> Subject: interview
>    Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 16:31:41 -0500
>    From: Ronnie1410519@aol.com
>      To: andria@whockey.com
> 
> Hi, my name is Ronna Bouchard, and I am a freshman at Glastonbury High
> School in Glastonbury, CT.  I am doing a project
> in English right now that all of the freshmen have to do and we need an
> interview as a sourse.  I am researching women's
> hockey and was wondering if I would be able to ask you about 15
> questions about women's hockey and some of the
> developments via email.  Please respond because I will need to know if i
> have someone that is willing to do the interview. 
> Otherwise I will need to contact someone else.  Also if you know anyone
> else that is willing to do this interview if you can't,
> can you please give me their email addresses.  Thank you very much.
>                         ~~~Ronna Bouchard

  1.What got you interested in hockey?

I grew up in a town where hockey was very popular (Peterborough,
Ontario).  Some of the boys at school played hockey.  We used to
collect hockey cards and follow NHL hockey on TV so there was a lot of
exposure to hockey.  My Dad played hockey, and we often played street
hockey at recess at school.  I just loved it and asked my parents if I
could switch from figure skating (which I didn't find nearly as
exciting) to ice hockey.  I simply found the game very exciting, and
that is what got me interested in hockey.

  2.When did you start playing hockey?

I started playing when I was 9 years old (in grade 4).

  3.What do you think about a pro womenâ..s league?

I think it's a great idea, but I'm not sure if it would get enough fan
support.  There are already so many hockey leagues, that I'm not sure
there would be enough fan support for another.

There is already an NWHL, but the reason it is not professional is
because they don't get enough fans out to pay the players.  The NWHL
has some of the best female players in the World (players who represent
the Canadian and the US national teams), so it is not that it is
lacking in talent.

  4.What is your favorite part of hockey?

I love the challenge of the sport.  It's always a great feeling when
our team wins a game.  And as a forward, it is a lot of fun and a
challenge to get goals or assists.  I also really enjoy hanging out
with my teammates in the dressing room.  Hockey is a great social sport
for all ages!

  5.What do you least like?

I don't like cheap shots, such as high sticks, punches, and hits from
behind.  One of my pet peeves is when someone on the other team holds
onto your stick.

  6.What do you think about things that people are saying about how
there shouldnâ..t be a womenâ..s Olympic team because it 
always comes down to the U.S. and Canada?

The same is true in men's basketball with the dominance of Team USA,
but I don't hear people saying that men's basketball shouldn't be an
Olympic sport.  I hope that the other countries will eventually narrow
the gap, and that they see the dominance of US and Canada as an
indicator of how much work they have to do.

  7.Has ice hockey always been what you wanted to do when you got older,
or did you have a different idea of what you would do?

I have always wanted to play hockey when I got older, but realistically
as a woman, I knew that I wouldn't be able to make it my profession.
But fortunately hockey was able to pay for my education, by means of an
athletic scholarship to the University of New Hampshire.  I was able to
use my academics to become a lecturer in Computer Science at the
University of Toronto.  I'll always play hockey, but not as my
profession.

  8.Do you think that the sport is underrated and doesnâ..t get
enough credit for any reason and why?

With the increased exposure that women's hockey is getting, I think
people are much more aware of the sport and give it the credit it
deserves.  As it gains more and more exposure, I think this will be
even more true.  Since the first World Championship in 1990, women's
hockey has been increasing in terms of popularity and acceptance, and I
expect that trend to continue.

  9.What opportunities do you see in the future of womenâ..s hockey
in the U.S., Canada, and around the world?

I'm sure that the caliber of the sport will continue to improve as more
and more females are starting to take up the sport.  Ideally more and
more countries will become involved too.  There are already more
coaching and related opportunities for women, and that trend will
likely continue as well.

  10.What do you think about women playing in menâ..s leagues?
Should they be able to or should they have to have their own league?

I would say that until there is a professional league for women, women
should be allowed to play in men's leagues if they are good enough to
do so.

  11.How do you feel about creating a pro league just for women like the
NHL?  Do you think that it is just going to be a passing thing, or do
you think that the idea will grow more popular?

I think it would be excellent to have a professional league for women,
but as I stated earlier, I don't think the fan support is there.  Until
the current NWHL starts to get more fan support, I don't think it's
likely that a pro league could survive.