House League (Waterloo Ravens Girls Hockey Association )

This season has been an incredible journey, and one of the highlights has been hearing 16 pre-game speeches—one from each of our girls. I couldn’t be prouder of them for stepping up in front of their teammates to share advice, encouragement, and energy. For some, this was completely outside their comfort zone, and I hope it helped build their confidence even further. ...

You might think I’m breaking a cardinal rule—why would you ever make your goalie the last team captain? This season, we’ve been selecting captains by age cohort, starting with our 2012 players, followed by our 2013 group. But this week’s captain, Avery B., isn’t part of either. She’s a U11 player stepping up to compete with our U13 team! She may be younger than everyone on the ice, but you’d never know it from the way she plays. My only concern now? We might lose her to rep hockey next season!...

Our captain this week doesn’t mess around when it comes to having fun—you’d be hard-pressed to find her without a smile on her face! Anna S brings enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and a strong work ethic to the team. She’s always there to lift the spirits of those on the bench—a true teammate! After taking a year off from hockey, it was great to see Anna lacing up her skates again this season. We’ll forgive her once for stepping away from the game, but let’s not make it a habit! :) ...

Often, kids start out in hockey wanting to be forwards, and as coaches, we sometimes need to convince them that they’d excel on defense. This week’s captain, however, seemed to know she was meant for defense from the moment she first stepped on the ice. You won’t find anyone who understands board angles better than Elise T—when she gets the puck in the defensive zone, like clockwork, she moves it out of danger! At the pro level, defensive D are often undervalued, but ask any coach—no team can succeed without them! ...

Our captain this week, Claire B., is one of the players I’ve coached the longest, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch her confidence grow every year. From time to time, I have to remind her that she’s human and bound to make mistakes on the ice—but it’s clear she always wants to do her best for her teammates and wears her heart on her sleeve. I can always count on her to give her all in every game! ...