Last night was the last game of my over 40 league. Yes, I'm over 40 and yes, there are a lot of women who play hockey in an over 40 league. This league starts two days after the WHAM State Tournament. Why? Because we can't get enough time on the ice.
Last night when my teammate walked into the locker room, she told us a cute story. As she was carrying her gear into the Brooklyn Park Community Center Arena, a nice lady with an accent asked if that big bag she was carrying was hers. And if she was the one who was going to play hockey? All this, and a bit more, was asked with curiosity and some disbelief. She said she would watch us because she was going to be walking the track above the rink.
As I got on the ice, I looked around to see who was walking the track - and there she was - taking pictures of us warming up - if you can call it that. A few laps around the sheet of ice, a few shots at the goalie, and a few stretches so to not pull a muscle!
The over 40 league is competitive, but low key. No one is trying to win the Stanley Cup and there is no tournament to prove yourself at the end of the season. We play hard and want to win, but also laugh just as hard at each other about our mistakes on the ice. We pick each other up when we get knocked down and even stop to ask if all is okay. A friendly game!
Players lined up at center ice, the ref blew the whistle and dropped the puck - game started! And this wonderful woman and her husband sat in the stands and watched our first period. They were two of six "fans" watching our game. Occasionally I would look to see if she was still watching - and there she was - with the biggest smile on her face - snapping an occasional picture.
As the first period ended, she got up to leave. My teammate gathered both teams in the middle of the ice so she could get a group shot of us. She smiled and laughed and was on her way. This same Canadian-born teammate said to me, "she'll go back to her country with a great feeling about America and hockey." I told her that she is probably hoping to stay in America and not be sent back to her home country. Isn't America great again? (said with sarcasm because of Deferred Enforced Departure or DED trying to be passed.)
This beautiful, black woman, with the biggest smile ever, had the most pure radiant joy emanating from her face. She proved to me that women have no boundaries. We will support each other whenever and wherever.
Lesson learned? Her smile made me smile. Her big, beautiful, white toothy grin solidified my love for hockey, for a team sport where I get to be with incredibly supportive and loving women on a weekly basis. Her smile took away my stresses of the day because at that moment, her smile was pure joy and all she was doing was watching us play. Imagine her smile if she was on the ice playing hockey with us.
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