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Life is grand for Age Before Beauty at Pond Hockey Championships
The genesis of the team occurred four years ago when several hockey moms who attended their children’s and husband’s games decided to give hockey a try.
One of the perks of playing in the Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships is that you never know what celebrities will show up at Eagle River, Wis.
Just ask the women who play on Age Before Beauty, a team that’s based in Wasau, Wis.
“It’s very well organized,” forward Carolyn Larson said. “They have a reception where they bring in some celebrities. In 2010, we got to meet [U.S. Olympian] Julie Chu, which was a thrill … It was something we didn’t expect.
“We feel very fortunate to get in because there’s such a long waiting list.”
Playing pond hockey was a completely different experience for the Age Before Beauty women.
“None of us had ever played pond hockey before,” Larson said. “We had no idea other than watching something on TV. When we were kids we skated on flooded rinks in our backyards. But we really didn’t have experience playing pond hockey.”
Pond hockey, of course, is a completely different animal than indoor hockey.
“First off, you don’t have any boards so you can’t sling the puck to a teammate,” Larson said. “The ice isn’t smooth like an indoor rink. There are cracks because of weather and when ice expands.
“When we stepped on the ice our first year, it was 20 degrees below zero. We have toe and hand warmers, yet you try to dress lighter so you can move quicker.”
Despite being able to move quicker, no type of clothing can overcome one factor for a neophyte team.
“When you get on the ice you’re all nerves,” Larson admitted. “The first year we didn’t have any idea of what to expect. The second year we had a better idea of what to expect.”
That being said, Age Before Beauty didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in 2011 and 2012 while playing in the Bronze Division.
“We didn’t win a game,” Larson said. “We scored goals, but we never won. This year is the first year they’ll have a Beginners’ Divisions. We probably felt that’s where we would fit in the best.”
Another “problem” the women encountered was deciding on a name.
In 2011, they traveled to Eagle River as the Hericanes. Last year they went as Stephen’s Chicks.
“The only reason [for that name] was because of a young guy who runs our practices,” Larson said. “This year Michelle [Federici] asked us, ‘Since we’re all between the ages of 37 and 43, how about Age Before Beauty?’
“She said since it’s a new bracket, let’s have a new name, plus we aren’t getting any younger [two of the women are 43].”
The genesis of the team occurred four years ago when several hockey moms who attended their children’s and husband’s games decided to give hockey a try, even though some may not have known a blue line from an end line.
“Most of us had the concept of playing the game from watching our kids,” Larson said. “But when you get out there and try to skate, there’s a difference especially because some ladies really didn’t know how to skate.
“We found somebody to teach us the positions. And some of us even used our kids’ equipment. But one reason why we stuck together was because we all knew each other at the rink.”
Larson noted that Federici might be the most experienced because she was a team manager at one time.
In Larson’s family, her brother played college hockey. But her mother had a different idea when it came to putting her daughter in skates.
“Mom wanted me to have figure skates,” Larson said. “But my dad would grind off the tip which made them more suitable for playing hockey.”
In retrospect, forming a team for the Pond Hockey Championships has proven to be a most rewarding experience.
“We’ve met a lot of really nice people,” Larson said. “We bond as a team and as friends. It’s the one weekend a year we all get to go away and play hockey, yet we still have to be responsible for our kids. We’re the ‘go-to’ in our families.
“But the reason we practice is because this is something we really look forward to and we get a chance to meet some great men and women from all over the United States.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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