Growing up in sight of an ice arena in Middletown, New Jersey, helped Addison Basile fall in love with hockey even though no one in her family had played before.
When it came time to think about college, Basile’s decided was guided by academics, but the opportunity to continue on the ice was still a priority as well.
“I realized that maybe playing Division I wasn’t the path I really wanted,” Basile said. “I had to ask myself, ‘What do I value?’”
Now at Georgetown University, Basile is president of the school’s ACHA women’s club team and is a massive advocate for collegiate club hockey.
“Playing ACHA is not a shame,” she said. “It’s one of the most amazing decisions I’ve made in my life.
“What’s wonderful about ACHA hockey is it’s the place you go to rejuvenate your love for hockey because it is the kind of hockey that you play for fun. You do it because you want to, not because you are on scholarship, or because there's outside pressure. It’s this awesome environment. So many people have told me that playing club hockey helps them remember why they actually liked playing hockey in the first place.”
Taking over the club team at Georgetown has helped her grow as a player and person as she’s navigated communicating with university and conference officials, working with alumni and trying to get the fledgling women’s club hockey team on solid footing.
Two years ago, she was uncertain about her future on the ice. Now, it’s an integral part of her life and something she hopes to have a career in moving forward.
Basile had already been considering a shift in her life goals, but this summer, she had the opportunity to join the staff at USA Hockey’s Girls National 15 Camp, driven by AAA, where she said it became abundantly clear how important supporting girls and women in hockey is to her.
“Working at USA Hockey camp made me really, really proud to be a part of the women’s hockey community,” she said. “It changed my perspective on being a female athlete and on uplifting other female athletes.”
Being at the camp rejuvenated how she feels about hockey as a whole and how important she thinks it is to inspire that love in the next generation of female athletes. While she was there, she understood that women’s hockey is her community.
Having never attended a camp as a player, Basile said she was in awe of the tailored experience the teenagers received. On top of the on-ice training, the players participated in sessions on nutrition for growing athletes, physiological performance specific to women’s bodies and mental skills for female athletes.
“They weren't just blanket statements — we were talking about what it means to be an actual female athlete, about taking care of yourself and what goes into being a good hockey player before you step on the ice. I love that this is what women's hockey looks like,” she said.
Basile served as a team leader, but at meals and in down time, she found herself in conversation with other staffers who were always willing to share information. The environment was collaborative, not competitive, and there was a feeling that everyone really wanted to help each other.
“What stood out to me is that I felt like every single person who came to that camp was there to get better. Whether that was a coach or a referee or a player or athletic trainer or an equipment manager, whomever — it felt like everybody was doing their own things that were helping them develop,” Basile said.
Having grown up playing on boys teams, Basile can see now that she had a subconscious bias against girls hockey that shaped how she thought of herself and the teams she played on. It has taken time for her to dismantle the preconceived notions she had.
“Just because I’m not on the ice doesn’t mean that hockey can’t be a huge part of my life,” she said. “Just because I’m not a professional doesn’t mean there aren’t a ton of other ways to be involved. Every single person has something to add to hockey. I’ve discovered a new side of myself and now I know that in the future, I want to find a way to support and grow and uplift female hockey players.
“Women's hockey is good hockey.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.