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| Abby in 1975, most likely FLH |
A few weeks back, I emailed my friend Abby a list of questions about the Twisters. Abby is the founder and long time manager of the Kent Twisters, and is a significant reason why adult women's hockey is thriving in Cleveland. I am grateful to Abby for a couple reasons. The first is simple - I love playing hockey, and because of Abby and her persistence in growing and managing a team (along with Coach Jimmy, Eric and some other key supporters) I have somewhere to play. Thanks guys!
More than providing me a crew to play hockey with, Abby has been an example of female leadership. I love that when she thinks of things she wants to do, she just does them. Whether it's hockey, or time banking, or sharing her love of fresh baked pie on Facebook, there is no stopping Abby.
As much as I enjoy reading about famous women leaders (may I recommend Pat Summit's "Sum it Up"?), to be surrounded by female leaders in real life whether on my hockey team or at work is pretty much the best. I am lucky that in my experiences, there has been no shortage of women leaders. A few years ago I just sort of opened my eyes and started paying attention and there was Abby, front and center.
So, as we say goodbye to the Twisters and transition to Team CLE I wanted to share some of Abby's comments about her Twister experience. Here are 17 quotes (ok, excerpts) from Abby, for 17 years of Twisters hockey:
Ahead of her time:
"I grew up in the country and learned how to skate on the creek. Yes, the old push-the-kitchen-chair-down-the-creek laughing and drinking hot chocolate and being silly. We were lucky to have a decrepit ice rink in town called the Ice Barn. We would all go and skate there with our friends, eat popcorn and play air hockey. When my sister and I were around 10 and 11, she decided that she would play hockey. Of course, I wanted to do whatever she was doing so we joined the team. I don't remember ANY other girls anywhere near a hockey rink at that time. I remember hearing stories of a girl goalie in Cleveland and feeling pretty much in awe. Think 1975!"
Years later, on finding an adult women's hockey team:
"In 1996, on a whim, I called the Kent State University ice arena and asked if there were any women playing hockey these days. They said, "Oh yes, we have a group of 'moms' (grrrrrrrr) who play once a week." Boy, was I excited. I blew the dust off my skates and found some used pads and went to have a look. The team was called Babes on Blades (double grrrrrrr) and it was a group of crazy, fun, not very experienced women who loved the idea of playing hockey."
"I was in heaven. I flew around the ice as though I had wings on my back."
On starting a new team in 1997:
"I challenged myself to organize something that would not only be fun, but develop skills and passion, both individually and team work, into a competitive adult women's team."
"The trick would be, how can I create something that would satisfy all of us as we were all at different levels. I just knew it could be done."
The vision:
"I believe that my goal was to develop women to the point where I could compete with them and then, together, we would have a team that we could play games. Clearly, I am competitive enough to also want to develop a team that would not only WIN games but stick together as a team. Being a team together was always equally important to me as developing individual strengths."
"I had very high expectations for players on the Twisters. You had to have a REALLY good reason for missing practice. You had to commit to all of the games. It was a tight ship but the result was a team that knew each other so very well."
Play like a girl:
"This was NOT just babes on blades or chicks with sticks. This was now a group of women who really enjoyed learning power skating (the only real thing I could teach) and the art and beauty of combining skating with a stick and puck and working on things that pros make look so easy. I have seen many men over the years, coaches, dads, and referees laugh at the women who are so incredibly brave to put on skates and pads and a helmet and try something that did not come naturally for them. I still feel the sting of insult. For me, this was my number one passion and the women I shared it with were equally passionate."
Patience is a virtue:
"As women's hockey was slowly beginning to grow, I knew that if I were patient, skilled women would come and want to play with the Twisters. It was a matter of waiting. The USA/Canada Women's Hockey Olympics helped fuel the fire but it would be a few years before we would see adult women come up, compete and then want to join a recreational league to stay in the game!"
A few years later, our coach:
"Jimmy brought many things to the table for the Twisters. First, and foremost, a respect for women. Second, an experienced methodology for teaching both individual skill AND team play. Third, a most patient and kind heart for women who came from all backgrounds and all learning styles and all levels of skill."
"It was key that the coach of this team could integrate the division of skill, style and heart and work with it. He did some really amazing things over the years that I still shake my head at, such as putting certain people in front of the net and watching his plan unfold easily with a goal. He could read all of that in our players, in their hearts, in their minds and in their ability."
Growth:
"Each year that went by, more and more experienced players came which really broadened the playing field for Jimmy. I think he was as excited as I was to think that we were really growing. The new players with talent and the older players who were fitting in exactly where they were effective, was thrilling. Coaching is an art. To satisfy even 75% of your players is remarkable. Jimmy had the vision and intuition to know when and where to make the right coaching moves. That is a very real art and because he had that ability, the team grew in success."
Becoming hard to beat:
"I don't remember what year it was or who came on to our team to give us the needed boost but we quickly went from losing ALL of our games to winning all of them and we became hard to beat. We had to go to tournaments to face more competition. It seems like there were several years there where we simply out-brained each and every team we played. Again, good coaching was the reason for these wins."
Some favorite memories:
"It fed me to see that our hard work, determination, practice and coaching would lead to the very thing we were striving towards. It turns out I am most moved by TEAM play. When we started working on our powerplay, I couldn't have been happier. It was not luck nor lack of competition that we worked together to make a plan to outwit and outskill our opponent."
"I enjoyed the fact that our Twisters did not fall to the common disinegration due to drama. We had no drama. We did not tolerate drama. So many women's teams fell apart because of team drama and I was determined not to see that happen."
What it's all about:
"It's a pretty amazing thing to see a team lift a teammate to where they ought to be."
"The Twisters gave to me something that I feel I lacked as a kid. A team. As a junior high student going into high school, I tried out for the softball team. I had played fast pitch over the summer and thought that I was pretty OKAY. Heck, I was first baseman! Well, I was nervous and I flubbed a couple of grounders and I didn't make the team. All of my friends who I played fast pitch with made the team. I was devastated. I turned a cold shoulder (as well as putting a chip on my shoulder) and never participated in sports again. I didn't have a sportsmanlike role model to tell me to try again so I gave up and always, ALWAYS felt angry about it. I used to glare at the softball coach in the hallway. [I'm still angry] I never even once went to a high school sporting event because, in my heart, I was really hurt."
"I believe that the camaraderie of the Twisters gave to me that non-softball year to me tenfold. I felt loved and accepted and even admired for my skating ability. In turn, I loved and admired any woman who was willing to be on our team and FIGHT LIKE HELL together."
***
In our final year (the 2013/14 season), the Kent Twisters resembled the original team in some ways, and were unrecognizable in others. In its final year, the Kent Twisters were still a group of women who are passionate about hockey. It was still a group of women who are brave about trying new things. We still lift each other up, and I hope we always will. In our final year of hockey we were still a team that had a place for players new to the game.
True to Abby's vision, one thing that had changed was that the skill level continued to rise and the team ultimately became one that competitive, experienced hockey players loved to play for as well.
Thanks so much Abby for all you have done to give us a place to play! Enjoy playing hockey with your daughter and new friends that you are playing with in Cleveland Heights, and of course we will see you...at the rink.
