AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT: Vanessa Vargas | Liberty Lake, Washington

MEET VANESSA VARGAS!

Tell us about yourself!

My name is Vanessa Vargas and I was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. I have been playing hockey for 22 years and have mostly been associated with playing on girls and woman’s hockey teams. This upcoming season marks my third year as a coach and I’m excited to be helping coach my first girls team this year. What is exciting this year is coaching a girls team in the same association that had my girls team 10+ years ago! So my hockey journey is coming in full circle.

What made you want to be a WHL Brand Ambassador?

I love how hockey communities come together and seeing this awesome group specifically for growing women’s hockey is amazing. I love this sport for many reasons and would love to pass on any knowledge and be a positive influence in the sport. Especially for the Pacific Northwest that is slowly growing girls hockey in our area.

What are you most looking forward to as a #WHLAMBASSADOR?

I’m looking forward to getting involved with other coaches and connecting with them virtually or in person.

What’s something not a lot of people know about you?

I love movies and can have a movie marathon when I have the time. If I binge watch TV shows then I commit to watching all in one sitting. I keep it simple in my free time and spend a lot of time hanging out with family or friends who are usually in the hockey community.

If you could sit down and have dinner with one female hockey player, who would it be and why?

I think meeting Kendall Coyne Schofield would be amazing to chat with. She is a short player like me and I have always been told I have fast feet and it’s always the first thing people will say and they are surprised when they play against me. And being an underdog in a lot of circumstances in the sport, I feel there will be that relatable discussion. She has made a name for herself and I respect the kind of player she is. It would be an amazing experience meeting her.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given in hockey or in life?

The best advice I ever received was someone telling me to never give up when it gets hard; you will have many doubters who think they know how you play. Adjust to the best of your ability and play your game. We had discussed a bit and his perspective was eye opening, he had seen many different players who didn’t play the same. Every player can be great with what they have, dedication, effort and work ethic and putting the time in to be an open-minded and coachable player.

What’s your dream for women’s hockey?

I would love to see women’s hockey grow in the years to come to have more programs across the country and worldwide. Of course I would hope to see professional women’s hockey continue to grow and develop more playing opportunities at the highest level.

CONNECT WITH VANESSA:

@hockeychick8827

WANT TO JOIN OUR #WHLAMBASSADOR TEAM?

GET MORE DETAILS AND APPLY HERE!