On a breezy but sunny day in North Carolina, the two-time defending champions returned to the fields amidst the COVID-19 pandemic under Phase 1(b) protocol set by the NWSL. While they could only train with their roommates, it felt like a substantial step for players that have been longing to return to some form of normalcy. Player arrivals looked different than they ever have before. First, there were all the masks. Each player drove up and approached the field with their face covered. Next, there was the waving. Roommate pairs waved to their teammates across the field from them with so much excitement, it was like the first day returning from the offseason. Players came prepared with their own equipment and drills planned out for the day. Roommates Cari Roccaro and Ryan Williams had spent hours preparing videos of the drills the day before to ensure they were ready to go when it was their time to use the field. “We are all pretty much visual learners on the team,” said Roccaro. “We video drills beforehand so by the time we show up to the field we know exactly what to do and it is more efficient.” Their preparation paid off as they were able to demonstrate the drill for their teammates on the other side of the field, over 70 yards away. Without coaches and their other teammates at training, roommates become motivators for each other. At one point during the training, Sam Mewis ensured her roommate Lynn Williams that they could finish their taxing drill. “We are seven-twelfths of the way done,” Mewis joked with Williams. The two shared a laugh before collecting all of their soccer balls and starting up again. While things were much different than the first week of training at the beginning of March, players are starting to understand that this could be the new normal for a while. While so much has changed, the “Go Courage” shout at the end of a long, hard session remains the same.