The unlikely story of the Goaldiggers started with one determined woman.
Tyla got her start in hockey as an 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. To give back to others who might also like a chance.
Over the years, Tyla had met other ladies who were intrigued by the thought of playing hockey. Who were interested in trying, but didn’t know how to go about it. She also knew some who used to play hockey, but gave it up along the way for one reason or another. One-by-one, Tyla pulled individual players together, with the goal of gathering enough make a fun, easy-going, non-judgmental team, in a positive environment supportive of everyone.
Goaldiggers are born
To Tyla’s surprise, the response to her call for players was overwhelming! In no time she had more than enough interested ladies, and the Goaldiggers came to be. The roster was composed of previous teammates, former hockey players who hadn’t played in years, ex-ringette players, hockey moms who always wanted to try, plus a few others who had no (or next-to-no) experience.
At the core of the team were a bunch of passionate ladies who had one thing in common – they wanted to belong. They wanted to have fun, make friends, and get a little 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, frustrating, and humbling, as they fumbled around the ice and struggled to figure out how to play together. One of the husbands volunteered to coach, and committed himself to helping them improve their game knowledge, 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 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…
Victory at last
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. Finally, their confidence was kick-started. Following that first sweet win, the little-team-that-could suddenly started scoring goals more often, and winning games more frequently.
While they began the season as the worst team in the lowest women’s division in the ASHL (Adult Safe Hockey League) somehow they managed to sweep their playoffs in March – much to everyone’s surprise. Including their own! Then, on April 6th, they did something nobody thought was possible – winning their division championship! This brand new rag-tag team that began with little hope of scoring a goal wrapped up their inaugural season with the big trophy.
Needless to say, Tyla was proud. She 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 faced from the start, they hung in there together, and ended up winning the ultimate prize. It was a fairy tale ending indeed!
Taking shots for a decade
The winter of 2022/2023 marked the 10th season for the Goaldiggers. They still love the game, and support each other. Sometimes they win, and sometimes they lose. Regardless, they always have a good time.
The moral of this story? Work hard, play hard, have fun. Don’t take life – or hockey – too seriously. Believe in yourself, and trust your teammates. Don’t be afraid to give someone a chance. Take a chance yourself. Take your best shot.
On or off the ice… keep your stick down, and your head up. Just like their coach once said, the puck is not a hot potato. Take a second to take a look. Because you never know who might be there, waiting to support you.
