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Mom, daughter take hockey across ages
(by Tony Lange - August 03, 2011)
Mom, daughter take hockey across ages
By TONY LANGE
Is hockey her favorite sport? "Yes." Is she excited to meet an Olympic hockey player? "Yes." Was helping coach her mom's team fun? "Yes."
Abby Goldschmidt, a 10-year-old member of the Gilmour Sabres AA Squirt team, started playing in the Gilmour Youth Hockey Association when she was 6 years old. On Aug. 4, her team will receive an exclusive two-hour skills clinic hosted by Brianne McLaughlin, a goaltender for the United States women's hockey team at the Vancouver Olympics.
"I think they'll think it's cool," Abby said about her teammates on the Squirt team.
Shortly after Abby started playing hockey, her mom, Lauren Goldschmidt, did too.
"I just wanted to appreciate how difficult it was to move around on the frozen water with blades on your feet and just understand learning the sport from a parent's perspective," said Mrs. Goldschmidt, who plays for the Momsters, an adult female team predominantly made up of hockey moms which started as a learn-to-play clinic.
Mrs. Goldschmidt was reluctant at first, she said, but was encouraged by her daughter to try it.
"We had a couple of practices, scrimmages and a game, and something switched, a flip switched with me, and I fell in love with the sport," Mrs. Goldschmidt said.
The Momsters, which meet every Sunday night during the hockey season, lost their coach last season and therefore sought volunteer coaches so that the team could stay in existence, Mrs. Goldschmidt said.
With no coach, the Momsters put a whistle in Abby's hands for one of their practices this past season.
Why did Abby volunteer? "Well, because I always wanted to coach a team," she said.
What was her favorite part about coaching her mom's team? "Probably watching all of them fall down," Abby said.
The experience prompted Abby to enter a national writing contest out of USA Hockey's Magazine called, "Don't fret the sweat," which was cosponsored by Degree deodorant.
The contest was available for players between 8 and 12 years old who wrote 150-word essays describing a time when they kept their cool and prevailed, Matt Goldschmidt, Abby's dad and hockey coach, said.
The judges liked Abby's essay because it displayed confidence, it explained her reasoning for being confident, and it had a relevant sports theme, Mr. Goldschmidt said.
"I've been playing hockey for three years (squirt team this year). My mom said I looked like I was having so much fun that she started a learn-to-play clinic, the 'Momsters.' Coachless this season, the poor moms had no one to run their practices. Once, I was lucky enough to go with my mom to her ice time. I suggested maybe I could help by sharing some of the great drills and relay races I've learned. So, I was given a whistle and a chance. I quickly forgot about being nervous, and, for the following hour, I was the coach. The moms were so grateful and told me it was the best practice ever. They were sweaty yet seemed to be smiling big the whole time. I want to share the awesome gift of hockey with them, so that a VIP clinic could be held for both my team and the Momsters."
Earlier this summer, Abby was one of two USA Hockey players nationwide who was named the Degree Cool and Confident Kid. Winning the essay contest, Abby's Squirt team, along with Mrs. Goldschmidt's Momsters team, was awarded a two-hour skills clinic hosted by McLaughlin at Gilmour Academy today (Aug. 4) from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
McLaughlin is a Sheffield Village native who played hockey at Elyria Catholic High School, where she graduated in 2005. She also played four years at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, where she set an NCAA record with 3,809 saves. She is now an assistant coach at Robert Morris.
During the skills clinic, which will be formatted based on the American Development Model that incorporates multiple skills stations, McLaughlin will be assisted by Mr. Goldschmidt, Gilmour girls' hockey prep head coach Rick Filighera and some of the players on his varsity team.
"I'm excited to be working with an Olympic player," Abby said.
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