There is a growing list of international players who have played for multiple countries. Former United States of America World League champion Mia Rycraw displayed her wares for France at the Paris Olympic Games and now her next reincarnation is with Greek club Olympiacos.
French women’s goalkeeper Mia Rycraw has well and truly displayed her abundant goalkeeping skills on the world stage.
Good enough to make the USA team for the 2017 World League Super Finals — winning gold — as well as the Universiade in the same year — also reaping gold — Rycraw is a breath of fresh air in the French team.
As the last stop, she had tremendous pressure on her throughout the tournament and started well with a second-day victory over Italy (9-8). The fairytale ending did not eventuate as France did not make the quarter-finals in a year where sixth placing in the January European Championships augured well. February’s World Aquatic Championships in Doha were also unkind, finishing 13th.
Where it all started
So where did Rycraw come from?
“I started playing water polo (while simultaneously learning how to swim) at 16 years old. I was a sophomore at Walnut High School. The head coach at the time, Lani Ruh, told me I would make a good goalkeeper because of my height.
“Her husband, Marc Ruh, coached at Mt San Antonio College, and he also happened to specialise in goalie coaching. It was an ideal situation being that Mt. SAC was just down the street from my high school. We invested a lot of time working on my goalkeeping skills.
“In addition to my training at the high school I was encouraged to enrol in Foothill Club Water Polo’s U18 team. This was a club water polo programme designed to help players develop their skills year round. I would attend trainings every night after school.
“The coaching staff at Foothill were very supportive and played a huge part in my development so much so that my family could see and understand how much I was improving being that they didn’t know anything about water polo.
“By the time my senior year of high school came around, I had already been in communication with various colleges and universities. In the end, I chose to attend Arizona State University with head coach Todd Clapper and assistant coach Stefanos Leandros,” she said.
Her time at ASU was definitely one of discovery and improvement. “I was trying to figure out who I was as a person as well as a goalie. Having Todd Clapper as my coach was definitely a win for me because he was also a goalkeeper, and he shared his knowledge with me and the other goalies who were there at the time. This was one of the big reasons why I chose ASU’s water polo programme. Statistically, I had a great five years there and secured my name in the record books.”
The international stage
While attending Arizona State University she was contacted by USA Water Polo to participate in some training camps. “I still remember the feeling I had when I opened that email with my name on the training list. I was ecstatic!”
In 2017, she was selected to go to the World League Super Final in Shanghai. “It was my first time leaving the United States. We also played a tournament before the Super Final called the Kunshan Cup. We won and I was named goalkeeper of the tournament after having blocked the first three penalty attempts from Greece. We also won gold in the World League Super Final, as well.”
Later that year she missed the World Aquatics Championships in Hungary but was able to participate in the University Games in Taiwan towards the end of 2017 where USA won gold.
“I will say that the foundation of who I am as a goalie was definitely made in the USA. While there are many things that I wish I could go back and redo, I am forever grateful for everyone who invested time and energy into making me the athlete that I am today,” Rycraw said,
Family heritage
She has a heritage of professional sport with her mother a basketballer in Japan with the JAL Rabbits and then for the LA Sparks in 1998-1999. She was also a top-flight track and field star.
“My grandfather (dad’s side) was also a basketball player. He played basketball growing up in St. Louis, Missouri at a segregated high school. He then had dreams of leaving Missouri to pursue a career in architecture, so he left and attended Cal Poly San Louis Obispo where he also played basketball. As a senior, my grandfather travelled the world with the sport.”
The shift to Europe
So, how did Mycraw come to play in France?
“She graduated from ASU in 2018 and knew that she wanted to continue playing water polo, and especially in Europe.
“I remember I was at work one day and I got a text from Todd Clapper. He told me that a team in Lille, France was interested in having me be their goalie. I was so excited! I didn’t know anything about this team, or the language, but I said ‘yes’. It was my only option, but I soon realised that it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”
After a couple of months of competition in the French League, she was approached by French national team coach Florian Bruzzo. He expressed interest in having her in his team. I was also interested, and we decided taking steps towards making it happen. With lots of assistance from the club, it happened.
It was not an easy transition for Mycraw.
“The thing I struggled with the most when I was integrating on to the French team was the thought of having to face my old team-mates on Team USA again. It might sound silly, but it was a big deal for me. I would think about it, dream about it, and it was something that I didn’t know if I would even be physically/mentally able to do.
“I’m a woman of faith, and this anxiety that I had is something that I would pray about day and night. My debut competition with France was in Fukuoka, Japan during the World Aquatic Championships. USA was in our bracket, and I’m actually very glad it turned out that way because I was able to get over that hurdle of anxiety that was before me.”
Becoming a French citizen
What is it like being “French”:
“Without the tireless efforts of Clemence Clerc, Thierry Landron, Filipos Sakelis, Florian Bruzzo, Lucie Lefebvre and many others the process of becoming French would have been impossible. I also have to shout out my old team in Lille and all of the girls from the national team who have welcomed me with open arms. I consider them as my family, and they made the process so much easier for me.
“Being French is honestly the coolest thing ever. I spent six years living there and it was truly amazing. My quality of life was elevated, and I feel like it’s home to my second family. Being French is something that I can say with pride, and it is a huge blessing. I’m very grateful.”
How has her assimilation into the national team been?
“It has been seamless, especially my relationship with the other players. They really brought me in and welcomed me with open arms. I had been slowly chipping away at the language barrier year by year, and now that I’m able to understand and speak at a higher level the barrier is almost non-existent.
“The coaches have been great with me, as well. My current career with France has been under the coaching of Theo Lorantos and Lorene Derenty. Training was very difficult, but I’m very fortunate to have been able to take knowledge and skills from them. I could also trust that they knew exactly what they were doing each training ,which made it easy for me to just put my head down and work as hard as possible.”
The Olympic experience
There were highs and lows at the Paris Olympics. Losing to Greece and bowing out was the lowest. However, beating Italy was a real high.
“The highest point I had during the Olympics was our win against Italy! Ever since Theo was named head coach of our team I knew as a team we had to lock in. Play time was over, victim mentality went out of the window. It was time to work, and he took preparing us very seriously.
“The whole game we were fighting tooth and nail, and when the final buzzer went off we realised that the win was ours. Everyone in the stadium, our families, supporters, and others were cheering so loud. It was the first time that the French women’s water polo team had won a game in the Olympics. It was historic. I can’t fully describe what I was feeling in the moment, but it was almost as if both of my ears were full of water, I could hear my heartbeat as I swam to hug my team-mates. We were all crying. There was water everywhere.
“I was frantically looking for my family in the stands. My mom, sister, and pastor flew from Los Angeles to come see me, and words can’t describe how much of blessing it was to have them witness that in person.”
Settling into the Greek life
Playing in Greece is the next stage of her plan.
“I feel like playing in Greece was inevitable. I had always been around Greek coaches or players at some point or another; at ASU, in Lille, the French team. I had also visited Greece for many water polo-related competitions, and fell in love with the country. So, as the Olympic year approached, I knew that I wanted to try something new for the following pro season.
“In May last year is when I woke up to a text from the manager of Olympiacos expressing that they were interested. It was a no-brainer for me to continue my career here in Piraeus.
“They say if you want to tell God a joke you should tell Him what your plans are, so I just try to allow His will to be done in my life. I view my water polo plans as a mountain. With each step I’m taking forward, it allows me to see more possibilities while putting me at a higher altitude. Playing for Olympiacos is such an honour, and I know that I am built for this.
The 2025 international challenge
Rycraw is looking forward to the challenge of the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore as a stepping stone for the next three years.
“This year’s goal for the French team is to do well in Singapore at the World Championships, of course. It’s also time to start thinking about the next three years and what lies ahead for the 2028 Olympics.”
Where to from here for Mia Rycraw?
“I’m proud to say that I have signed a two-year contract with Olympiacos, and I have really been enjoying my time here in Greece. I’m going to keep grinding and perfecting my craft, and we will see where I will be years from now.
“Even though I turn 30 this month, I still feel as though I have many more years of high-level water polo ahead of me, and I’m so excited! I absolutely love what I do, and I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others as well!”