A search for a beginner’s hockey team for women provided no leads for Becky Jardine so the former RCMP officer decided she’d start her own in Red Deer.

She has since placed an ad on Kijiji, created a facebook page (Red Deer Women’s Hockey) and is promoting the idea through word of mouth about like-minded ladies getting together Monday nights at 10 p.m. at the Dawe Arena.

“I’ve never played and there are a couple of girls who have never player either. There’s also a girl who played ringette who said she’d come play with us,” she said. “There’s a couple of girls who play goalie and they said they would come.”

While she has sparked some interest Jardine said she only has about 10 players and would like to more than double that number in order to help pay for the ice time.

“We were going to actually open it up to men if they wanted to come help us out because we’re needing bodies so that we can play a full 21 weeks.”

The 50-year-old said she has always been active, playing on a volleyball team but a lack of players has scuttled that activity and so she was looking for another challenge.

“I’m bored of going to the gym. I did that for years. I walk my dog pretty much everyday,” she said. “I like walking and hiking but team sports, something like hockey where you’re out there not really thinking about exercising but you’re out there having fun, is a good way to get fit.”

In order to play for the full 21 weeks she does need at least 21 players signed up at $155 for the season.

She is of the opinion this is an activity which can fill the void for a lot of women who might find themselves in the same boat as her.

“By the responses I was getting from people around, they were looking for ice time, they wanted to play. There’s a girl from Ponoka who is going to come down and play.”

She added there are a few girls who get together and travel out to Rocky Mountain House to play but she’d rather not travel but instead keep the ice in Red Deer to satisfy her desire to play some hockey.

The first actual ice time comes Sept. 29th at the Dawe Arena.

sports@reddeerexpress.com