NOLENSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For all you parents, it can be exhausting to keep up with kids' busy schedules — right?
It's certainly worth it to see them having fun with all of those extracurricular activities.
A group of hockey players are up for the task of loading up their schedules. They are students, involved in theater, dance, music and sports. They saw an opportunity for their hockey program to grow.
"I started to learn to skate February 2021," said Isabella Quigley. "That's what I like to do. I like to be out on the ice as much as I can be. Probably why I'm on three teams right now."
That last part — about being on three teams. I think she realized that might be a lot. Watch the video in the player above to get more of an idea of Quigley's personality. She's down-to-earth and really cool.
"We're an entry-level travel hockey program that gives girls an opportunity to experience travel hockey from the ages of eight to 19," said Ethan Burau, the team's hockey director.
These aren't just any girls on the ice in Nolensville. The Tennessee Wolverines are driven, determined and dedicated.
"If I'm not at a practice, I'm at a rehearsal, I'm at a game," Quigley said. "I am always somewhere all of the time."
"We had so many girls on the JV team that we went to him (Burau) and were like what if we made a girl's travel team," said Abi Wagner.
"Girls are starting to get more invested and wanting to play in travel hockey," Burau said.
So just how invested are we talking?
"Three years later, we've gone from 22 girls to 62," Burau said.
See that? The interest has tripled.
The girls range from eight years old to 19 years old. They'll travel to Indianapolis, St. Louis and Cincinnati, among others. They're still students first and if their studies suffer, they could be skating on thin ice.
"Quite a few of our girls are going to understand the added challenge that will be making sure they keep up with their studies while we are away from home," Burau added.
There are lessons outside of the classroom, though, that sports can certainly teach us.
"I feel like this is where I made the most friends," Quigley said. "This is where I found the most people that I can relate to. That like, they get me. Like this is where I found more or less my family."
The season begins in October.
Do you have a positive story you'd like to share? You can email me at Austin.Pollack@newschannel5.com.
I LOVE Forrest's stories on the history of NewsChannel 5 as we celebrate our 70th anniversary. Here's a story I wasn't familiar with until recently. Eudora Boxley had a live cooking show in the early days of the station. She may have been the first black on air at NewsChannel 5 and perhaps, one of the first African Americans to have a TV cooking show anywhere in the country. It wasn't until her grandson reached out to me that I even heard of Ms. Boxley. Thankfully, I was able to connect him with Forest to learn more about this great nugget in NewsChannel 5 history.
-Lelan Statom
