11 Michelle Watkins

Before moving to Wisconsin several years ago I had never been on ice skates, never thought about playing hockey, and had never even watched a hockey game on TV. It took coaxing from friends to convince me to strap on a pair of used skates, prop myself up with a borrowed hockey stick and wobble out onto the ice. I was entirely awful, but I had a blast and was instantly hooked. Fortunately I had very patient friends who continued to encourage me and include me in the play long before i had a hope of catching the passes or making the shots. I've also been lucky in finding the MGHA, which has been an equally supportive environment for me to continue to grow and improve. With a few seasons of hockey under my belt now, I'm still not in any danger of being recruited to play professionally, but I still grin like an idiot every time I strap on skates.