It’s a lifelong dream come true for Kristen Cooze.
The 18-year-old was recently selected to be a member of the national team heading to the 2011 Women’s World Ball Hockey Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia this June.
“All my life all I have ever wanted was to play on Team Canada, although my dream at the time was ice hockey,” she said. “Who knew I would be pulling on the jersey for ball hockey?”
Originally from Kippens, Kristen has played ice hockey for much of her life, working her way through the ranks of Stephenville Minor Hockey and Stephenville High School Hockey leagues. She has also played in various regional and national tournaments, including the 2009 National Women’s Under-18 Championships in Surrey, B.C.
No stranger to ball hockey either, she joined a team from Clarenville that won gold at the 2010 provincial women’s ball hockey championships – and was selected to play for a Toronto team at the nationals later in the year, with her team finishing in second place.
Kristen is currently a first-year science student and plays for the women’s varsity ice hockey team at Mount Allision University.
‘The highest level’
Twenty-three players make up the Women’s Team Canada ball hockey roster, eight of whom are returning from the 2009 team that won gold in Pilsen, Czech Republic.
“All my life all I have ever wanted was to play on Team Canada, although my dream at the time was ice hockey. Who knew I would be pulling on the jersey for ball hockey?” - Kristen Cooze
“The amount of hard work and practice that has to be put in is going to be ridiculous,” said Kristen of the world championships.
“If I want to compete at the highest level I have to be in the right physical shape for the event – along with having the psychological state to be in a comfort zone that I need to be in to deal with all the pressure that this event can put on me.”
And while her focus remains on training and doing well at the games, Kristen is also excited about travelling to Slovakia.
“I have never been outside of Canada, so this is a brand new experience to me and I cannot wait to see how great it will be.”
Paul Beale, Team Canada’s general manager of operations, is pleased with the calibre of the 2011 team lineup.
“We’ve put together a national team selected from among the very best our country and our high performance program has to offer,” he said when announcing the roster. “This team is comprised of highly talented, dedicated and diverse players led by an experienced, passionate and motivated coaching staff.”
