Hlangana noDani Rylan, uMsunguli we-NWHL

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UDani Rylan ngu-5'3 '', noma u-5'5 '' kuma-ice skate. Akabambeli ama-axels aphindwe kabili noma imvunulo elandelanayo, noma kunjalo; Umsebenzi kaRylan wokushwibeka wawuhlale umayelana neHockey-nethimba labafana, akukho ngaphansi. "Ukukhula, bekuyikho konke engikwaziyo," usho kanje. "Futhi lokho kwenze kwaba mnandi."

Labo bafana bebengavumeli nje intombazane enhle enhle ukuba igudle ngemuva kwabo. Ngemva kweminyaka edlala neTampa Bay Junior Lightning esikoleni samabanga aphansi, wayezimisele ngokwanele ngomdlalo wakhe kangangokuthi abazali bakhe bamvumela ukuba abhalise esikoleni okuhlalwa kuso esingaphezu kwamamayela ayinkulungwane ukusuka ekhaya lakhe eFlorida. Isikole i-St. Mark's sidume eNew England ngohlelo lwaso lwe-ice hockey, esikhiqize abadlali abambalwa abakhokhelwayo, futhi u-Rylan uqokwe njengokaputeni weqembu lamantombazane. Ubuye wadlala nabafana futhi eqenjini lekilabhu leMetropolitan State University eColorado. (Ihokhi akuwona kuphela umdlalo wabesilisa olungele abesifazane; thola ukuthi Kungani Amaqembu Esikole Samabanga Aphakeme Emukela Abasubathi Babesifazane.)

“Ngemuva kwama-try, abaqeqeshi beza kimina bathi, ‘Uqinisekile ukuthi ufuna ukudlala oxhumana naye i-hockey?'" URylan, manje oneminyaka engu-28, uyakhumbula. "Ngathi, Hhayi-ke, ngiyazi ukuthi angizami i-ballet.' Bengazi ukuthi ngingena kuphi. "

Uqine isibindi ngemuva kokushaywa yilabo asebenza nabo ekolishi elikhudlwana, eliqinile- "ngemuva kwayo yonke imidlalo, bengizizwa sengathi ngishayiswe yiloli elincane," esho-kodwa ubukhulu babo bekungewona ukuphela kobuhlungu obubuhlungu phakathi kwabo. Abafana baphuphe ngokudlala ku-NHL, noma bashintshe bayodlalela isikole i-D-1. URylan, vele, akakwazanga.

Uyachaza, "Uma udlale umdlalo impilo yakho yonke, uba yingxenye yobuntu bakho, ngakho-ke lapho kufanele uwulengise, umzuzu odabukisayo."

Uthi abagijimi besifazane bafinyelela eminyakeni engama-27, noma isigamu seminyaka eyishumi ngemuva kwekolishi. Ngakho-ke ngemuva kokuphothula uRylan, wayengakulungele ukuthatha umhlalaphansi. Wathuthela eNew York City, lapho wavula khona isitolo sakhe sekhofi (Rise and Grind e-East Harlem) futhi waqhubeka nokudlala ngokuzilibazisa kwamaqembu amakilabhu amadoda amabili. “Kungifanele, kodwa kubadlali abasancintisana ezingeni likazwelonke, inhloso yabo enkulu ukudlala kuma-Olimpiki njalo eminyakeni emine,” usho kanje. Kwakungekho zinketho zobungcweti, yayingekho iligi yaseMelika, futhi impela lalingekho ithuba lokuthi abadlali besifazane bakhokhelwe. URylan ukhale ngawo wonke lawo mathuba aphuthelwe, bonke labo basubathi abebengenazo izinhloso abasele ukuba bazibekele zona.

Umcabango wanamathela kuye kuyo yonke impilo yangemva kokuthweswa iziqu, njengoba ephuma phansi ethi Rise and Grind. Kwakungesikhathi sama-Olimpiki ka-2014, lapho amaqembu e-ice hockey abesifazane avela e-U.S. NaseCanada belwa ngesikhathi esengeziwe ngesikhathi sokugcina, lapho uRylan aphefumulelwa khona ukuthi azakhele iligi kazwelonke eyedwa. "Ukubuka lelo zinga le-hockey futhi ngibona ukuthi alikho ithuba elinjengaleli kubangani bami, bekubukeka kungafanele," usho kanje. "Angikholwanga ukuthi ibivele ingekho vele." (Hlangana nabesifazane abaningi abashintsha ubuso bamandla wamantombazane.)

Ngenkathi enza ucwaningo ngaleli bhizinisi elisha, ezemidlalo zabesifazane zazijabulela ukuthandwa ngendlela engakaze ibonwe, iqembu lebhola lezinyawo labesifazane laseMelika liwina iNdebe Yomhlaba kanye noSerena Williams phakathi nesizini ebabazekayo. Konke ukunakwa kumsizile kuphela kunhloso yakhe, kuchaza uRylan.

Ngakho-ke umuntu uqala kanjani ukudala iligi yezemidlalo kazwelonke? Ngokubamba ucingo. Kakhulu. "Abantu bahlala bethi umhlaba weHockey mncane kakhulu, futhi iyile ndlela le nto eshesha ngayo njengeqhwa," usho njalo. "Ngithinte umndeni wami we-hockey, futhi wonke umuntu ubesemuva kwawo. Bonke bathi 'Dani, kufanele ukwenze lokhu!" Umsebenzi wakhe we-hockey weminyaka engamashumi amabili ubumnikeze inethiwekhi yokuxhumana, kusuka kubadlali kuya ezindaweni, ngenkathi ikhofi isitolo besimfundise amakhono amakhulu ebhizinisi. Esikhathini esingaphansi konyaka, iligi yaqala ukumila.

U-Rylan uthole abadlali, wabamba amakamu okuqeqesha, wacwaninga amadolobha, wadala amaqembu, nezindawo ezihleliwe. "Noma ngubani ohlela ukusebenzela ukuziphilisa, isigqoko sami ngiya kubo," ehleka. Ngokuthola indawo, wakhetha ukugxila enyakatho-mpumalanga. "Amaphesenti angamashumi amathathu nantathu akho konke ukubhaliswa kwe-hockey asenyakatho-mpumalanga," uyachaza. "Ukugcina izindleko zethu ziphansi, sikhethe izimakethe ezine ezisebenza kakhulu enyakatho-mpumalanga." Amadolobha okugcina, namaqembu awo, yiBuffalo Beauts, New York Riveters, Connecticut Whale, kanye neBoston Pride.

Ukuthola imali bekuyinkimbinkimbi ngokwengeziwe. "Abaxhasi bafuna izinombolo eziphathekayo: siyini i-demo yethu, bangaki abalandeli abaya emidlalweni, njalonjalo," kusho uRylan. "Uma ungakadlali isizini, awunazo lezo zinombolo. Ngenhlanhla, besinabatshalizimali kwasekuqaleni abebeseka kakhulu le ligi, nezemidlalo yabesifazane. Ibhizinisi elingakasetshenziswa!"

Le mali ibiyinto ebaluleke kakhulu kuNational Women's Hockey League, ngoba ngokungafani nemizamo yabanye yokwenza amaligi ochwepheshe, uRylan wayehlose ukuthola abadlali bakhe ikhokhiwe. Kuzothatha isikhashana ngaphambi kokuthi laba badlali bakwazi ukuziphilisa ngemidlalo yabo-ingasaphathwa eyokukhipha izinkontileka zabantu abayisishiyagalombili njengeLebrons of the world-kodwa kungakanani laba besifazane abangakwenza? "Empeleni, lesi yisikhathi esihle sokubuza lo mbuzo ngoba iholo lokuqala liphumile namuhla," kusho uRylan ngokuziqhenya. "Isilinganiso semali engu- $ 15,000." (Wonke umuntu kufanele aqale ndawana thize; nansi Indlela Abadlali Besifazane Abakhokhelwa Kakhulu Abayenza Imali Ngayo.)

Kulelo nani, abasubathi be-NWHL bazibophezele emikhubeni emibili ngesonto, imidlalo eyisishiyagalolunye yasekhaya, kanye nemidlalo eyisishiyagalolunye yasekuhambeni. URylan uqinisekise ukuthi uhlelo lwesizini luba lula ngangokunokwenzeka kwabesifazane, abangaba nemisebenzi yesikhathi esigcwele kanye nemindeni. Ukuzijwayeza kwenziwa ngemva kwamahora okusebenza, futhi imidlalo iba ngamaSonto kuphela. "Sineqembu labesifazane abehlukene kule ligi," esho, kusukela kothisha kuya kubadwebi bamapulani, kusuka kuma-gals endawo kuya kwabesifazane abaqashwe e-Austria, eRussia nase Japan.

Umdlalo wokuqala wesizini yokuqala ye-NWHL uzoba ngo-Okthoba 11, 2015, ngo-1: 30 ntambama, lapho i-puck yehla phakathi kweRiveters noMkhomo e-Chelsea Piers eStamford, CT. URylan ubengenaso isikhathi esanele sokuthokozela ukufeza kwakhe, noma ukucabanga ngefa lakhe njengokhomishani wokuqala we-NWHL. Eqinisweni, uyahleka lo mbono.

“Ngigxile kukho konke okwamanje, angazi noma ngiyakubona yini okwamanje,” usho kanje. "Ngemuva kwempumelelo yalo nyaka, [kulapho] lapho ngidonsa umoya bese ngithi, 'Wow.'"

Okwamanje, ubonga "impumelelo encane." "Abazali beza kithi, bathi, 'Kuyamangalisa ukuthi indodakazi yami ingaphupha ngokuba ngumsubathi oqeqeshiwe," "uyabelana. "Bathi, 'Indodana yami ifuna ukuba yiRanger. Manje indodakazi yami ifuna ukuba yiRiveter.'"

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