Stepping Stone To My Dreams

My name is Jessie McPherson. I am 14 years old. I play travel hockey as a goalie in Chatham Ontario, and this year I will be taking on the biggest challenge of my hockey career to date. My parents will be billeting me to play in the Ontario Provincial Women's Hockey League in Cambridge for the Cambridge Rivulettes; 2 hours away from my parents. My team is one of 20 teams in the PWHL. I will travel between Windsor & Ottawa to play games against other women that could possibly be as old as 20. I will also participate in tournaments in Stoney Creek Ontario, Detroit Michigan and Vermont, USA. But I am getting a head of myself. Please let me give you a little background as to how I came to be likely one of the youngest goalies to play in the PWHL: I started playing hockey when I was 4 years old with a co-ed team. I played travel hockey with a Select team the next year and continued to play with them for 3 years until a AA travel league was available in my age group. By my third year playing hockey I was the lone girl of the team. The year I turned 8 in December was the first year I was introduced to AAA hockey as an AP goalie for the age group a year older (boys 9-10 years old). In the mean-time, I continued to play AA boys, collecting many MVP awards and eventually helping my team go on to win the OMHA championship in 2010-2011. With that accomplishment the boys and I were ready to tackle AAA hockey. Our first year in AAA we were championship finalists. I played AAA for 3 years and went back to AA boys as well as playing occasionally as a “developmental player” for the girls’ team which I helped win a Bronze Medal in the Provincial Championships. The following year I played Bantam AA Outlaw hockey with girls a year (or two) older than me. This brings me to my latest season of Midget AA hockey where I played with girls that aged out at 18 this year. Our team were the underdogs of the Provincial tournament but I still brought them to the Bronze Medal game. Our team unfortunately fell short that game but I still came out a winner because that’s where my current coach saw me play which resulted in my invite to tryouts and eventual signing with the Cambridge Rivulettes; the rest is to be determined. I also played with my high school team this year and brought them the farthest any CKSS team has ever gone. We made it to the SWOASSA finals where we fell short 1-0 in the 5th overtime. I am very hopeful for a successful season this year. I have worked extremely hard off and on the ice to get this far and I hope this is just the beginning. My education is also very important to me and I work hard in school, aspiring to receive a hockey scholarship and play at a University level while I work towards a degree in medicine. Ultimately, my goal is to wear a Team Canada jersey and represent my country in a National tournament and eventually the Olympics. I truly believe that this year is the stepping stone to get me there. I hope this is where you may come in. Unlike my counterparts in Men’s Junior hockey or OHL where the cost to individual families is minimal (or non-existent) because of available revenue streams (gate fees, merchandise, etc.), my parents have to pay my way to play plus the fees of billeting me for 8 months. That’s far more than what they have had to pay in past years of hockey. What I am asking you today is if you would like to help me to achieve my goals? Would you like to see my last name on the back of a Team Canada jersey, knowing you had some part in helping me get there? Travel hockey has very quickly become the sport for kids whose parents can afford it. My parents firmly believe this is the level that I deserve to be playing at and are willing to do what it takes to make sure I do (with a little help). I believe this is the level I keep working my butt off to get to. Please help me to play where I deserve to be. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. Go Rivs!