The Role I Played: Canada's Greatest Olympic Hockey Team

by Sami Jo Small Narrated by Chloe Cannon

Overview

A three-time Olympic medalist shares behind-the-scenes insight into the beloved Canadian National Women's Hockey Team



Men's hockey in Canada may hog the limelight, but interest in women's hockey has never been higher. The Role I Played is a memoir of Sami Jo Small's ten years with Canada's National Women's Hockey Team. Beginning with her experience as a rookie at the first-ever women's Olympic hockey tournament in Nagano in 1998 and culminating with Canada's third straight Olympic gold medal in Vancouver in 2010, the veteran goaltender gives the listener behind-the-scenes insight into one of the most successful teams in sports history.



Small offers insider access, writing with unflinching honesty about the triumphs of her greatest games and the anguish of difficult times. This book honors the individuals who sacrificed so much of their lives to represent Canada on a world stage and celebrates their individual contributions to the team's glory. While bringing the personalities of her teammates to life, Small takes the listener into the dressing rooms and onto the ice for an up-close glimpse into the ups and downs of athletes pursuing a sport's highest achievement.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Role I Played is a bold and deeply personal testament to the game’s importance, giving fans the good, the bad, and the ugly of competition, while also providing a thorough document of women’s hockey in this country. But more than anything, it highlights the intense emotion, uncertainty, and self-sacrifice inherent to a life of athletic pursuit.” — Quill & Quire

“Glimpses of her childhood and life outside of hockey come into view, but the main focus is the roller-coaster ride of striving to compete at the sport’s top level.” — Library Journal

“While many hockey fans will recognize the contributions to the women’s game by American and Canadian stars such as Cammi Granato, Katie King, Haley Wickenheiser and Danielle Goyette, the contributions of players like Sami Jo Small should be recognized as well and this book will bring a lot of information and enjoyment to hockey fans everywhere.” — The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books blog

“The Role I Played is worth it to two kinds of people — hockey buffs and those who yearn for inspiration.” — Winnipeg Free Press

“The Role I Played is important as both a history book and an autobiography, but more than this Small’s book is simply a great book and a great read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in hockey, women's hockey, the Olympics, women athletes, or just a good autobiography.” — Hockey in Society blog

“Overall, The Role I Played was a quick read for me as I was immersed in Small’s storytelling from the first page right through the epilogue.” — Hockey Blog in Canada

“A book fans of Canadian hockey should enjoy as they get to know Small, her journey and Team Canada’s journey.” — Yorkton This Week

“I highly recommend this book for any and all hockey fans out there.” — The Ice Garden

“The Role I Played is a story for any hockey player, fan or coach that has a love for the game and appreciation for the women who helped pave the way for many young girls who play the sport today.” — Women’s Hockey Life

“In diary form that younger readers should enjoy, she defines camaraderie on a national team and the sacrifices women made for their hockey dreams.” — The Chronicle Herald

Library Journal

09/01/2020

Though much less recognized than the men's teams, the Canadian and American women's Olympic hockey teams are powerhouses, consistently making it to every final and battling each other for the gold. Here, Canadian goalie Small provides a look at some of those battles. While not uncommon for top women players to land hockey scholarships to highly competitive universities, Small was in her third year as an engineering major at Stanford on a track and field scholarship when she received the invitation to tryouts for the Canadian women's national team. The narrative starts from that point, and continues through the years she played with the team, including the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Glimpses of her childhood and life outside of hockey come into view, but the main focus is the roller-coaster ride of striving to compete at the sport's top level. VERDICT Small's drive to be part of the competition—preferably on the winning side—comes through loud and clear, making her story all the more compelling. Her account will appeal to hockey fans and readers interested in athletes' attempts to earn (and keep) a spot on an Olympic team.—Sara Holder, Univ. of Illinois Libs., Champaign

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177575070
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	09/29/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

It’s still February and a call comes into our rented house in Redwood City from Danièle Sauvageau, now Team Canada’s head coach. I think I like her. She’s a former RCMP officer and Montreal cop with a tough exterior, but also seems to engage her players.

“How’s hockey in California?” she asks in her thick French accent.

“We’re in the middle of the pack, probably outside a berth to the Nationals, but for our final weekend we’ll play against the University of California at Berkeley for what’s known as the Big Skate.”

“The big skate? You win a skate?” she asks as if perhaps what I had said was lost in translation.

“Well, kind of. Berkeley is our biggest rival, and in football they play ‘The Big Game,’ so in hockey we play ‘The Big Skate.’” I opt not to explain further. Neither Berkeley nor Stanford are very strong this year; however, my brother, Luke, after being accepted into their optometry school, decided to play for our cross-bay rivals. The Big Skate is for bragging rights, but I don’t explain all this to Danièle — it’s a family thing she’s bound not to understand.

“Well, I guess, good luck in . . . ‘The Big Skate,’” she says with a confused tone.

There’s a pause.

“I am calling to congratulate you on making the World Championship team.”

I realize that this call is not just a catch-up session, but in fact the call I’ve been waiting for since I first watched Susie Yuen and the entire Team Canada in pink jerseys play on television at the 1990 World Championships.

“Welcome to Team Canada.”

Goosebumps run up my spine as a smile floods my face.

“Thank you . . . thank you so much.”

I hang up the phone and scream for Diana, who is in the other room. Corey and Susan come running too.

“Guys, I made it! I made Team Canada.” They rush in for a giant hug, making me squirm while they laugh and congratulate me. None of my roommates have any sort of hockey background, but they’ve watched me play and have been my biggest fans. Diana makes us all a celebratory dinner of empanadas and other Mexican treats, and my Stanford friends help me celebrate a Canadian childhood dream come true.

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