| CDN Women’s Hockey League Player Profile: Smithers, B.C.’S Haleigh Callison |  |
| Wednesday, February 2, 2011 / By Hockey Now staff / The CWHL is a professionally-run women’s hockey league dedicated to raising the profile of women’s hockey while providing a place where some of the best female hockey players can train and compete. Haleigh Callison grew up in Smithers, B.C., going on to play five years of varsity for the UBC Thunderbirds before taking her place on defence for Toronto of the CWHL. What got you started in hockey? I grew up in Smithers, B.C. and I have three older brothers who all played. Being the baby of the family I wanted to be just like my older brothers. I would be at the rink nearly every day watching them play and practice, so it was a given that as soon as I could stand, I was on skates. That being said then, who did you look up to growing up with the sport? No question, I looked up to my brothers through sport and in life. Also, my parents are incredibly hard workers and did everything to allow the four of us to play the sport we loved. They were always there to take us as well as many of our teammates on road trips. What is one of your most memorable hockey moments? One of my most memorable moments from playing hockey in Smithers would be when I was in Bantam, my team had an opportunity to go to Wolfsburg, Germany and play in a tournament as well as see the area for two weeks. Traveling all the way with friends I have played with since I was young was a pretty amazing experience. How did the B.C. hockey community help you get to where you are now? Growing up, I attended all the Team BC tryouts and camps as well as getting short listed as one of the top nine in BC as prospects for 2010. BC Best Ever is a great program and with the number of females playing in our province, I am sure it is getting even better. As far as my B.C. community of Smithers goes, they have always been incredibly supportive and I was extremely lucky growing up to get to play with so many great guys. Playing with boys when you are usually the only girl on the team could have been a difficult thing; however, every single guy I played with was always respectful, helped push me to be better and treated me just like anyone else on the team. Who is your favourite B.C.-born player? Hands down, it would be Dan Hamhuis. Not just because he is from Smithers and an incredible hockey player but ultimately for the person he is off the ice. Dan is one of the nicest players you’ll ever meet, gives his time to the community, super dedicated to his training and is just a down to earth, very positive person. What is your favourite place to play in B.C.? To be honest, my favourite place to play in BC is any rink where I have friends and family. I was fortunate to have my three brothers in Vancouver with me when I started playing for UBC. Having them in the stands is something that cannot be replaced. Also, it was close enough that my parents would come down from Smithers for a few weekends each season. Visit www.cwhl.ca for more information. | |
