The End of the Pronghorns Hockey Programs
To most people the termination of the Pronghorn hockey programs didn't mean anything. But to those who were a part of the program (players, trainers, coaches, media personnel, etc) this was devastating news. I played goal for the Pronghorns Women's hockey team for 5 years and to be honest if you knew me in my first year you might not have thought I would have lasted. I was extremely home sick as I had never been that far away from my family before. It was being on this team that got me through my home sick, helped me get over it, and helped push me to be the best student athlete I could be.
You see, when you are on a hockey team you are with your hockey family. I was so lucky to join when I did as we had a great group of Seniors who helped everyone feel welcome and a part of the team. They helped me overcome my home sickness and really become a part of the team and a true Pronghorn. They took me under their wing and showed my what great leadership can look like.
At the University of Lethbridge I also found my love of fitness and I believe it came from playing hockey with the great groups of Ladies that I had the privileged of playing with. As a varsity athlete you are required to participate in not only practices for your sport but also various workouts to ensure you are in the best shape for competing. Being on a team and a larger team for that, it means that you have a lot of workout partners and a lot of people to help push and motivate you in your fitness endeavors. My husband and I were just talking about how lucky I was to have so many workout partners and people to push me, especially when running the hills of the coulees (he had just finished running hills with 1 friend and was talking about the mental game of hill running... hill running not coulee running! And how once he got to a certain point he would feel that sense of success as he was almost at the top) During the summer months when you are on your own to keep in shape and on track for your fitness goals it became challenging as there weren't your teammates with you to help push and motivate you. But it was also during these summers that I found ways to keep me motivated and on track and have posted them in 5 Keys to Staying Active.
With the announcement of the termination of the men's and women's hockey programs I felt sad. I felt sad for all the alumni that worked so hard to get the programs started. That did all the hard work so I could go and play on a university hockey team and have the experiences that I did. I felt sad for all the other alumni like myself who worked so hard for the 4-5 years that we did while playing for the Pronghorns. But most of all I feel sorry for the current players, who have committed to playing for the University of Lethbridge. Some have already started their degrees and have been living their for a year or two. Some might have just graduated high school and committed to the team. These players now all have to make a decision... Do they stay since they are already enrolled in school there? Do they stay since they only have a year or two left and have their hockey careers cut short? (because lets face it, as a female hockey player there aren't a lot of competitive options once you're out of University) or Do they look for other hockey options and potentially have to start over with school requirements? If they choose to switch schools, Do they still have to sit out a year since they are moving to play for another school? So many uncertainties and I really feel for these players. They had their hockey family, a bond that is almost as close as a family as you are with each other a lot over the course of the school year.
I know that a lot of alumni who live within the Lethbrige area are working with the University to try and find a way to keep the programs and I hope they are successful as this was a great organization to play for and a great city to call home for 5 years.
You see, when you are on a hockey team you are with your hockey family. I was so lucky to join when I did as we had a great group of Seniors who helped everyone feel welcome and a part of the team. They helped me overcome my home sickness and really become a part of the team and a true Pronghorn. They took me under their wing and showed my what great leadership can look like.
At the University of Lethbridge I also found my love of fitness and I believe it came from playing hockey with the great groups of Ladies that I had the privileged of playing with. As a varsity athlete you are required to participate in not only practices for your sport but also various workouts to ensure you are in the best shape for competing. Being on a team and a larger team for that, it means that you have a lot of workout partners and a lot of people to help push and motivate you in your fitness endeavors. My husband and I were just talking about how lucky I was to have so many workout partners and people to push me, especially when running the hills of the coulees (he had just finished running hills with 1 friend and was talking about the mental game of hill running... hill running not coulee running! And how once he got to a certain point he would feel that sense of success as he was almost at the top) During the summer months when you are on your own to keep in shape and on track for your fitness goals it became challenging as there weren't your teammates with you to help push and motivate you. But it was also during these summers that I found ways to keep me motivated and on track and have posted them in 5 Keys to Staying Active.
With the announcement of the termination of the men's and women's hockey programs I felt sad. I felt sad for all the alumni that worked so hard to get the programs started. That did all the hard work so I could go and play on a university hockey team and have the experiences that I did. I felt sad for all the other alumni like myself who worked so hard for the 4-5 years that we did while playing for the Pronghorns. But most of all I feel sorry for the current players, who have committed to playing for the University of Lethbridge. Some have already started their degrees and have been living their for a year or two. Some might have just graduated high school and committed to the team. These players now all have to make a decision... Do they stay since they are already enrolled in school there? Do they stay since they only have a year or two left and have their hockey careers cut short? (because lets face it, as a female hockey player there aren't a lot of competitive options once you're out of University) or Do they look for other hockey options and potentially have to start over with school requirements? If they choose to switch schools, Do they still have to sit out a year since they are moving to play for another school? So many uncertainties and I really feel for these players. They had their hockey family, a bond that is almost as close as a family as you are with each other a lot over the course of the school year.
I know that a lot of alumni who live within the Lethbrige area are working with the University to try and find a way to keep the programs and I hope they are successful as this was a great organization to play for and a great city to call home for 5 years.
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