Wanda Batson is doing something at the age of 64 she never thought was possible as a child – playing weekly recreational hockey with an all-female team.
“It’s the best part of my Friday – even being retired,” says Batson.
Batson is a member of the Lawrencetown Shindiggers, a recreational all-female hockey team in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. Though most of the players are over the age of 55, it’s a team made up of women ranging in age from 19 to 65.
“For me, my ability’s not the greatest and at 64 it’s probably not going to get better than it is, but the women that we play with take that into consideration,” adds Batson. “They challenge us, but they also support us, they’re encouraging, it’s such a positive environment.”
Every Friday evening at 7:45 p.m., dozens of players meet at the Lawrencetown Exhibition Youth Arena for an hour of ice time. Abilities range from experience as a AAA player, to women new to the sport. While players change, the team as been in place for more than 25 years.
“They started out small, there was just a handful of women that wanted to play hockey,” explains Batson. “So, they really started out as a co-ed group. Then, after a number of years, there started to be more interest in the women playing.”
Batson herself joined the team ten years ago and plays a variety of positions.
“I played hockey as a kid in this [Lawrencetown] rink, but back in the seventies there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for women to play girls hockey. I came back to it when I was 54 and been at it ever since,” she said.
The Shindiggers are hosting a women’s day tournament on March 9. They’ll play against the Canning Hericanes, another all-ages women’s hockey team from neighbouring Kings County. Like the Shindiggers, the Hericanes are a valley team who meet once a week to play hockey, with the average age of players being in their fifties.
“We have a ball,” says player Bonnie Rooney. “We’re just recreational. Everybody’s great to play with. We have a lot of fun, a lot of laughs. We’re all skill levels. Some when they first started, they could barely skate. Others just came from playing high school hockey.”
Like Batson, Rooney grew up loving hockey but had few opportunities to play. She decided to try ringette when it was introduced in Canning in 1974, but hockey was her passion.
“My dad was a hockey player here in the valley, and I used to go with him when he was playing hockey. And I was always mad that there was nothing for girls when I was growing up,” explains Rooney. “Then [years later] when I found out that these women had started hockey, I couldn’t wait. I eagerly jumped at the chance to go play hockey.”
The Canning Hericanes meet Tuesday mornings at the Glooscap District Arena. For 67-year-old Rooney, it’s about playing a sport she loves and working out with like-minded women.
“Here I am over 65 and I’m still playing hockey. I’m just amazed that I’m still able to do it,” she said.
It’s not just recreational. Both Rooney and Batson have both competed in the 55+ Games. Rooney represented Nova Scotia at the national event in Edmonton in 2014.
“I was thinking wow, here I am, representing my province in a national tournament. I never thought I would,” says Rooney.
Along with the March 9 game in Lawrencetown, there are also plans for the women to compete in a tournament in Liverpool, N.S., during the long weekend in May.
Between the camaraderie and exercise, the two seniors say it’s a welcoming environment for any woman interested in playing.
“Come on out,” says Rooney. “Because when we first started, we had women out there who would never, ever had a hockey stick in their hands. They did know how to skate, but usually only on figure skates. And you know, we said try it. Like if you can see some of them out there, like they could barely stand up, but they stuck with it. Come give it a try.”
Batson agrees, adding support will be there.
“We just want to grow it as much as we can – and it is growing,” says Batson. “If you can skate, you can come out. In any sport, you need to face your fear and find a group that you can play with that’s supportive and encouraging.”
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