Whether it be hearing from Connor McDavid’s mom about growing up with the eyes of the world watching, or reading about the challenges from a mother of two special needs kids, “Hockey Moms: The Heart of the Game” offers the unsung MVPs the spotlight.
“The hockey world has not always been super welcoming to women or women’s voices,” says book co-author Theresa Bailey. “Yet, we have been very consistently involved in the work to make sure kids get on the ice.”
A hockey mom herself, Bailey said the book is 14 years in the making. With help from co-author Terry Marcotte, the pair chatted with over 30 hockey moms from a range of backgrounds. One of whom was Manon Rhéaume, the first woman to ever play for an NHL team.
“The moms are doing every bit as much as the dads,” says Marcotte. “But they do it quietly. I think that what’s neat about the book is that it’s giving mothers a real voice. They’re doing it out of love, and there doing it hoping for the best for their kids at whatever they do.”
“A lot of us take care of buying the equipment,” says Bailey. “Most of us know how to tape a stick but still weren’t really respected and I really felt there was room to tell these stories.”
The book also shares the tough stories. The failures, the times where maybe mothers overstepped, and the troubles that many families still have, especially for those of colour.
“We made it a point of making this book reflect not what hockey is but perhaps what hockey should be,” says Marcotte. “It’s kind of reflected in the book that hockey really has a lot to do to improve and become more welcoming and more diversified.”
The sentiment is echoed by Bailey.
“There’s lots more work to do, but we’ve tried to represent a spectrum of different experiences.”
Both authors note the book isn’t just for hockey moms. They say the novel is something anyone who has a child in sports can relate too. The book is available both in store and online.
