A new mantra is gaining momentum around 2021 being the year of yes! Will 2021 become “the year of yes” just because we can say yes to so many things we had to say no to this year? I am hearing more and more about this mantra, and my thought is we should all let 2021 be the year of saying YES!

One thing I have decided to say yes to is playing ice hockey again. I played for one season in 1990 when I was a senior in high school at Berkshire School. We started their girl’s ice hockey team that year and I was on that first team with 23 other girls. We were not very good, but we had so much spirit and we blazed the trail for a now very incredible girl’s hockey program at the school. Unfortunately, after that one season of playing hockey, I never picked up a stick again. 

Of course, I have skated throughout the years, especially when my kids were little and I was helping them to learn to ice skate. But my kids both play travel hockey, and hockey is a big part of our lives. We spend more time at a rink than we do in most other places!

So when the question was brought up to me, “why aren’t you playing hockey?” I didn’t really have a good answer. I think it was mostly fear that was holding me back. I was afraid of getting hurt at the age of 48. So this year I decided why not start playing hockey again. Why not come out of retirement after 31 years? Could I face my fear of getting hurt or my fear of not being good? I have decided that saying YES feels good. Sure, let’s play hockey again! And let me tell you it feels great to get in my gear again and play hockey.

Thank you to my amazing friend and coach, Kelly Babstock, for encouraging me. Thank you to my husband and two kids for constantly supporting me. Thank you to Pure Hockey for outfitting me and getting me ready to play again. Thank you to my hockey family and community for being so awesome.

It’s 2021…the year of yes! Here’s to more of that.

See you at the rink,

xoxo NBC