\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOnce a month, before the sun rises, about 75 women lace up their skates, strap on their helmets and grab their sticks to play hockey.”It’s my happy place,” said 64-year-old hockey player Marti West. “When I’m on the ice, I don’t think about work, I don’t think about home, I don’t think about anything. It’s one of the few places when I’m there, I’m just in the moment.”Six years ago, an all-women’s team over the age of 18 didn’t exist. “In 2021, I realized there’s not a safe place for women to play hockey and to not be mansplained to about how to play hockey,” said founder Katie Doyle Shediwy. “I decided, why not start a hockey league for women?”So, Des Moines Women’s Hockey was born. Des Moines Women’s Hockey welcomes anybody. There are no requirements for skill levels. There are skaters from 18 to 64 years old.”I remember my first day, showing up with my equipment with the tags still on. I didn’t know how to put it on,” West said. “I watched YouTube videos before because I was trying to figure out what order to put it in.” “They kind of just figure it out on their own,” said teenage hockey player Emily Merk. “I’ll help my mom sometimes, but not that much. Everybody’s just having fun.””I remember my first time on the ice, and I thought, ‘There’s no way I can do this. I cannot do this,'” Doyle Shediwy said. “Here I am so many years later, and it’s pretty spectacular.”My doctor said, ‘I wish my 60-year-old women would start playing hockey,’ because of the change as far as my health and my numbers and my strength,” West said.Des Moines Women’s Hockey started with 28 players. They’re now up to 75 and counting”I’m in my 50s, and when I was in high school, we couldn’t even field a full men’s hockey team, so the thought of women playing or even getting to that level was not something that was ever considered,” Doyle Shediwy said.”We exist. It’s not just a boys’ sport in that it’s not just a bunch of talking and fiddling around,” Merk said. “We’re actually pretty good.””My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner,” West said.For more information, you can visit the Des Moines Women’s Hockey Facebook page.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tDES MOINES, Iowa \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Once a month, before the sun rises, about 75 women lace up their skates, strap on their helmets and grab their sticks to play hockey.<\/p>\n
“It’s my happy place,” said 64-year-old hockey player Marti West. “When I’m on the ice, I don’t think about work, I don’t think about home, I don’t think about anything. It’s one of the few places when I’m there, I’m just in the moment.”<\/p>\n
Six years ago, an all-women’s team over the age of 18 didn’t exist. <\/p>\n
“In 2021, I realized there’s not a safe place for women to play hockey and to not be mansplained to about how to play hockey,” said founder Katie Doyle Shediwy. “I decided, why not start a hockey league for women?”<\/p>\n
So, Des Moines Women’s Hockey was born. Des Moines Women’s Hockey welcomes anybody. There are no requirements for skill levels. There are skaters from 18 to 64 years old.<\/p>\n
“I remember my first day, showing up with my equipment with the tags still on. I didn’t know how to put it on,” West said. “I watched YouTube videos before because I was trying to figure out what order to put it in.” <\/p>\n
“They kind of just figure it out on their own,” said teenage hockey player Emily Merk. “I’ll help my mom sometimes, but not that much. Everybody’s just having fun.”<\/p>\n
“I remember my first time on the ice, and I thought, ‘There’s no way I can do this. I cannot do this,'” Doyle Shediwy said. “Here I am so many years later, and it’s pretty spectacular.”<\/p>\n
My doctor said, ‘I wish my 60-year-old women would start playing hockey,’ because of the change as far as my health and my numbers and my strength,” West said.<\/p>\n
Des Moines Women’s Hockey started with 28 players. They’re now up to 75 and counting<\/p>\n
“I’m in my 50s, and when I was in high school, we couldn’t even field a full men’s hockey team, so the thought of women playing or even getting to that level was not something that was ever considered,” Doyle Shediwy said.<\/p>\n
“We exist. It’s not just a boys’ sport in that it’s not just a bunch of talking and fiddling around,” Merk said. “We’re actually pretty good.”<\/p>\n
“My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner,” West said.<\/p>\n