Sue Rittinger started playing hockey 40 years ago, and quickly got used to sideways glances and what she calls 鈥渇unny looks.鈥�
Back then, of course, women hockey players were still something of a novelty. It wasn鈥檛 an Olympic sport as it is today, and there were no female-only leagues in existence, either 鈥� at either the youth or adult levels. The creation of women鈥檚 professional leagues were still decades away.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 even thought about (at the time). It鈥檚 really grown, but at one time, (leagues) were really hard to find,鈥� she told Peace Arch News.
鈥淏ack then, they believed hockey was only for men. When I told people that I played hockey, they were surprised that there were any women who played.鈥�
Eventually, after making enough connections with fellow players, Rittinger started a women鈥檚 team based out of Vancouver鈥檚 Kitsilano neighbourhood. Over the years, a few teams would sprout up across the Lower Mainland, she said, 鈥渂ut they were not well known.鈥�
The 60-year-old White Rock resident still plays the game 鈥� in two different leagues, no less 鈥� and finds herself in a similar position as she did four decades earlier in Kits: trying to put a team together.
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This time, Rittinger has her eye on the BC 55+ Games, which are set to be hosted Sept. 15-19 in Richmond. Women鈥檚 hockey has been part of the Games since 2018.
Rittinger would like to gather enough players to enter a Zone 3 team 鈥� a large region that not only covers Surrey and White Rock, but also the entire Fraser Valley and a little beyond, from Coquitlam to Boston Bar on the north side of the Fraser River, and from 91原创 to Chilliwack on the south side.
At the last 55+ Games, Rittinger explained, Zone 3 didn鈥檛 ice a team at all. It wasn鈥檛 for lack of players, either, she said, but simply due to a lack of awareness about the event. As well, communication among players is lacking due to the fact that potential players are scattered far and wide across the Lower Mainland, with many playing recreationally in Vancouver-area leagues 鈥� where there is more opportunity 鈥� despite living in the Zone 3 region.
Identifying players who are at least 55 years old can be challenging too, Rittinger explained, because there are no specific 鈥渙ld-timers leagues鈥�, as she refers to them, for women as they are for men. Like Rittinger, most women play in leagues for players 30-plus.
鈥淚 know the players are out there 鈥� I just have to find them,鈥� she said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e playing all over, so it can be hard to track them down.鈥�
Another problem with having no 55-plus women鈥檚 leagues, Rittinger said, is that many older players quit 鈥渂ecause they don鈥檛 want to play with younger players鈥� which makes it tougher to find players. However, because the women鈥檚 game is growing in statue 鈥� locally, the is thriving 鈥� she has also noticed women picking up the sport later in life, even if they didn鈥檛 play in their youth.
鈥淭here are women who are in their 40s of 50s, and they鈥檙e loving it,鈥� she said.
Eventually, she expects more leagues to pop up, especially for players who are 50 and above, because 鈥渙ver time, the numerous young players of today will be in their 50s and want a place to play.鈥�
鈥淲e also have such a good Canadian women鈥檚 (national) team, and we have so many young girls getting involved now, it鈥檚 just wonderful,鈥� she said.
Currently, Rittinger said she has eight players onboard for a Zone 3 team, but more are still required. A goaltender is also still needed, she added.
Ideally, Rittinger would like to sign a team up to play in a spring league so they鈥檙e well-prepared for the 55+ Games. Registration for the spring happens in mid-February.
Any interested players can email Rittinger at laritz99@telus.net.
With a bit of a head start on finding players, she remains confident that Zone 3 will be well-represented on the ice in Richmond in September.
鈥淲ith age and injuries, some of us are definitely not at the same level as we were in our younger years,鈥� she said.
鈥淏ut the passion is still there.鈥�
sports@peacearchnews.com
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