by Janette Dengo

Created on: November 23, 2009   Last Updated: February 20, 2011

My Pick-up Hockey Ladies Nights

"It's never too late to teach an old dog a new trick", is what I found myself saying after about a month of doing what I've wanted to do pretty much my whole life just never had the chance to do before. Mental blocks, working, too busy, lack of belief or money; who knows why we postpone our dreams and desires? All I know is I'm thrilled doing what I want in life and this is just one of those things so here is my story.

Age really has nothing to do with this or anything else for that matter. It's the mere desire to simply play a sport that's loved and appreciated to the full extent of wanting to participate in it. It's a rush like no other!

The reason I use the term "old" is because to be a great professional hockey player, one must start this game at a fairly young age and we're talking four, five and six year old tots starting out on ice with their jerseys hanging below their knees. I know this because it's a riot watching the little ones while my kids also participate on Monday nights.

It takes oodles of hours, practice, patience and determination to perfect each and every move to master the game, as many would say. However, you don't have to be a professional to enjoy it fully, as the love for anything freely flows and surfaces if you just want it enough. You can create just about anything with the power of your thought and great intentions.

It started about a week ago before my very first game and it was a simple thought that had surfaced out loud in front of my husband one afternoon. I said, "I wish I would have played hockey" and wondered if there were women out there like me who were wishing the same thing. He didn't laugh nor shrug his shoulders, he actually encouraged me to research more about it. Well, the computer nerd that I am and my friends would agree he didn't have to tell me twice. Before I knew what was happening after a simple research on the net, I shot off an email to the president of a Women's Hockey League in Brantford and I had a reply within an hour to show up for a game within a couple of days.

This all happened so fast yet it was exactly what I wanted though didn't know how much I actually wanted it, until I was right in the middle of the rink passing the puck to a bunch of geared women on ice that looked pretty darn intimidating. Whoa! What a feeling, "I'm actually doing it" I thought to myself, just a second before I fell right on my fanny and hit my tailbone. It was a hard landing that took the

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