Q&A with Rosemount girls hockey coach Jennifer Williams
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — Q&A with Jennifer Williams who is the co-head coach for the Rosemount varsity girl’s hockey team along with Kyle Finn.
How long have you been coaching?
Jennifer Williams: I have been coaching my daughters in the Rosemount Area Hockey Association for 7 years and this is my first year coaching at the HS Varsity level.
What is your background in this sport?
Williams: My skating lessons started with my brothers and family allowing me to tag along on their many trips to the backyard outdoor ice rink. After moving from Burnsville to Rosemount in the 2nd grade, I joined Rosemount Ringette as my first organized girls winter sports team. Ringette was an on-ice sport for girls that was quite different from hockey. I then transitioned to girls hockey, playing in the MN Showcase league during my middle school years. In 8 th grade my friends and I decided to tryout for Varsity Girls Hockey at RHS and made the team. This was Rosemount High Schools first year of Varsity Girls Hockey. I played Varsity hockey for the Irish for 5 years and after graduation from RHS, continued my hockey career at St. Cloud State University. I played for St. Cloud State University Division 1 Womens Hockey team for 4 years. After graduating from St. Cloud State in 2004, I was able to play for the MN Whitecaps for 1 season in 2005. After the MN Whitecaps I continued to play on a team in a Womens Hockey league until hanging up my playing skates and focusing on beginning a family.
What are one or two things that the team does in training that are keys to their success?
Williams: Attitude and Effort!! These are the two things that help our team be successful on and off the ice. We can control what type of attitude and what effort we bring to every practice and every game. If the players and coaches all have a great attitude and give their best effort, then we will continue to learn and grow as athletes and coaches!
Please describe the most memorable games/tournaments/championships your team has won.
Williams: Being that I have only this one season at the Varsity level so far, I don’t have a ton of games to reflect on. We have had some memorable games, but our most recent games against Eastview and Shakopee are probably the most memorable. In the Eastview game we got down early and had to climb back for an OT win. It was great to see our team come together to face the deficit and come out with a 4-3 win in OT. In the Shakopee game we had to hold off the Sabres the entire game and ended up with an awesome 4-3 OT win. In both of these games the girls showed me what type of heart, grit, and determination that they have, and that is fun to be a part of that!
How do you encourage the team after a disappointing loss?
Williams: After a difficult loss it can be easy to see all the negative things that happened in the game. We talk about how the next hour of ice that we have is the most important. That is where we can get better and work on fixing the mistakes we have made. We need to continue to learn and work hard to get better every practice and every game so we can play our best hockey at the end of the season.
Describe your proudest coaching moment.
Williams: I do not have one proudest coaching moment, I have so many. I am proud of my own children, as they show up and work hard at everything they do. I am proud of all the girls I have coached because they continue to work hard and challenge each other, and still keep a strong love for the game, their friends, and their teammates.
What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from being a coach?
Williams: My biggest life lesson from coaching is that all we can do and control is what energy we put into. Meaning we need to come together everyday and work hard, have a good attitude and respect one another. We need to do this in work, sports, school, life!!
What legacy do you hope to leave as a coach?
Williams: A legacy that I would like to leave as a coach….wow, I have never thought about that. I really hope that the players and parents know that I care about their daughters. Not just as hockey players but more as people. I want them to be successful on and off the ice! Life is more than just hockey and it is important that we support the players as they navigate through all aspects of their lives.
Anything else you’d like to add:
Williams: The game of hockey is not just a game. We surround ourselves with some of our best friends and favorite people and play a game we have in common and a sport that we love, it is so much FUN!
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