So you’ve chosen to trade in basically any kind of sneaker for a pair of sharp blades on your feet. First off, this is the wisest choice you will ever make. It will not be easy, but you've probably figured that out already.

Learning to ice skate is basically learning to walk all over again, but your feet are now an eighth of an inch thick and when you fall it’s on hard, cold ice and there is nothing forgiving about it. Hockey itself is unforgiving in more ways than other sports. We take the big hits and the hard falls, we leave bruised and bloodied, and certainly, as females, we will see many other challenges in the rink.

Many young girls started playing co-ed hockey and probably had to deal with male coaches. They will yell and scream and honestly push you harder than your male counterparts. Sometimes they'll do so because they think you can’t handle it and want to put the pressure on you. Other male coaches, however, will know that you are about to enter a tough world in this sport.

Men and boys will judge you, make fun of you, and doubt you. Your coaches are the ones who will be pushing you through these hard times because you will be the only one who can prove them wrong. By hitting the hardest, skating the fastest, cutting those tight corners, and making those crowds roar, damn, girl will you prove them wrong at every turn.

You will probably have a lot of people challenge your sport, especially as a girl. So next time you’re asked, “Is ice hockey hard?” you simply need this one iconic quote:

“I don’t know, you tell me. We need to have the strength of a football player, the stamina of a marathon runner, and the concentration of a brain surgeon. But we need to put all this together while moving at high speeds on a cold and slippery surface while 5 other guys use clubs to try and kill us, oh yeah, did I mention this whole time we’re standing on blades 1/8 of an inch thick?”
-Brendan Shanahan.

Just always remember that our sport is one of a kind, and nobody can challenge that or take it from you. And if they think they can, simply have them lace up and you will have your answer right there.

Ice hockey is by far one of the most amazing sports ever created. The speed we compete at it is faster than any other sport, the hits we take are unmatched, and the skill needed to score and handle a puck on top of skating is something that takes years to gain. For all of this, you should be immensely proud of yourself.

Our sport is also extremely male-dominated and to work your way to the top just shows your determination and hard work, both of which our sport demands. Female ice hockey players know what it’s like to be pushed around and looked down on. But I have never seen that stop a single girl from skating and shooting her heart out. So the next time someone says “you skate like a girl,” all you need say is,

“If you skated a little faster you could too.”