The unlikely story of the Goaldiggers unexpectedly started with one resilient woman.
Tyla got her start in hockey as a adult, at an age long after most players first take up the game. A friend gave her the chance by offering her a spot on a team, teaching her to play, and supporting her along the way. Things were awesome until the team decided to part ways. But Tyla was determined to keep playing, and to give back to others who might also like a chance.
Over the years Tyla had met other ladies who were intrigued by the idea of playing hockey, and were interested in trying, but didn’t know how to go about it. She also encountered ladies who used to play hockey, but gave it up along the way for one reason or another. One-by-one, Tyla starting pulling these individuals together, with the goal of gathering enough players to round out a team – a fun, easy-going, non-judgmental team, in a positive environment supportive of all players.
To Tyla’s surprise, the response to her call for players was overwhelming! In no time she had more than enough players, and the Goaldiggers came to be. Composed of previous teammates, former hockey players who hadn’t played in years, ex-ringette players, hockey moms who always wanted to try, and a few others who had no or next-to-no experience.
At the core of the team were a bunch of passionate ladies who wanted to belong. They wanted to have fun, make friends, and get some exercise along the way. They also had pretty realistic expectations, and never expected to win very much during their inaugural 2013/2014 season.
The first few months of the Goaldiggers’ existence was challenging, humbling, and frustrating. They fumbled around on the ice as they struggled to figure out how to play together. One of the husbands volunteered to coach, and committed himself to helping them improve their knowledge of the game, their skills, and positioning on the ice. One of his favourite sayings was… “Take a second to take a look, ladies! The puck is not a hot potato!”
From day one, the Goaldiggers proved to be the underdogs. For the first month, they went without a goal. For the first three months, they went without a win. And then, one day, something miraculous happened. Things started to click, and change slowly began to happen…
The Goaldiggers won their first game on January 5th, 2014 – they actually won! Finally they could open their post-game champagne – a bottle they had been bringing to the rink for months, in anticipation of their first win. Their confidence was kick-started, and following that first sweet win, the little-team-that-could suddenly started scoring goals more often, and winning games more frequently.
While they started the season as the worst team in the worst division, they somehow managed to sweep their playoffs in March – much to everyone’s surprise, including their own! Then, on April 6th, they did something that nobody thought was possible. They won their division championship! This brand new rag-tag team that began with little hope of ever winning a game, wrapped up their inaugural season with the big trophy!
Needless to say, Tyla was proud! She had brought together a team of diverse women, with varying levels of skill, of all ages, and from all walks of life. They were all very different, but had one thing in common… a passion for the game of hockey. Despite the many challenges they faced from the start, they hung in there together, and ended up winning the ultimate prize – a fairy tale ending indeed!
2021/2022 marks the 9th season for the Goaldiggers. They still love the game, and they continue to support each other. Sometimes they win, and sometimes they lose.
The morals of this story? Work hard, play hard, and have fun. Don’t take it all too seriously. Believe in yourself, and your teammates. Don’t be afraid to take a chance, or a shot.
As their coach once said… take a second to take a look. Because you just never know who might be there, waiting to support you.
