MEET CAROLYN!

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF!

Hi everyone! My name is Carolyn and I am originally from Connecticut. I lived in California for the past couple of years, and now I’m residing in Chicago! I am a passionate girls ice hockey coach, and I am working to expand girls and women’s ice hockey to promote inclusivity and body positivity within and beyond the sport.

I grew up playing hockey for my local town team and the CT Polar Bears. I was fortunate to play ACHA DII hockey at the University of Connecticut, where I was co-president of the team with my longtime best friend and best line mate!

I started coaching when I moved to California, and there I started the first girls hockey program within my local rink. That was a pretty exciting moment for me, and watching it grow and positively impact my girls’ lives was a pivotal moment in my coaching career. I made the decision to focus fully on ice hockey in all capacities, and to help change the game for everyone!

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A WHL BRAND AMBASSADOR?

I wanted to be a WHL Brand Ambassador because I admire their mission, and their goals and values align with my own. I believe that the only way we can change the game is to work together by spreading positivity and encouragement. Joining forces with WHL helps me reach out even farther, and I’m so excited to be part of a network of amazing and strong female hockey players!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AS A #WHLAMBASSADOR?

I am most excited about getting to meet, interact with, and encourage the diverse group of girls and women who play ice hockey. Our sport is filled with people from all different backgrounds with all different experiences, and I am eager to learn and help share those stories. Representation matters, and makes a difference.

WHAT’S SOMETHING NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU?

One of my favorite past times is cooking and baking! I grew up in an Italian household, and many of my favorite memories are being in the kitchen with my mom and grandmother. I love making pasta and all my favorite Italian dishes, and trying new things too! I recently made falafel for the first time and it was so good!

IF YOU COULD SIT DOWN AND HAVE DINNER WITH ONE FEMALE HOCKEY PLAYER, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

This is a hard question, I’d love to sit down with so many female hockey players! If I had to choose, I would love to talk to Hilary Knight. She is such a powerhouse of a player, and I love her style on the ice. Her openness and display of support for women’s ice hockey is also incredibly admirable.

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN IN HOCKEY OR IN LIFE?

One of the best pieces of advice I received was from my U12 hockey coach. At the time, my teammates and I weren’t putting forth our best effort during practice, basically gliding through the end of drills at the goal line. My coach stopped us and said “games are won and lost between the hash marks and the goal line”.

At the time he simply wanted us to finish the drill to completion, but as I learned more about myself and the game, I realized what he really meant was to put in effort all the way until the very end. He wanted us to finish the drill at 100%, because that’s how we started it. I think about this often in many areas of my life, and I try to instill the same thoughts within the players that I coach: put your best effort in until the end, and fight for it all the way through.

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM FOR WOMEN’S HOCKEY?

My dream for women’s ice hockey is to grow the game so much so that people are no longer surprised when they learn that a girl is playing hockey. I want to change the perception of female hockey players and show that they come from all backgrounds, have all different interests, and can be strong and beautiful on and off the ice.

WANT TO JOIN OUR #WHLAMBASSADOR TEAM?

GET MORE DETAILS AND APPLY HERE!