Page 243 of Breaking the Pucking Rules
“It’s okay. Here, your brother asked me to sign this for you,” I say, holding out the jersey that’s still in my hand.
“Wow, that’s…” She turns her attention briefly to her brother, her eyes filling with tears. “Did you really ask him to do that?” she asks in disbelief.
Her brother shrugs as if it’s nothing.
“Your brother tells me that you play. That you’re hoping for a chance at the Olympics.”
She nods frantically. “Y-yeah. I mean, that’s the dream.”
“What about your friends?” I ask, casting them all glances.
“We play, but we’re not as good as Bailey,” one of them explains.
“Tell me about your team, and your plans for the future,” I prompt. Looking at them, I’d say they’re older than the boy who approached me. Fair play to that kid; he deserves Brother of the Year for what he just did.
Bailey chats away, barely coming up for air.
“You know, you deserve to be in there just as much as all the boys.”
“I know,” she says softly. “It’s just awkward.”
“The problem is,” one of her friends pipes up, “Bailey could outscore any of the boys in there. That makes her a target. They all refuse to believe they could be beaten by a girl. But they would be.”
I nod, not doubting a word of it.
“I know a little girl a bit like that,” I muse, thinking of Sutton.
I hate that there’s a chance she could still be experiencing the bullshit with Adrian into her teen years. I hate even more that it could get worse. Right now, it’s just one boy, but by the time she’s in high school, I do not doubt that it’ll be more.
“I’d love to come and catch one of your games sometime,” I say, even more convinced that she’s going to hit the deck any moment.
“Oh my god, stop. You’re kidding, right?”
“Absolutely not. This sport needs more girls like you, Bailey. All girls’ and women’s teams deserve the attention the male teamsget. You’re just as talented, and with everything you face, you’re much more resilient.”
“Wow, that’s just…wow.”
“You should call your team, get them down here. The Vipers would love to talk to them.”
She nods enthusiastically as her friends pull their cell phones out.
After getting her head coach’s name, and a million and one thank yous from the girls, Hailee and I head back inside.
“That was a really nice thing to do.”
“I don’t need to tell you that growing awareness for women’s ice hockey is one of my passions.” Hailee is more than aware. I’ve turned up in her office on more than one occasion demanding equal representation with our charity work and affiliations with youth teams.
“It’ll happen,” she promises me.
“Maybe you can come to one of their games with me. Meet the staff and the girls. See if there’s something we can do,” I suggest hopefully.
“When you get the dates, send them on.”
I nod, accepting her words before glancing at my watch again.
“Am I keeping you from something, Rivers?”
“Sutton is training. I haven’t seen her on the ice for a couple of weeks.”
