However, last week, I actually played hockey. Twice.
I have skated since I was a little girl but never did I play hockey. In the opinion of many people in the 60’s and 70’s, hockey was for boys. In more recent years, we have gone skating with friends and what tends to happen is that the men and children (boys and girls) play hockey while the women skate around. This has suited me just fine because it seems to me that playing hockey with men and boys over the age of 10 can be very dangerous.
The first time I played the game was at Pinewood Lodge. This is a lovely place in Whiteshell Provincial Park on the shores of Dorothy Lake. In addition to the indoor pool, hot tub and steam room, there are lots of outdoor winter activities to be enjoyed. There is a pond which is available for skating and ice hockey, a small tobogganing hill, trails for walking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and snowmobiling. One afternoon, a number of our group decided to play a game of hockey. Last year when we played, a goalie was needed, so Chelsea and I volunteered. Because we didn’t have sticks, we used snow shovels to protect the goal. We only let a few in. I had such a good time that this year I decided that I would join in the game with a real hockey stick. It was pretty dangerous but I managed to remain uninjured and even scored a couple of goals and assists.
The second time I played hockey was Friday night when a friend of mine organized an informal game of hockey for women only. What a blast we had! We were not very good. We’d miss a perfect pass; we’d be 2 feet in front of the goal and miss; some of us had trouble stopping so we’d just glide into the boards. We cheered for every save and every goal as well as any good pass that happened. We made a lot of noise. There was a group of people (all male) playing around with pucks and sticks. When there was a break in our play, all we could hear was the swish of skates on the ice and the sound of wood hitting the puck from the other group. When we started playing, there was laughter, cheering and all sorts of noise. There was also a lot of good natured competition.
We all agreed that we’d like to do it again. We also realized that our skating improved while we were playing. By focusing less on our skating, our bodies began to do what felt natural. What a great sport. I think I’ll start watching “Hockey Night in Canada” for pointers.
Here is our group photo:
2 comments:
Then WHY are you all wearing figure skates?? That's a recipe for some broken ankles, trying to play hockey on those forsaken things. Next time, borrow some hockey skates, and you'll find it much easier to play.
Now this looks and sounds like great fun. It makes me want to go downstairs and dig out my own pair of skates. :-)
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