A Grande Prairie teen is ready to lace up her skates for Team Alberta in the 2023 Canada Winter Games. 16-year-old Rilee Mcleod started playing hockey at a very young age and is thrilled to be adding another layer to a career she calls fun and exciting.
“My family has always been a hockey family and my dad loved it so much. I always have a great time skating, so it’s always doing something that I like, and I kept getting better I would say. I just really enjoy it so I will keep doing it.”
As a student-athlete with help from her coaches, Rilee says she has been able to manage her time well. Her team practices four times a week for an hour a day, in addition to two games played on weekends.
“My coaches have been really good they give me a little lead way if I need to go do extra study time, and they give me a lot of heads up so I can plan for when I want to do school work and when I want to practice. I get a schedule pretty early so I can plan at least a week ahead,” Rilee says.
“It’s not too bad; it is kinda like doing schoolwork during the day, practicing, and doing homework when I get home. It’s a bit of a grind but nothing too crazy,” Rilee adds.
Rilee says she will try for Team Alberta again next year before she plans to head to the U.S. after high school is over. Team Alberta will fly to Prince Edward Island on February 26th and will play six games until March 6th.