Tell us about yourself!
I’m from a small town in Michigan and I currently live in Adrian and go to school at Adrian College. I grew up with hockey on TV (Go Wings!) but there wasn’t a rink in my county until I was 10 years old. Nobody my age in my area played hockey, let alone girls, so I never had the idea in my head that I could be a hockey player like my brother. I played one season of competitive hockey in 2013-14 playing rec league hockey and then “retired” after that because there was no team for girls my age within two hours of my home.
I got to achieve my dream of playing college hockey three years after giving up my hopes of playing ever again as a part of the ACHA WD2 team at Adrian College and got to play in the inaugural game last September. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I ended up quitting the team in November. But I am still involved in Adrian College hockey as a volunteer with the ACHA Men’s D1 team and a student worker and and advanced analytics intern with the Men’s NCAA DIII team while pursuing a degree in Sport Management in hopes of a career in working in professional and NCAA DI hockey.
What made you want to be a WHL Brand Ambassador?
I wanted to be a WHL Brand Ambassador because there aren’t a lot of women for me to look up to in the world of working in hockey. There are so many incredible women paving the way on the ice that are getting an opportunity to inspire others now, and I wanted to be an example of where you can go with hockey even after you hang up your skates.
What are you most looking forward to as a #WHLAMBASSADOR?
Being able to be a part of the community that WHL has developed over the years and being able to represent those who are fighting for equality in our sport OFF of the ice, as well as for those who are on the ice. I think that the whole idea of the WHL Ambassadors is such a great idea and being able to show younger girls and maybe even women my own age that there are viable career paths off the ice as well is something that would be really cool for me.
What’s something not a lot of people know about you?
I’m very superstitious when it comes to even just watching hockey games. When I played, I wore the same headband for off-ice and under my helmet every game. Now that I’m not playing, I won’t wear a shirt or outfit that I wore when my team lost again unless the team is playing an easier opponent who I know they’ll beat so the outfit can be good luck again. I wear the same red lip gloss for every “big game” that my favorite team plays.
If you could sit down and have dinner with one female hockey player, who would it be and why?
Even though I’m American, it would probably be Manon Rheaume. I read her book in high school and her story is inspiring to me. The adversity she faced as a kid was crazy and I cannot imagine going through what she went through and then getting to become the first female to play in an NHL game.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given in hockey or in life?
The coach that I student coached for my junior year told his girls that effort and attitude were all you could control and he drove that point home to us and taught us that it applied to every facet of our lives, not just in hockey.
What’s your dream for women’s hockey?
To have one league that’s properly funded and gives women the opportunity to play hockey and not have to work side jobs. I want my future daughter to be able to have the dream of playing pro hockey and not be laughed at. I want to be able to go to ESPN or TSN and watch women’s hockey highlights and see women’s college hockey be given all the hoopla that the men’s side is given.
Beyond that, I want to see almost all youth hockey programs offering girls’ teams for every age like they do boys and never have to hear of girls quitting because of a lack of opportunity like I did.
Interested in becoming a #WHLAMBASSADOR?
