Learn to play inline hockey


Chix With Stx: How it All Began

Hi,  My  Name  is  Deb.or that my crazy idea would actually happen
and almost forgot about it, being wrapped up
I'm a 39 year old, hockey playing, Mom of twoin all my other crazy ideas, that is, until
beautiful (inside and out) children, Max 14my son came into the kitchen (my
and  Kristal  13."Organization's" new office), holding the
phone and said…"Mum, Some guy named
I started playing hockey at the age of 27,Rick Middleton is on the phone for you." I
while living in Brisbane Australia. I wasinstantly had goose bumps, fixed my hair (as
skating at the local rink, trying to lose theif he could see me) and calmly said, "Hi
baby weight from the birth of my daughter.Rick,  what  can  I  do  for  you?"
At the end of the public skate, I was
approached by the coach of the QueenslandWell, long story short, he agreed to be a
Women's Ice Hockey Team. He had heard that IChix (and wear a wig, lipstick AND fake
was a permanent resident (I was married to anboobs) and he convinced Tommy Songin (another
Aussie) and I was asked to stick around,former Bruin) to do the same! What a
because they were having practice for thesight  to  see!!!
state team. I laughed, because I had never
played organized hockey. Yes, I was a strongHave I mentioned that Hockey players, young,
skater from being a figure skater and tomboyold, famous or not, male or female, just the
growing up, but I had never played on a realwhole damn hockey community, are the BEST,
team.most down to earth, generous, and real
people, on this planet??!! Have I mentioned
In a nutshell, I stayed, I skated and I wasthat? Well,  they  are!
asked  to  join  the  team.
My next crazy idea was to get ESPN to cover
My first EVER real hockey game was a nationalus…I was told by EVERYONE, (except my
Championship. We  (Queensland)  won!!friend and former hockey teammate, TC who's
company "Central Signal Corp" bought our Chix
I skated with the Queensland team for 3uniforms) that it would NEVER happen…of
years, ice and inline, traveled the country,course, that made me want them to cover us
met so many wonderful people…it waseven more. I'll cut to the
AWESOME!chase…(Again, my cousin Michael on my
shoulder) I got ESPN's hockey show "Cool
1997, we moved back to the States, I found aShots" to come up to Boston, cover the nights
women's league in the Boston area andevents  and  do  a  really  nice piece on us.
continued to skate. While my hockey was
going strong, my marriage was fallingNow, who would be our honorary coach? Being
apart…quickly. Hockey was myfrom the North Shore and growing up in a
sanity…hockey loving family, who else would you want
on the bench, but USA's favorite son/captain,
While I was completely self absorbed with,gold medal winning, local hero, Mike
and crying over, my failed marriage, my AuntEruzione!!
Kathleen and Uncle Jimmy, lost their 14 year
old  son  Michael,  to  Leukemia.I made ONE call, got him directly and without
hesitation,  he  said,  "Sure,  I'd love to!"
It quickly put life into perspective for
me… I stopped my crying and startedI think I mentioned how incredible the hockey
thinking of ways for me to lesson my guilt,community  is,  right?
of not being there for them, while getting
off my sorry ass and doing something to makeMy last crazy notion was to have a famous
myself feel better about ME, combined withBoston voice/name/comedian to MC the
being  able  to do something good for others!game…My first phone call was to WZLX,
where Steve Sweeney worked as the morning
On a cold night in October, my friend andshows host/DJ. I was pushed to voicemail,
teammate, Becky and I, went to a Bostonleft a message and never expected to hear
Bruin's Alumni game. As I was watching theback. About 15 minutes later, I jumped into
B's, it hit me…THIS IS IT!!! The womenthe shower and my phone rang, it was STEVE
I skate with/against could skate just asand we were live on the air…" he asked,
well, if not better, than the team the Alumni"what's that noise", I said, "Water, I'm in
were playing. My wheels startedthe shower", he said "Oh my God, I'm in the
turning… Between periods, a friend,shower with a female hockey player?", I
introduced me to the B's, Gary Doak. Afterlaughed said yes and he agreed to not only
the "Hi, nice to meet you", I blurtedMC, but to have the radio station sponsor us,
out…"Hey, would you guys be willing toby running commercials and promoting it
play against a women's team?" He said,daily! Us Bostonian's would describe Steve
"Sure, do you have a cause?" I said, "YES Ias  a  WICKED  awesome  and WICKED funny guy.
DO!" "The Jimmy Fund, in Memory of my cousin
Michael." He said, "Does your team have aJump forward to the evening of March 26th,
name?" And the first thing that came to mindThe night that all of my crazy ideas come
was, "Chix with Stix". I was told to put thetogether, the first ever Chix with Stix
request in writing and email it to thefundraising hockey game. I'm on my way to
Bruin's Alumni. I did and with in 2 weeks Ithe rink, the truck filled with supplies,
received a letter saying that myraffle prizes, ME, we were hit with a freak
"organization" was picked to play against thehalf hour snow storm, I was on RT93 north, it
Alumni. And that's how it all started…caused crazy traffic, my drivers side
windshield wiper broke, from the weight of
Then it hit me… "Organization. Whatthe snow. I had to stick my head out of my
organization… It's just me…I amwindow to see in front of me (I drive a
the organization!? OH oh, now I have tostandard, it wasn't easy!!) but none of it
produce!!"was reason enough to dampen my night. I
walked into the rink, covered in snow,
I first started by putting together astarted directing my fellow hockey teammates
team… the "Chix" weren't an officialand family who where their to volunteer,
team, I just said they were, to Gary, to getfixed my hair and make up, did an interview
the ball rolling. But, I new it wouldn't bewith ESPN, got into uniform, was fitted for
hard to pull together a group of talentedan ESPN mobile microphone, stood on the blue
female players who would want the opportunityline for the National Anthem, between Rick
to skate against some of the biggest names inMiddleton and Tommy Songin looking across ice
hockey!at the Alumni…The Chief, Brad Park, Pie
McKenzie, The Rat, etc… What a
Then "ALL" I had to do was…set a date,feeling!!
book a rink, design the uniforms, get
sponsors, put together the raffles/prizes,Most of the night was a blur for me, but a
staff the event, sell tickets, begin a mediagreat  time  was  had  by  ALL!
push, all while working my full time job @
Northwest Airlines and being a full time, NOWIt all went by so quickly, when we left the
single,  Mom…piece  of  cake!building, my teammates and I were surrounded
by  little  girls,  asking US for autographs.
Did I mention that I'm the type of person who
LOVES a challenge and thrives when peopleIt was the most incredible night for me, in
say,  "You'll  never  do  it!?"so  very  many  ways!
I wanted this to be BIG. I wanted it to beJust weeks after that magical night, my Nana,
different than all of the other Alumni gameswas diagnosed with Breast cancer, (She was in
(other than the obvious of us being a women'sthe stands on March 26th and told me how very
team), I wanted my kids to see that if youproud she was of what I had done, was doing.)
have an idea, as long as you believe in itKnowing that she was now sick, combined with
and work hard at it, it CAN come together.the fact that for the months following the
But most of all, this was my chance to provefirst Chix game, I was constantly being
to myself that I could do this, do somethingasked, by both players and fans, to put
big and "pay it forward"! So with NO eventtogether another game. I decided that I
planning or marketing experience, I was on awould. But because the Organization is just
mission  to  make  this  night  memorable.me (and my children) and it's pretty time
consuming, I figured, Yes, I would do it, but
I'd have mini panic attacks…"Yes, myevery  OTHER  year.
ideas  were great, but can I really do this?"
I also decided to change the beneficiary to
My first crazy idea was to have my favoritethe Breast Cancer Research Foundation. And
Bruin (Terry O'Reilly) play for the Chixthis time, do it in Nana's name (Edna
team, (maybe wear a wig, have him as OURCronin). Unfortunately, my Nana never made it
muscle). I called the Alumni office, spoketo see the game that I was doing in her
to Mal (for the first of MANY, MANY times)honor, she passed away on August 12th, Always
and asked her how to get in touch with Terry.the sports fan, (while literally on her death
She said that she was sorry, but shebed, floating in and out of a morphine
couldn't  give  out  his  info.induced high), She waved me towards her and
whispered, "Deborah, what's the score of the
Oh  well…it  was  a  funny  idea.game?" I said, '2-1, Sox are losing, Nomar's
up and there are 2 outs, doesn't look good."
The moment that I knew this event was goingShe said back to me, "These damn Sox are
to be a success (and that my cousin Michaelgoing to kill me faster than this cancer!"
was watching over me) was...JUST afterThose  were  her  last  words,  to  me.
hanging up with Mal, I pulled into "Hockey
Town", to have my skates sharpened, and whoWhen the second event rolled around, because
do you think was skating??? Yup, TerryI had now become friends with most of the
O'Reilly!! Terry freaken O'Reilly!!!" Ipeople involved with the Bruin's Alumni
took a deep breath, tried to contain my HUGEorganization, I DID get O'Reilly to play for
smirk and walked onto the bench, (where he'dthe Chix, this time. He didn't wear the wig
just sat) I stuck out my hand, introducedand lipstick. But you know what… that
myself and told him of my idea. He laughedwas just fine with me, I got to skate with
and said, "Sure! Here take my number" (Ihim as MY D partner!! Another fun night,
almost pee'd!!) I took out my phone andanother  great  beneficiary.
tried to keep my hands from shaking while
putting his number in. He introduced me to aMy life is sometimes surreal, ie: "Mum,
few of the other guys, Brad Park and AndyTerry's on the phone" (first name basis -
Brickly to name two… and back out onhehe) or walking in somewhere and someone
the ice he went. I walked back to my car,saying to me "Hey, I saw you on TV" (ME, this
completely forgetting to sharpen my skates,former figure skater, funny girl, just a
and called My Mom, Dad, Becky and whoeverworking  Mom, now skating to wipe out cancer)
else would answer their phone on a Tuesday
afternoon! Well, it turned out Terry had aPutting these events together, has changed my
prior Commitment with the Legends of hockeylife, my children's life, too. It's expanded
(in CANADA) for that same date…but whenmy circle of friends, it's made me realize
I called him, he said, "Deb, I'm REALLY sorrythat even when most people think that
that I won't be there, but, I know someonesomething IS NOT possible, that's when I feel
who will be and I'll have him contactit IS! My children have been right by my
you…do you know Rick Middleton?" (UM,side through it all, on the bench, in the
RICK MIDDLETON? OF COURSE I KNOW RICKpapers, in the locker rooms, they too have
MIDDLETON!!!) I said, "Yes." He continued,had an interesting and fun journey…it a
"I'll  see  if  he  can  do  it  for  you."pretty AWESOME feeling to hand a check to an
organization knowing that it may just be my
I honestly did not think that Rick would callmonies raised, that will help find the cure!



1 A B C D E F 89 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134