The "SNIPER DIVA" makes an appearance!

Today I was fortunate enough to play a little 3 on 3 half ice with some of my buds and all better players than myself. Being a chick playing hockey, sometimes it can be somewhat intimidating skating with all men, even though I grew up with guys as my best friends and buds. Inevitably, in such a male dominated sport, there will be that few or perhaps just one or two men that truly begrudge a woman playing on the same ice with them. I've experienced it and I've seen other women experience it. But this group of guys are way cool and totally allow me room to make mistakes and actually help me during the game to improve. Grateful.

So when I play, I get this urgency to score! I want to pull my weight!

I hadn't skated in 3 weeks and frankly I was clumsy starting out as easily exhausted even though I kept going to the gym. Skating is MUCH more intense of a workout than anyone imagines.

But finally I got into my groove, not necessarily skating that much better, BUT being in the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time!

My other two team members Greg Davis and Joel Ulrich totally hooked me up many times and I told myself I owed it to them for passing to me so much that I was going to focus an score off of one of those beautiful passes. I would have settled happily for one! (I was so happy to be passed to that I wanted to make something of it!)

Well..... 4 goals later (with assists from Joel and Greg) I heard my nickname "The Sniper" uttered by the goalie I scored on.

The fact is.... I needed to breathe. I needed to be calm and focus in the moment and visualize the goal, then execute.

(PS... My nickname was given to me during the Heritage Classic Game in downtown Fort Worth this previous Winter by Jeff Smith, The announcer for the Fort Worth Brahmas who called our game. I kept being wide open and NO passes came my way. It was like no one could see me! Ever since, that name has been floating around I regards to me because I'm seemingly a non issue for goalies, but that allows me to move around without being noticed as much! )

So the lesson here is: BREATHE, FOCUS, VISUALIZE and EXECUTE. And be in the right place at the right time!

Am I a great player? NO. Not compared to professional or other upper level teams. But... It IS a team sport. I can't lose a game all by myself and I can't win one all my myself!


GOALIES BEWARE !
The SNIPER DIVA is out there!