For Sandbeck It Is All About Friendships And Playing The Game
Editor's Note - When MJ Independent first started almost four years ago we wanted to cover local sports.
The only team who replied at the time were the Moose Jaw Bantam Mavericks.
This year we are featuring the Milestone U18A Female Flyers where four Moose Jaw players - Ember DuSomme, Nikita Halyk, Sidney Ellingson and Taryn Sandbeck are finishing out their minor hockey careers.
Fourth in a series.
“It’s not that I do not take hockey seriously. I do. I am not playing it for awards. I am not playing it to go on to college. I am playing it for fun, the friendships and to be out on the ice,” Taryn Sandbeck, Moose Jaw Mavericks product and now a member of the Milestone U18A Female Flyers.
By Robert Thomas
For Taryn Sandbeck when she looks back on her minor hockey career it is one filled with great memories. Not memories of actual games and championships she has been part of but rather the comradery and fun she had during her minor hockey years.
Sandbeck started playing minor hockey when she was six years old as part of the Tim Bits program. At that time there was no dedicated Mavericks program for girls to get their start in but rather she ended up on a boys hockey team like many girls did starting out at the time.
“I started playing hockey on boys teams and then went to play on an all girls team when they started the Pink Panthers a couple of years later,” she said in a telephone interview with MJ Independent.
She said she took up minor hockey because her slightly older brother Rhett (there is a 16 months age difference between the siblings) was playing hockey.
“I went right into hockey. I never skated first. Me and my brother (Rhett) were close to the same age and I watched him playing hockey and I wanted to play hockey.”
After Taryn started her older sister Megan started playing hockey as well.
Asked about girls playing hockey she thought “it was more of a big thing” when she started playing hockey. There was nothing there for girls to go to other than a boy’s team but now girls, if they chose, can go straight into female hockey.
“I think it was more of a big thing back when I started but not so much now,” Sandbeck said, adding “I played boy’s hockey until the first year of the Pink Panthers (an all girls team). Then I went to the Pink Panthers.”
Taryn Sandbeck playing in game two in the 15A provincial championships in Turtleford on March 30, 2019 - MJ Independent file photo
Sandbeck ended up being part of a team coached by Stephane Gauvin, the late Ryan Ellingson and her dad Kelly Sandbeck.
The three coaches have been called part of a group of trailblazers that helped cement strong foundations, by minor hockey watchers, for female minor hockey in Moose Jaw.
Sandbeck said though in her minor hockey career she has had a variety of coaches and each one has their own style and way of doing things but she learnt a lot from the variety.
“It was good to be coached by different coaches. They all have their different style and way of doing things but you learn a lot from all of them.”
“I think all coaches made an impression,” she said.
She said once she started with the Pink Panthers there was a noticeable change.
Not in the style of hockey but being the only female team in Moose Jaw meant the team had to travel to other area communities to play. Boys at younger ages in the city do not have as much travel as there are leagues based here.
“We were playing all of the girl’s teams around Moose Jaw. We were always travelling because Moose Jaw didn’t have any other girl’s teams (our age).”
Despite the disadvantages of no local female league - which means travel and more expense - Sandbeck said there was a positive side of always being together.
“We were basically always the same group of girls every year. It contributed to the friendships. It contributed a lot to the team play as everyone knew their role,” she said, adding “we have all grown up (together) since we were six or seven (years old).”
Asked if she would have ever met the girls on the team Sandbeck said she may have through school sports but there is a likelihood they would not be close friends if they had.
Taryn Sandbeck warily watches action in the corner over her shoulder - MJ Independent file photo
“I probably would have met them (teammates) through other school sports but we are definitely closer than we are because of hockey.”
She said because of the time they spent together the friendships she made with her teammates and others playing hockey will likely be enduring.
In her elementary years Sandbeck attended Palliser Heights until grade five and then moved to Sunningdale School. She is presently a student at Central Collegiate.
For Sandbeck playing hockey is her only actively participating sporting interest.
Throughout her minor hockey years Sandbeck - except for a brief period when she wore number 17 - has always sported the number 10 jersey.
The other change in her career was when she moved from right wing to defence. A decision that was made to help the team as well as her dad, in his playing days, was also a defenceman.
“I played right wing before, but my dad was a defenceman. One year we needed people to play defence and so I moved there.”
Moose Jaw Mavericks days and friendships formed from left to right - Ember DuSomme, Sidney Ellingson, Eywon Stokes, Taryn Sandbeck and Taylor Luciak - photo credit Facebook
Asked if she missed the opportunity to play on a forward line where she could possibly get good statistics Sandbeck said the move did not bother her.
“I like my position. I like how I play. I have no problem with it,” Sandbeck said.
Unlike others on her present team in Milestone or in her time with the Moose Jaw Mavericks she said her only organized sport was hockey.
“Playing other (organized) sports are just not my thing and I would rather spend my time with my friends of with me out working at my job.”
Sandbeck said awards and accolades to her are secondary to just playing the game the best that she can.
“I am not out to win awards. For me I don’t care whether it is A or double AA or triple AAA I just enjoy the game and play hockey….I am not serious like other girls, when I say serious I mean trying to play hockey at college or university…there is nothing wrong with that. I think it is OK if that is what you want. I am not playing in college…But for me I just want to play hockey.”
Sandbeck also pointed out that her saying not being serious did not mean she did not give it her all to help the team.
“It is not that I do not take it seriously. I show up at all of the practices and I give it my all during the games. I just see it (hockey) as kind of a good hobby or a past time.”
“It teaches you how to play with others. It teaches you how to get along with others,” she said adding they were useful skills she learnt for later in life from organized hockey.
“I think it is a good thing I never planned taking it anywhere….it is just something to do. It is a good hobby and I really enjoy being out on the ice…you learn how to play sports and get along.”
Asked if she had any regrets or would like to change things if she could Sandbeck said she would like to see the game allow every girl who wants to the opportunity to play hockey to be able to play hockey. She said there were barriers that prevented others from participating..
“It’s a shame that those (girls) who want to play (hockey) can’t…it would be nice if those that cannot afford it had the opportunity to play if they wanted to,” Sandbeck said.
Despite not seeing herself playing hockey at a college or university never being part of her plans in life she said it was important to her to finish off her minor hockey career.
Sandbeck said she is very thankful for the opportunity to play her final two years of minor hockey eligibility in Milestone.
The move to Milestone, of four Moose Jaw Mavericks products, was precipitated by the lack of players at the 18A level in Moose Jaw as players moved to other sports, higher levels of female hockey, or other interests.
“I am thankful to Milestone I had somewhere to play.”
Taryn Sandbeck defending in front of Milestone Female 18A Flyers goaltender Kammie Kaufmann - MJ Independent file photo
She described coming to Milestone as not stressful because she already knew two members of the team from hockey.
“Everybody is super welcoming. It’s a different system and style of coaching but I am OK with it. It is just a good group of girls.”
She said she enjoys the atmosphere playing in a smaller community has created. With a loud and boisterous crowd of over 200 at many games cheering them on. This in a community with approximately 700 residents.
Asked if it could be attributed to Milestone being a smaller community with less activities than a larger centre Sandbeck said she could see that.
“Everyone likes to come down to the rink. I think that could be part of it it is just something to do.”
Sandbeck said it was one of the good things about playing in the community and that is the number of fans for a female hockey game is greater than in a larger centre.
“It is way easier for me to play hockey when there is a crowd. It is great to have people out cheering you on it is better than a smaller quiet crowd.”
Her plans after hockey are to play recreationally which means Sandbeck will be going full circle and playing hockey with males once again as there are no female recreational teams out there.
Her ultimate goal is to take Agricultural and Food Production at Sask Politechnic in Moose Jaw which may mean she ends up living and working in a smaller community something Sandbeck says does not bother her at all.
"“Oh definitely big cities are not for me.”
Although she was raised in Moose Jaw Sandbeck says she has a strong connection to smaller rural communities and if her future plans meant she ended up living in one it was no big deal and likely preferable.
“I grew up in a ranching family and I always love being out on the farm.”
Sandbeck said despite not personally wanting to play organized hockey after her minor years are over that playing hockey while growing up will leave her a better person with great memories and friendships she may never have had.
“I will have good memories of playing hockey. I mean I won’t remember any games but I will have memories of the girls on the bus, in the dressing room and the lifelong friendships we created.”
Editor’s Note - This is the fourth and final story in the series.
We would like to thank all of the organizers, coaches, rink attendants, players, off ice officials, referees, people who emailed us scoresheets and parents involved both in Moose Jaw, Milestone and elsewhere throughout Saskatchewan for putting up with us as we covered Saskatchewan Female Hockey League action over four years and making this series possible.