Take the Ice

What could be better than making history and setting new records?

This documentary worked for dedicated hockey fans and those of us who virtually know nothing about that sport alike. I appreciated how the director was careful to explain certain aspects of this business like the difference in pay scales and marketing techniques between men's and women's hockey that many folks might not be aware of. While most of the screen time was dedicated to the games themselves, it was the player's stories about the sexism they face that originally piqued my interest. Many of them were discouraged from playing hockey, especially as they grew older and were still the only girls on their youth teams. These early life experiences can discourage women and girls from pursuing all sorts of interests in life, and I nodded along as I compared their love of hockey to my interests in other things that girls aren't encouraged to do. The joy of seeing young girls cheer for these teams and ask for autographs gave me hope that future generations will feel more comfortable pursuing all of their interests without discouragement.

I had some trouble keeping track of who everyone was. As cool as it was to get so many different perspectives on what it was like to be part of the first season of professional women's hockey, including all of them meant that there wasn't much time to invest in any one particular storyline. Taking notes along the way about who was part of which team helped, though, and I'd recommend that to anyone who watches this.

Some of the most interesting scenes to me were the ones that explored the private lives of the players. On the weekends, they were professional hockey players, but all of them had weekday jobs as well due to how little they were paid as athletes. This was in stark contrast to the millions of dollars men make in this field. The medical consequences of playing hockey were shown as well, and I was intrigued by how many risks these women were willing to take with their health despite all of the reasons they had to stop playing.

Take the Ice was a thoughtful look at the birth of the National Woman's Hockey League.

Although this documentary focused on the first National Women's Hockey League and it's inaugural season, it goes a long way to shedding light on the behind the scenes struggle of professional women athletes. Which is timely now more than ever as the WNBA sees a huge explosion in popularity. It comes down to the money and that comes from changing the mindset of those with funds. Women athletes CAN attract large audiences and are just as fascinating to watch as men - once given support.

"Take the Ice" does a beautiful job of exploring the challenges of starting a league in a male dominated sport, but also takes an inside look at the women players and their struggles to follow their passion while paying their bills (one player teaches during the day so she can practice and play in the league!) I also found the story of some of the players to be eye-opening as they follow their hockey dreams as young girls. The road is not easy for many, but their passion, diligence and athleticism is beautifully portrayed in this documentary. Highly recommend and walked away knowing women can truly do anything they set their mind to...