>>> NOW A LOOK AT SOME WOMEN WHO
TAKE TO THE ICE LOCALLY,
THE LADY STARS.
THEY RANGE IN AGE FROM 16 TO 59
YEARS OLD, AND THEIR MANY
REASONS FOR GETTING IN TO
THE SPORT IS AS VARIED AS THEIR
AGES.
AS THEY EXPLAINED TO “CONNECTING
POINT'S” DAVE FRASER, WHILE LOVE
OF THE SPORT IS
THEIR GALVANIZING FACTOR,
EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS A BOND THAT
HAS FORMED AMONG THEM.
>> IT'S 8:00 ON A THURSDAY NIGHT
AND THE LADY STARS HIT THE ICE
FOR THEIR WEEKLY PRACTICE AT THE
OLYMPIA IN WEST SPRINGFIELD.
COACH STEVE MOORE PUTS THEM
THROUGH THEIR PACES.
HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE
PROGRAM SINCE INCEPTION.
>> BASICALLY STARTED FROM SOME
WOMEN THAT WERE ACTUALLY ASKING
ME BECAUSE I RAN THE LEARNED
ESCAPE PROGRAM AND THEY SAID
DON'T YOU HAVE SOMETHING FOR
ADULTS.
IT GOT ME THINKING.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A PROGRAM LIKE
THAT.
I SAID IF I GOT SOMETHING, IF I
GOT AN EXTRA SHEET OF ICE, WOULD
YOU GUYS BE INTERESTED GOING OUT
AND SKATING AND THEY DID, AND
THAT WAS ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE
YEARS AGO.
>> THE TEAM HAS A WIDE VARIETY
OF PLAYERS AND SKILL LEVEL.
SOME HAVE NEVER PLAYED THE GAME
BEFORE WHILE OTHERS HAVE BEEN
INTRODUCED TO THE SPORT THROUGH
THEIR KIDS, BUT ALL HAVE FOUND A
COMMONALITY ON THE ICE, PLAYING
A SPORT THEY ENJOY.
>> I HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS, ALL
SKATE AND PLAY HOCKEY AT
DIFFERENT LEVELS, AND I ALSO
WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE GAME A
LITTLE BIT MORE.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES YOU ARE
IN THE STANDS AND YOU HEAR THESE
PARENTS YELLING SKATE, SKATE,
AND YOU SHOULD BE HERE, AND YOU
SHOULD BE THERE, AND ONCE YOU
HAVE TRIED IT YOU REALIZE HOW
HARD IT ACTUALLY IS, SO YOU CAN
APPRECIATE IT ON A DIFFERENT
LEVEL.
>> IT WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I COULD DO
FOR ME AND SOMETHING THAT
CHALLENGED ME THAT WAS A LITTLE
BIT OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.
NEVER PLAYED BEFORE.
I PICKED IT UP FROM SCRATCH.
I DIDN'T HAVE BROTHERS OR
FRIENDS OR SIBLINGS, AND I
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD
CHANCE TO SEE WHAT I COULD DO.
>> BACKWARDS WITH THE PUCK,
ACCELERATE FORWARD, SHOT ON NET
FROM TWO LINES.
>> PRACTICE CONSISTS OF SKILL
DEVELOPMENT, LEARNING PLAYS AND
LOTS OF SKATING.
THE SEASON STARTS IN
SEPTEMBER AND THE TEAM TRAVELS
THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND TO PLAY
THEIR GAMES.
>> TECHNICALLY SPEAKING THERE IS
NO STANDINGS, NO PLAYOFFS, BUT
THEY DON'T CARE.
I SEND THEM A DATE AND SAY THIS
DATE IS AVAILABLE AND I WILL GET
E-MAILS BACK SAYING I AM
INTERESTED IN PLAYING, I WANT TO
BE A PART OF THAT.
>> AND I MET THESE WOMEN BACK IN
SEPTEMBER AND I HAVE FORMED
GREAT FRIENDSHIPS WITH
EVERYBODY.
THERE IS A FEW THAT I AM BEST
FRIENDS WITH, BUT EVERYBODY IS
SUPER WELCOMING AND JUST A GREAT
OVERALL EXPERIENCE.
>> THE FRIENDS IN THE HOCKEY
FAMILY I HAVE GAINED FROM THIS
ON AND OFF THE ICE IS GREAT.
WE HANG OUT, WE TALK.
IT'S LIKE I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS
WITH THEM FOR YEARS.
>> ON THREE, ONE, TWO, THREE.
>> GO.
>> ON THIS DAY THE LADY STARS
ARE PLAYING ON THEIR HOME ICE.
THIS IS A NO CHECK LEAGUE BUT
THE WOMEN WORK HARD CHANGING
LINES DURING THE PLAY, SKATING
UP AND DOWN LOOKING FOR THAT
OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THE PUCK IN
THE NET.
AT THE END OF THE GAME, THE LADY
STARS ARE VICTORIOUS AND THE
GOALIE HAS RECORDED A SHUTOUT.
THEY CONGRATULATE EACH OTHER AND
THE OTHER TEAM AND LOOK AHEAD TO
NEXT WEEK'S PRACTICE AND THEIR
NEXT OPPONENT.
>> RIGHT NOW I HAVE A SENSE OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT FROM THE
BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, FROM
STARTING NOT EVEN BEING ABLE TO
SKATE THE FIRST DAY I WAS OUT ON
THE ICE, I COULDN'T EVEN STAND
YOU HAVE, AND LAST SEASON WE
WENT TO THE TOURNAMENT AND I HAD
MY FIRST SHUTOUT, AND THAT SHOWS
HOW FAR I AM COME WITH THE
SPORT, AND I WANT TO KEEP
IMPROVING ON THAT SEEING WHERE
WE CAN TAKE THE LADY STARS.
>> I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO CALL
MYSELF THEIR COACH.
I PREPARE FOR THEM, TELL THEM
WHAT THEY ARE DOING RIGHT AND
WRONG, THINGS WE NEED TO WORK
ON, AND I THINK THEY EMBRACE
THAT.
IT'S SOMETHING THEY WANT TO GET
BETTER.
THEY WANT TO BE BETTER THAN THEY
ARE AND THEY KNOW THAT HARD WORK
IS WHAT'S GOING TO GET THEM
THERE.
WHEN THEY WALK OFF THAT ICE,
THEY GIVE YOU A GLOVE TAP
SAYING, HEY, GREAT PRACTICE,
COACH.
THEY UNDERSTAND AND THEY GOT
SOMETHING OUT OF IT.
THAT TO ME IS VERY SATISFYING.
