One day in late September, Karen Vasseur of Waterbury kept her kids home from school. The Boston Bruins, on their way back from an NHL pre-season game in Montreal, stopped for a two-day holiday in Stowe, booked the ice at Waterbury’s Ice Center for practice, and invited the public to watch. Another mom, Ida Spaulding, actually spoke to some of the teachers at school. Everyone agreed that the occasion was hooky-worthy.

“It was such an experience,” Vasseur said, “for the kids to see players like that right on our own ice and that close.”

Photo Courtesy of the Crew Arena.

Continuing to speak to Vasseur about the Bruins, however, one begins to sense that something is amiss. She refers to many of the players by name. Her speech becomes increasingly animated. Slightly breathless, she said, “I couldn’t believe some of the things they were doing out there!” Listening to her recount the experience, one is forced to wonder: was this truly for the children?

“Okay,” she admitted. “I’m a hockey fanatic.”

Vasseur, 43, has been playing hockey on a regular basis for three years – as long as Waterbury has had its own ice rink. “A bunch of us women were watching our kids play,” she said. “It looked like fun, and we said we want to do this!” The women mobilized. They got the Ice Center to set aside some ice time. Someone’s husband volunteered to serve as coach. They posted flyers and began gauging the level of interest. “The initial response,” Vasseur said, “was great: over 20 women.” Today, the Ice Center holds two co-ed adult hockey sessions each week and one for women only. The community supports two women’s teams (the Storm and the Wicked), and they are serious about their hockey.

Twenty miles north on Vermont Route 100, Morrisville is about the same size as Waterbury – both have populations around 2000. Morrisville perhaps seems smaller because of its rural location farther from the interstate, but this hasn’t affected its ability to generate interest in women’s hockey. CREW Arena (short for “Community Recreation Exercise and Wellness”) has two women’s teams and its own league with no fewer than six co-ed teams.

“This can happen anywhere,” said Kelly Lilly, the former executive director at CREW, who still organizes the league and teams on a volunteer basis. “None of this was here five years ago.” Not only were there no teams; Morrisville didn’t even have a rink. So how did they build such a community of female hockey players?

First off, according to Joanna Graves, who plays for Morrisville’s Motley Crew, you have to have an active community. “People here like to hike, run, and bike,” said Graves, a tennis coach. “They teach skiing and play tennis until they’re 85.” Second, you need a rink. Surveys of Morrisville and the surrounding areas revealed interest in an ice rink, so community members—in particular founding board members John Connell, Eddie Gale and Barb Farr—began fund-raising for a building. Six years later, the town had an enclosed ice rink.

So, in other words, all you need to do is build a rink? Like Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams—build it and they will come? Not exactly. In Waterbury, for example, the numbers come and go. The Storm only skates together as a team in games, and players rely on pick-up sessions on the Ice Center’s schedule for practice. The Wicked—the team more geared towards instruction and learning—has a set ice time, but occasionally it’s difficult to get the numbers. “We’re always on the lookout,” said Vasseur. “You have to constantly spread the word.”

Morrisville doesn’t seem to struggle as much with the numbers, but, like Waterbury, they keep their eyes open. Graves, has proven to be one of the team’s most effective hockey recruiters. “I’ve probably talked ten people into coming out,” she said.

One of Graves’ recruits is Nifer Knight. “She just kind of mentioned it,” Knight remembered. Whatever Graves said must have been persuasive, because the two hardly knew each other and Knight didn’t even own hockey equipment. Undeterred, Knight drove to Play It Again Sports in Burlington the following day. “I bought everything used, except for the stick and the helmet,” said Knight. Her total bill came to $120. She called Graves and said, “I’ve got my stuff; I’m ready to play!”

Then 27 years-old, Knight’s first practice was nerve-wracking. She hadn’t skated since she was eight, and, even more disconcerting, she didn’t know anyone. The first drill was to skate the length of the ice and back. “The coach was talking about how to position your skate blade throughout the stride,” Knight said. “Frankly, I was just concerned about not getting hurt!”

CREW has two women’s teams. The Wrecking Crew is for beginners who have little or no experience and who want to learn the sport. The Motley Crew, geared more towards competition and more experienced players, plays teams from around Vermont, New England, and Canada. Both teams have ice time once a week. Knight’s first practice was with the Wrecking Crew, and she quickly discovered that she was not alone. Graves, for one—who had persuaded her to come—had only skated three times. “People were smiling and laughing,” Knight said. “Everyone was supportive—and just fun. We had a common goal: we wanted to learn and get better.” Both Knight and Graves accomplished this, and both of them are entering their second season with the more advanced Motley Crew.

This willingness to learn—and to work hard doing it—helps, but Morrisville has added another important piece to their puzzle: a great coach. Ian Smith led Middlebury College to two Division III national championships, he played professionally in Germany, and he played semi-pro in the Calgary Flames organization before retiring as a player. “It’s kind of funny how I came to coach,” said Smith. “I was trying to make ends meet back then, so I was making a little extra money on the side as a ref. I reffed a women’s tournament in Stowe and made a comment to a friend that some of these women could probably use some coaching.” Word travels in a small community; the friend repeated Smith’s comment to another friend, and eventually it found its way to Kelly Lilly at CREW. What began as a comment to a friend turned into a summer hockey clinic, and now he’s entering his fourth year of an on-going coaching gig.

Smith, said Graves, “has taken me from absolute zero to… well, wherever I am now.” Smith and the women’s teams in Morrisville have proven to be a perfect match. “He brings,” Lilly said, “a wealth of knowledge from his playing career. But he’s also an AP high school physics teacher who really knows how to teach.” And Lilly knows, because she doesn’t just organize the teams. She plays for the Motley Crew too.

Smith welcomes the attitudes that adults bring to hockey. “They come to learn,” Smith said. Different than kids who, according to Smith, just want to scrimmage or play in game situations, adults have the maturity to understand that they have to practice in order to get better. According to Smith, a player just doesn’t touch the puck much in game situations—at least not enough to hone skills. That’s why the Motley Crew tries to schedule at least as many practices as games and the Wrecking Crew schedules mostly practices and just a few games each year. In a practice, players get hands-on experience for the full hour-and-a-half.

Smith also appreciates what team sports do for adults. “People work,” he said, “so much. We’re all so busy! On the ice, these people become kids again, and it’s great to see them play.” He clearly sees this as a personal reward for his efforts.

Smith isn’t the only one reaping rewards from recreational hockey. “I met my best friend at hockey,” said Graves.

“I enjoy the team aspect,” said Knight, “and that we play games. But more than that, I have loved learning a sport at an older age—with new friends. It’s okay to suck, because everything about it is so fun.”

For Vasseur and others, belonging to a hockey team builds confidence and self-esteem. Vasseur remembers one instance in particular when she received a confidence boost. After she had been playing for a couple years, but not really feeling aware of her own improvement, a newer player stole the puck from her. “She told me,” said Vasseur, “that her goal had been to poke the puck away from me.” Vasseur was struck that another player would recognize her skills as something to strive for. “I figured I must be pretty good!” Vasseur said.

Smith has seen the full range of ages and abilities come through his summer clinics and the teams at CREW. He has seen older women who have never played sports. Younger girls with years of youth hockey under their belts. Athletes who are new to hockey, but who have sporty backgrounds. “This might be part of the reason for the high interest,” Smith said. “You can make mistakes, you can ask dumb questions, and still feel comfortable. You’re out there with friends and you’re part of the team.”

The women who have discovered recreational hockey have made another discovery: a high return on a minimal investment. The investment? Some used equipment and a willingness to try something new. The return? Friends. A sense of belonging. Confidence and self-esteem. Competing. Stress Management. “Mainly,” said Vasseur, “you’re part of this unique group of women. And we’re really proud to say, ‘That’s right—we play hockey.’”

Mark Aiken is a freelance writer from Bolton, who learned to play hockey on a rink his dad made for him with a garden hose in Colchester. He also coaches skiing and directs a summer camp program.