AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT: Megan Brettingen | Dublin, California
Women's Hockey Life
Hi! I'm Megan Brettingen from Dublin, California. I grew up in Minnesota where I started playing hockey when I was four. We didn't have a girls' team yet, so I played with the boys for a couple years. My dad helped start the first girls' youth team in our town when I was in third grade. From then on, I played with the girls and loved every minute of it. Before ninth grade, I moved up to Warroad, Minnesota where I played a year of 14U girls and placed third in state. For the next three years I played for the high school team. In those three years, we placed second in state once and first twice. I received the Hobey Baker Sportsmanship Award for our team my senior year.
After high school, I went to the College of Saint Benedict for a Public Accounting degree and to continue playing hockey. For my sophomore through senior year, I was honored to be an Assistant Captain, while receiving the All-Conference Sportsmanship Award & All-Conference.
After college I took a break from hockey to focus on my career, but last April I happened upon someone who owns a rink with triplet daughters while at a Sharks vs Wild game and was asked if I wanted to be a Director of a Girls' Program. During the last season I was head coach of two girls' travel teams, 8U & 12U, and two in-house teams, 10U & 12U. After the season I became the director of the program and will continue to head coach a few girls' teams while assisting the other girls' teams.
What made you want to be a WHL Brand Ambassador?
I wanted to be a WHL Brand Ambassador because I believe so much in women's sports, especially hockey. As a director of a program, I am already an ambassador for girls' hockey, but I still felt I could do more and I believe I can make that difference through being a WHL Brand Ambassador.
What are you most looking forward to as a #WHLAMBASSADOR?
I think I'm most looking forward to working together with others to grow this game we all love. I have so much to learn having just started coaching last year and I want to be able to learn from other ambassadors. I want to learn what they have found as successful or what hasn't worked and come up with new ways to make this sport better for all females.
If you could sit down and have dinner with one female hockey player, who would it be and why?
I would sit down with Natalie Darwitz. Growing up in Minnesota, I always watched the Golden Gophers. I idolized Natalie Darwitz and loved watching her play. I would want to talk to her about what she did to get to where she was in her hockey career and about what she has found successful in her coaching at Hamline.
What's the best advice you've ever been given in hockey or in life?
Take advantage of every opportunity given to you. Some opportunities aren't given to everyone, whether it's hockey or life, and if you have a chance to do something others don't, take advantage of it and use it to better yourself or your community.
What's your dream for women's hockey?
I want women to be able to have as many opportunities to continue to play as the males.
Interested in becoming a #WHLAMBASSADOR?
https://WomensHockeyLife.com
Women's Hockey Life (WHL) focuses on highlighting, promoting and supporting women's hockey around the world at every level. From youth and university hockey, to the pros and the beer league heroes—we cover it all.
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