The Role I Played
Canada's Greatest Olympic Hockey Team
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9781770415652
- Publish Date
- Sep 2020
- List Price
- $34.95
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eBook
- ISBN
- 9781773056098
- Publish Date
- Sep 2020
- List Price
- $23.99
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Description
“Glimpses of her childhood and life outside of hockey come into view, but the main focus is the roller-coaster ride of striving to compete at the sport’s top level.” — Library Journal
“Sami Jo has an energetic personality that shines through with every story in this book.” — Jennifer Botterill, four-time Olympian
Two-time Olympic gold medalist offers insider access, writing with unflinching honesty about the triumphs of her greatest games and the anguish of difficult times with the Canadian National Women’s Hockey Team
Men’s hockey in Canada may hog the limelight, but interest in women’s hockey has never been higher. The Role I Played is a memoir of Sami Jo Small’s ten years with Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team. Beginning with her experience as a rookie at the first-ever women’s Olympic hockey tournament in Nagano in 1998 and culminating with Canada’s third straight Olympic gold medal in Vancouver in 2010, the veteran goaltender gives the reader behind-the-scenes insight into one of the most successful teams in sports history.
This book honours the individuals who sacrificed so much of their lives to represent Canada on a world stage and celebrates their individual contributions to the team’s glory. While bringing the personalities of her teammates to life, Small takes the reader into the dressing rooms and onto the ice for an up-close glimpse into the ups and downs of athletes pursuing a sport’s highest achievement.
About the author
Contributor Notes
Sami Jo Small is a three-time Canadian Olympic ice hockey goalie (two golds and one silver) and a five-time World Champion. A graduate of Stanford University in mechanical engineering, she now works as a Certified Speaking Professional, delivering messages on how to build successful teams as well as successful teammates. From Winnipeg, Manitoba, she now lives in Mississauga, Ontario.
Excerpt: The Role I Played: Canada's Greatest Olympic Hockey Team (by (author) Sami Jo Small)
It’s still February and a call comes into our rented house in Redwood City from Danièle Sauvageau, now Team Canada’s head coach. I think I like her. She’s a former RCMP officer and Montreal cop with a tough exterior, but also seems to engage her players.
“How’s hockey in California?” she asks in her thick French accent.
“We’re in the middle of the pack, probably outside a berth to the Nationals, but for our final weekend we’ll play against the University of California at Berkeley for what’s known as the Big Skate.”
“The big skate? You win a skate?” she asks as if perhaps what I had said was lost in translation.
“Well, kind of. Berkeley is our biggest rival, and in football they play ‘The Big Game,’ so in hockey we play ‘The Big Skate.’” I opt not to explain further. Neither Berkeley nor Stanford are very strong this year; however, my brother, Luke, after being accepted into their optometry school, decided to play for our cross-bay rivals. The Big Skate is for bragging rights, but I don’t explain all this to Danièle — it’s a family thing she’s bound not to understand.
“Well, I guess, good luck in . . . ‘The Big Skate,’” she says with a confused tone.
There’s a pause.
“I am calling to congratulate you on making the World Championship team.”
I realize that this call is not just a catch-up session, but in fact the call I’ve been waiting for since I first watched Susie Yuen and the entire Team Canada in pink jerseys play on television at the 1990 World Championships.
“Welcome to Team Canada.”
Goosebumps run up my spine as a smile floods my face.
“Thank you . . . thank you so much.”
I hang up the phone and scream for Diana, who is in the other room. Corey and Susan come running too.
“Guys, I made it! I made Team Canada.” They rush in for a giant hug, making me squirm while they laugh and congratulate me. None of my roommates have any sort of hockey background, but they’ve watched me play and have been my biggest fans. Diana makes us all a celebratory dinner of empanadas and other Mexican treats, and my Stanford friends help me celebrate a Canadian childhood dream come true.
Editorial Reviews
“The Role I Played is a bold and deeply personal testament to the game’s importance, giving fans the good, the bad, and the ugly of competition, while also providing a thorough document of women’s hockey in this country. But more than anything, it highlights the intense emotion, uncertainty, and self-sacrifice inherent to a life of athletic pursuit.” — Quill & Quire
“Glimpses of her childhood and life outside of hockey come into view, but the main focus is the roller-coaster ride of striving to compete at the sport’s top level.” — Library Journal
“While many hockey fans will recognize the contributions to the women’s game by American and Canadian stars such as Cammi Granato, Katie King, Haley Wickenheiser and Danielle Goyette, the contributions of players like Sami Jo Small should be recognized as well and this book will bring a lot of information and enjoyment to hockey fans everywhere.” — The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books blog
“The Role I Played is worth it to two kinds of people — hockey buffs and those who yearn for inspiration.” — Winnipeg Free Press
“The Role I Played is important as both a history book and an autobiography, but more than this Small’s book is simply a great book and a great read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in hockey, women's hockey, the Olympics, women athletes, or just a good autobiography.” — Hockey in Society blog
