'It would be great if more young people saw hockey and saw that it was possible and interesting to play as a woman,' Ellie Wakeling says. Photo: Jamie Lorriman.
While Ellie Wakeling poses for photos on the ice, her Romford Junior Raiders teammates make some playful quips: “Oh! What are you doing?» «Very pretty!»
They throw pucks across the floor at the defender in an attempt to confuse him. Despite the teasing, it's obvious that a 20-year-old is not to be laughed at. She is the only woman playing in Division I of the England Men's National Hockey League, in fact, she is the only woman to play in the top two tiers as women do not currently play in the league above, in the National Division.
The main choice of the British women's team. Wakeling is not only at the top of their game, but almost at the top of theirs. And it's clear that the connection between Wakeling and her Raiders peers is strong and genuine.
«They treat me like I'm part of the team,» says Wakeling. “They don't separate me or make me feel like I'm different because I'm a girl. We all tease each other and I bring it back! It's part of the locker room hockey chat.»
She adds with a smile: “They teased me for 10 minutes, but all the boys ask if they will now be in the background of the photos.
Wakeling says it's a «mental battle». go against men who are stronger than her. Photo: Jamie Lorriman
Wakeling started playing hockey at Chelmsford at the age of five before moving to the Romford Raiders for her final two years as a teenager. Here she was offered to play for the second men's team when she was only 16 years old.
“You have to prove yourself,” Wakeling says. «I force myself to do what I have to do and do it well.
«I know I'm not as strong as the grown men I face, so I have to do something else to balance it out. I should be good at stick fighting, not punching someone and sending them flying — I know that won't happen.
“You have to be confident in what you can do, but of course, of course, it’s somewhere in the back of your mind: “I’m not as strong as they are, how can I do this?” So it's more of a mental battle. It's not about skills, it's about trust and believing you can do it.”
'Many men say this is unfair; that they can't hit me'
While governing bodies around the world are fighting the biological categories in sports, the NIHL is open to all players, regardless of gender. But as impressive as her achievement is, not everyone agrees with Wakeling's presence in the league.
“Most of the time, the reaction to what I play is positive,” says Wakeling. «You have a weird coach who says, 'You're a girl, you shouldn't play in this league.' I've had that a few times.
«Some players are against it, too. They say it's unfair because they don't feel like they can hit me, so they think I'm putting them at a disadvantage.»
“I see it from their point of view,” says Wakeling. «You see it in my games — I get hit quite often and I fall because I'm not that big and strong, but it doesn't hurt.»
«Coaches always told me:» If you weren't enough good, we wouldn't play with you.»
“If I had the opportunity to play in this league, I should be treated the same way. They should be able to hit me and not have more chances to get a penalty.
«If I want to play in a league where there are big shots and men play, then it's up to me.»< /p>&# 39;Hockey needs more funding and more advertising'
While Wakeling can compete in the physical-dominated men's league, women's international ice hockey and the top tier of women's sport in England — the WNIHL — body testing is not permitted and this is a constant area of controversy.
«I think if checks were allowed in women's hockey, the game would run smoother and more intense,» explains Wakeling, who divides her time between her main job as a teaching assistant, the Romford Raiders, and a job at the national national team and the WNIHL team. Bracknell's queen bee. “But at the same time, there are more opportunities in the leagues. Due to unchecked rules, players don't know how to take a hit or throw it safely, so in the inevitable cases it still happens, which increases the risk of injury.”
Injury risk is more questionable than missed play time at this level. The sport continues to be underfunded and elite players often have to pay out-of-pocket for treatment, something Wakeling had to do herself after she broke her acromioclavicular joint in her shoulder while competing in February.
@WeAreMKThunder Man of the Match #12 Oliver Harris@RJRIceHockey Man of the Match #21 Ellie Wakeling (looks like her first goal tonight at this level) pic .twitter.com/eYtkWqF2ly
— RaidersCommsBox (@RaidersCommsBox) January 21, 2023
WNIHL is paid, and even NIHL One players rely on sponsorship as most of them don't get compensated for their performances.
After our meeting in Romford, Wakeling traveled to Korea for the Women's World Championship where she is playing for Great Britain who want to justify last year's promotion to Division 1B. This is the first tournament where Ice Hockey UK has been able to donate sticks to the team for free. Prior to this, personal equipment, bar jerseys, helmets and gloves were the financial responsibility of the players.
By the age of 10, Wakeling was training with the England team and has been part of the national assembly line ever since. . She considers visibility and sponsorship to be key to the development of the sport at all levels. “Hockey as a whole needs more funding and more coverage,” says Wakeling.
«It's a small sport in this country, so people should show it off so people know it exists. It would be great if more young people, especially girls, saw hockey, saw that it's fun, and we saw that it's possible and interesting to play as a woman.»
She's a minority in minority sports, but she's a big influence.
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