Northern Michigan Woman - Jan/Feb 2024 Fitness Issue
LACE UP
Niki Schultz 2023-12-22 13:27:40
I had no idea what I was doing when I accepted that invite. Secretly and arrogantly, I thought I could lace up my skates, step on the ice and compete with the best of them. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised by my complete lack of hockey skills, given that my only real experience with skating took place on a frozen lake at nine years old. But to a relatively athletic late 20’s adult, it was challenging and humbling to not excel at a sport.
I wanted to quit on week one. I remember coming home that first Sunday night feeling completely defeated. Through a curtain of tears, I started listing off all the reasons why playing women’s league hockey was just not a good idea for me this season — I had littles at home who were six, five and three at the time, that time frame was just not convenient for me (who goes out to play hockey at 8 p.m. on a Sunday?), least of all, but undoubtedly a suitable enough reason, was that I just wasn’t good enough. For goodness sake, I was 27 years old — clearly too old to be learning something new.
My husband listened to me ramble on and create this list of why nots and not good enoughs. He nodded and seemed to understand where I stood on this whole women’s league hockey — that it was just not for me. And just as I was convinced that he was convinced, he simply said, “You know they won’t let you quit, right?”
The following day I woke up to text messages from women I barely knew, making sure I would, in fact, be back the next Sunday evening. Each text message was that of encouragement. They assured me that none of my teammates were scoffing when I was called off-sides or judging my practically non-existent stopping skills. They convinced me that each of them was once in my skates and was shown equal amounts of grace while learning.
The following week, I went back. I’d be lying if I said I went with gusto in my step and confidence in my heart. The fact remained that I was a competitive girl who lacked the ability in my current state to actually be able to compete. But I tied up my pink laces, put on all my gear and headed onto the ice. And guess what happened? I got better. Week after week, I proved to myself I could stay on my feet, learned how to stop and built my endurance up to take longer shifts. And my teammates were there every step of the way, encouraging, supporting and rallying behind me. I’m pretty sure I even scored once that first season.
Since that first season, I have now been playing hockey at The Wex for twelve years, and each season I continue to play with the most amazing, encouraging, inspiring women. Each woman has a different story and a different start to hockey. Some have been playing for many years and others, like myself, decided to take a leap and try something unknown, and the benefits have been far more than just physical. So if you want to exercise, meet new people and relieve some stress during winter, hockey might be your sport too.
“You know they won't let you quit, right?”
Niki Schultz is a member of the Cadillac Area Women’s Hockey League. Her biggest supporter is her husband Ryan Schultz, who is active in the Cadillac Area Hockey Association where he has coached for many years. All three of her children played exactly one year of hockey.
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LACE UP
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