Learning from the best: SAHA’s Kendal Davidson participating in mentorship program with PWHPA

By KELLEN TANIGUCHI on March 19, 2021.

ktaniguchi@medicinehatnews.com@@kellentaniguchi

South Alberta Hockey Academy Female U18 Prep defenceman Kendal Davidson is one of 21 athletes throughout Canada participating in the Scotia Rising Teammates Mentorship Program in collaboration with Hockey Canada and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association.

The 15-year-old Lethbridge product was smiling ear to ear when she received the news.

“I was ecstatic. It was a great feeling,” said Davidson. “It shows me that my work has paid off and that I’m getting somewhere with hockey.”

The exclusive mentorship program includes four one-on-one sessions with a PWHPA player and four group training sessions.

“It’s great. It’s like a whole new world when you hear from the people that have played there and then the coaches and scouts. The PWHPA players are great,” she said.

The SAHA female U18 prep defenceman said her one-on-one mentor is Sarah Nurse, an Olympic medalist and forward for the Canadian national hockey team.

“She told me a bit about herself and her journey through her career and it’s been amazing,” said Davidson. “I ask questions that I want to know about and she tells me her experiences with her program.”

Davidson has already had a one-on-one session and one group session with the program and she’s been bringing her new found knowledge to her SAHA practices.

“She’s already doing a lot to include us in the process,” said Norah Andronyk, 15, Davidson’s teammate. “It makes me excited and it feels really good that we’re included in this journey she’s on and we can better ourselves from it as well a team.”

Davidson also scrimmages with the SAHA boys team and played with the bantam AAA boys team in Lethbridge last year. She added she likes playing with both teams because the boys and girls game is so different and it gives her two different perspectives.

Younger girls playing hockey in Lethbridge already look up to Davidson, and she said she’s happy to be a role model for the upcoming female hockey players.

“I want them to not be afraid to play where they want to play and there is nothing telling them they can’t play where they want to,” she said.

Davidson has three more weeks of the mentorship program left and she plans to keep absorbing knowledge as she continues pursuing her goal of representing Canada at the Olympics.

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