WOMEN-IN-HOCKEY Digest 7

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) RE: co-ed entry level
	by "Latta, Julie L (Lee)" 

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Date: Mon, 22 May 95 09:46:00 CDT
From: "Latta, Julie L (Lee)" 
To: women-in-hockey 
Subject: RE: co-ed entry level
Message-ID: 


Hi,

My name is Lee Latta and I have played in a co-ed league (I am the only 
girl)
for 4 years and when I first started out I had the same situation. I had 
skated
 maybe 4 times in my life and I just wanted to learn to play. So a bunch of 
us
that were truly beginners got together and had practice sessions where we
 worked on the basics. (Skating drills, STOPPING, puck handling.) Until we
were comfortable enough to play. The  situation that you will run into with 
the
guys that are very good and playing in the beginners league is that they 
want
 to be the super star. They may only be an  average player at the 
intermediate
level but in the beginners level they can be a Gretzsky. This is really 
frustrating
to a real beginner because they breeze by you like you are a cone on the 
ice.
BUT, do not get discouraged! If you do your best and continue to practice 
you
will get better! If you make a lot of mistakes (and you will), don't let it 
get to you. Try
to learn from your mistakes and go on. If the guys on your team give you a 
hard time
when you do something wrong (and you will) just remind yourself that these
guys are not NHL players either. When I first started I caught a lot of flak 
from
the guys because I was a girl (playing a MAN's sport). I even had guys give 
me
some pretty brutal checks (even though it's a non-check league) to try to 
show me
that I shouldn't be out there. Well it's four years later...... I am now in 
the advanced
intermediate league. I have developed a reputation with the guys that I play 
with
and have earned their respect. I don't have to worry about proving myself
anymore. I coach a mite team during the season in addition to playing. This 
did
not happen overnight, I play at least 3 times a week, in addition to the 
time I spend
on the ice coaching. I am very fortunate to know a lot of guys that are very 
good
players and want to help anyone and everyone learn the game.

One word of advice, any criticism you receive you need to turn it to your 
benefit.
Even if someone screams at you "YOU GOT CAUGHT SHORT AGAIN PLAYING
DEFENSE!" or "YOU HAVE GOT TO CLEAR THE GUY OUT OF THE CREASE,
DON'T LET HIM CAMPOUT!" or "YOU NEED TO BACKCHECK!",  take into
consideration that even if the guy is screaming at you these are things that 
you
really should be doing. Don't let his bad attitude stand in the way of your
improvement. Always try to keep a good attitude. Remember that you are out
there for fun! By the way when I first started I was 27!

A huge difference that I have found with the guys that play roller hockey 
and
start playing ice hockey is that on the ice, there is a lot more quick 
stopping
and changing directions. (In roller hockey, more turning to change 
direction.)
So the roller hockey guys have to get used to the sudden stops that take 
place
to change direction/momentum. I tried to cross-train by playing roller 
hockey
but the technique for me was so different that it really fouled up my ice 
hockey
play, so I only use roller hockey for developing my leg muscles and my 
skating
stride. Everyone is different and YMMV.

I would really like to hear how you are doing, keep us posted!

Lee Latta
email@hidden

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From: women-in-hockey
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: co-ed entry level
Date: Sunday, May 21, 1995 8:44AM

my name is julee and i am 28. i have scarcely been skating (ice) for six
months.  i am going to be on an entry-level co-ed team (adult recreational)
for the summer and am the only woman on my team.  there are very few other
women in the league overall.

last night we watched the entry level evaluations. since i was already on a
team i didn't have to "try out."  what i wondered about was that many of the
other players seem very good, almost too good to be on entry-level.  there
are four other tiers they could go into.

is this usual for entry-level?  it makes me rather hesitant since i am such 
a
beginner and my team and i have almost no ice experience.  most of the rest
of my team is a roller hockey team that wants to try ice.  they are a great
bunch of guys and i believe they will be supportive of my endeavor.  luckily
they have several years of stick-handling experience, but most of them can
barely stop!

maybe it is just "off balance" because this is phoenix and there are only 
two
ice rinks for a million people in the metro area.

julee
#66, phoenix marauders

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End of WOMEN-IN-HOCKEY Digest 7
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