M’CHIGEENG—It’s been a whirlwind of activity for 12-year-old Zaagasge (Zee) Toulouse over the past few weeks as she prepares to travel to Milan, Italy on April 11. But while Milan may be best known for its place in the fashion industry, it’s hockey not clothing that has drawn this young Anishinabekwe to Italy’s shores.
“I don’t know how fashionable she will be,” laughs her Nokomis (grandmother) Clara Corbiere of M’Chigeeng. “She will probably be wearing mostly her sweats.”
Zee is one very focussed young woman and she has her eyes firmly set on becoming the youngest Anishinabekwe to play on Canada’s Olympic Women’s Hockey team. Being selected as part of the ProDevelopment2006 team is just one of the many steps this very accomplished hockey player has climbed toward her goal.
Is she excited? “Yes,” Zee tells The Expositor. Zee explains that she first fell in love with hockey at the age of “six or seven.” Her parents put her on the ice at a very young age. “I was about two or three years old,” she explains. “I started playing rep hockey at eight or nine.”
As to what has invoked such passion for the quintessential Canadian sport, she has no hesitation. “It is a really fun sport,” she said, “much different from volleyball or soccer.” The fast pace, the adrenaline of making the shot and the close camaraderie with your teammates make for a winning combination to capture a young woman’s heart.
Zee may be focussed on her goal, but she is very far from a one song personality. Despite the time that a high tier sports path can take away from the classroom, Zee has jumped a grade level in her language courses and is excelling in her other classes as well. “She is still doing Grade 6 math,” said Ms. Corbiere. “The school wants her there for the standardized tests,” she laughed.
Music is also a big part of Zee’s life.
“I really like playing the piano,” she said, adding that her piano playing just got a huge birthday boost from her sibling. “My brother just gave me his piano.”
The young hockey phenom is a familiar sight on the ice in her Sudbury Wolves minor peewee jersey (she has just turned 12) and it was during one of the many hockey tournaments she played in that Zee was scouted for the overseas team.
“I was approached and asked if she would be interested trying out for the girls’ spring team,” said Ms. Corbiere. “We went and there were about 50 to 60 kids trying out for the 2007 team on the ice.” (Teams are grouped by the year they were born, as a barely 12-year-old that would have placed her in the ProDevelopment2007 category.)
Zee went through the paces and then the waiting began. “They told us it would be about three weeks,” said Ms. Corbiere. When the call came, they were in for a shock. Not only did Zee make the team, she was offered a berth on the next year up—as a member of the ProDevelopment2006 team. A fitting result for an Anishinabekwe who her grandmother describes as “constantly challenging herself.”
The overseas tournament schedule is fairly gruelling and aimed more at the development of women’s hockey talent than simply competing for hardware.
“We will be in Italy for two days, the first day she will be skating with her team (of 13 and 14-year-olds) where they will be getting to know each other and the coaches,” said Ms. Corbiere. “The second day they will put all of the girls’ (from several European and two Canadian teams) names in the hat and draw teams,” said Ms. Corbiere. Those ad hoc teams will play against each other while being instructed by coaches from Russia, Italy, Switzerland and Canada. An additional challenge will be that some of the coaches may not speak English. “There will likely be a lot of body language involved,” said Ms. Corbiere.
On the third day the team will head to Mont Blanc, France for the tournament proper.
Zee is making some serious sacrifices to play on the team. “She will be missing her AAA major peewee tryouts because she is in Europe,” said Ms. Corbiere. “We don’t really know at this time where it leaves her for hockey next fall but we are exploring her options. She didn’t want to play women’s hockey till first year bantam but she still has one year of peewee left so she might opt to play AA peewee major and then up to AAA peewee major.” Oh, that’s right—Zee is playing on an all-boy team with the Sudbury Wolves.
The trip to the European tournament will be expensive and Zee’s grandmother has been marshalling as many fundraising avenues as she can to soften the financial burden.
“We are trying to raise $5,600 Canadian, the entry fees and everything are in US dollars, so that’s what it works out to in Canadian,” explained Ms. Corbiere. In addition to selling her legendary pies (she’s raised $1,000 from two pie sales so far), Zee’s nokomis has been selling squares on a 100-square hockey pool at $10 apiece. “There is also a prize bingo being held on April 5 at the church (Immaculate Conception in M’Chigeeng). We have sponsorship letters out as well and we have received $250 from a couple of businesses.”
Harnessing the power of social media a group of young female hockey players in Burlington held a fundraiser online through the hashtag #meetz last Saturday.
Those wishing to support the effort can do so through email transfers to zfundraising@gmail.com. Her grandmother can be reached on Facebook (just search Clara Corbiere) or by text or call to 705-282-4928.
