Answering Questions

When the fact that I referee hockey comes up in conversation, there are a few questions that people usually ask me. I thought I'd try to satisfy the curiosity of any readers by addressing the most common one's here....

1. Did you play? Yes. I started playing organized hockey when I was 12 after figure skating for 10 years. Of course I had a hockey stick in my hand much earlier and spent many an hour playing at home on our driveway and on the frozen swamp on our farm. I played up to the collegiate level and also played in what used to be called the NWHL (Nationals Women's Hockey League).

2. Why ref??? Simple really... I was tired, came to the conclusion that my playing career had peaked and I needed to spend more of my time focusing on my career. Reffing offered me the opportunity to stay involved in hockey on my terms and, most importantly, keep skating.

3. How did you get chosen to go to the Olympics? Sprinkle in some hard work, a dose of good fortune and a lot of amazing support. There really is no set recipe. As a member of the Ontario Women's Hockey Association and living in Toronto, there is a tremendous amount of hockey that provided an amazing training ground. On top of the volume of games, the OWHA has a strong Supervisors program and I have received a great deal of coaching along the way. Without the mentorship of many of our Supervisors, I know I would not be travelling to Vancouver next month.