S E c a n vividly remember her f i r s t U S A H o c k e y - B i o S t e e l P l a y e r Development Camp. Not many people forget the first time they travel a l o n e w i t h o u t t h e i r p a r- e n t s a n d t h e f i r s t t i m e t h e y 'r e i nv i t e d t o a tt e n d a U S A H o c k e y P l a y e r Development Camp. Heise remembers the uneasiness she felt attend- ing her first camp by herself and her eager- ness to show the coaches and evaluators everything she had to offer. "My first Player Development Camp was in St. Cloud, and I was 15. I didn't even know who was going to get cut and who was going to make it," said Heise. "I just remember I was really excited to be there." H e i s e , f r e s h o f f h e r 2 0 2 3 Women's World Championship g o l d - m e d a l p e r f o r m a n c e i n Brampton, Ontario, this spring, st o p p e d by t h e U S A Ho c ke y- B i o S t e e l G i r l s 1 6/ 1 7 P l a y e r Development Camp in Oxford, Ohio, last month to surprise the ath- letes and offer some advice from her past experiences over a delicious lunch courtesy of Chipotle. Heise previously attended USA Hockey's 2016 Girls' U18 Select Player Development Camp and turned that into a run of three straight gold medals with the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team. Under the blinding lights of the Goggin Ice Center, many of this year's camp invites were feeling the pressure to leave a lasting impression. Many are wearing a Team USA sweater for the first time and it was a realization that can leave some fraught with nerves. The storied history of Team USA holds a weight which remains pertinent in many of the athlete's minds throughout the camp. Heise remembers the weight that crept into her mind when she first put on the prestigious red, white and blue. "Even as a kid, I just saw the jerseys. I never had one. I never knew how spe- cial it was," Heise said. "I don't think I truly understood that until I made my first Under-18 National Team." Heise still recalls the nerves she had at camp seven years ago and the mistakes made and choices she wished she could have back. Through it all, the growth she experienced as an athlete at player devel- o p m e n t c a m p s w e r e i nv a l u a b l e t o h e r playing improvement. Having the gift of hindsight, she fervently shares advice to anyone who asks. Her gold- en rule for players at USA Hockey-BioSteel Player Development Camps: "Don't let one failure define you."