“Rez Girls 64” reminds us what really matters in sport

Bend it Like Beckham, Rudy, Hoosiers, and even Cheering on the boys from Panyee; you don’t have to love sports to love sports stories.

When I was in grade 3, I picked up a novel at the school library and started reading. It was an uplifting tale about a bunch of kids in a small village in France who, against all odds, created their own soccer team.

That book helped me escape from the heartaches and problems that my family was going through at the time. But more powerfully, it offered life lessons and gave an 8-year-old boy a way to find direction and hope.

Ever since, I’m always moved by stories about perseverance, overcoming adversity, and ultimately about victory.

I was listening to CBC Radio and I heard a very short (3 minute) story called “Rez Girls 64”.

It relays the journey of the Eabametoong First Nation’s girls hockey team’s first ever real competitive hockey game. Though only a few minutes long it has all the makings of a great sport story and even goes a bit further. It reminds us what really matters in sport. What really matters for young girls as they test themselves against the odds. And, how in the end what all kids need (and adults) is a means to increase their belief in themselves.

In only 3 minutes this story refreshed my outlook on sport and even on life itself. I highly recommend it. And, if you enjoyed listening to the story, there’s also a good article that tells the story of the “Rez Girls 64”.