by Benje Moricz

Created on: November 25, 2009

You know that feeling when you meditate? The feeling of calm and serenity? I can say that this is a feeling that I link to playing hockey. I know what you're thinking, hockey isn't a peaceful game to play. The fact is there are so many emotions that are incorporated into hockey. As a women, emotion is something we deal with quite frequently and hockey is a game where we can center our emotions and take control of them. I have to say that the serenity of hockey is very infrequent, but when it's there it's the most satisfying feeling.

When you first arrive at the rink and step into the change room, the transformation starts. A couple of deep breaths to help the change happen and then your mind slips away from anything else and focuses on the task at hand, beating your opponents. This is when the bonding begins. Your team laughs and joke and pokes fun of each other. You talk about your weekend and stresses of work, you get it all off your chest. You need to, the task ahead is so much greater than any thing in the world so that needs to be the only thing on your mind.

When everyone is changed and there is just a few moments left until the zamboni finishes cleaning the ice, the "William Wallace" of the team stands up and addresses the task at hand. She pumps you up, gets you to think about utilizing your teammate, making a crisp pass and obliterating the other team. Everyone listens.

But just before everyone is set to go out, if there's a chance, I love the serenity of sitting on the bench in a quite arena where the air is filled with the fresh sent of hockey ice. There is nothing like it! Because I have left everything in the world behind in that dressing room, it's just me sitting on the bench. Fresh, new, exciting; every ounce of me calm but focused. Every breath pure and determined.

I don't know if you've ever had the pleasure of experiencing this sensation, but I can't compare it to anything in my life. This calm but intense feeling of determination. I feel like the fierce warrior focusing on the battle that lay ahead. With all the emotions that women have every day, this sense of focus, to only have one emotion running through your mind, is bliss. That split second before everyone else comes out to the ice ready to fight for the win is something I cherish.

I could tell you so many other things about the satisfaction of playing the game. The team work, the strategy, the adrenaline rush when you hit the top corner of the net and the red light goes on. There are so many more intense emotions that go on during the game. But I'll leave you with the sent of the clean ice and the peacefulness of an empty arena because that is why I love the game.

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