Gillian Jackson Now Runs the Rink She Learned to Skate In
Gillian Jackson didn’t start playing hockey until she was 11 years old. Until then, she didn’t know the sport existed, even in a metro Philadelphia area where hockey is a pretty popular activity.
Even when she did begin skating, she mainly kept to herself. But hockey put her on an unexpected pathway to success.
“When I started, I was terrified and I was an extremely shy kid, barely said five words when I first started in the program and now I’m running an entire rink,” Jackson said. “I’m running the rink that I started out in. So yeah, it really gives you a voice, gives you that confidence to handle whatever you need to in life.”
Jackson is a senior coordinator neighborhood leader for the Ed Snider Youth Hockey and Education program, which gives opportunities to underserved communities in the Philadelphia area.
Jackson runs the Laura Sims Skate House in West Philly, where she grew up.
Through her role with Snider, the 28-year-old earned a scholarship to attend the 2024 North American Rink Conference & Expo in Milwaukee. With the confidence she’s built through hockey and with Snider Hockey since joining the staff in 2014, Jackson didn’t have the type of trepidation she did when starting out in hockey when she attended the conference.
“I never thought I would have done that,” Jackson said of her younger self. “I would have been too terrified as a kid to go by myself to a completely different state and meet a bunch of different people that I never met and challenge myself like that. I never would have thought of doing that.”
The conference gave Jackson the chance to interact with people in roles like hers and others from USA Hockey-registered programs from across the country. To say she broadened her hockey horizons would be an understatement.
“I was extremely surprised that it wasn’t just about the hockey aspect of it,” Jackson said. “There was social, emotional awareness training, there was how to build your organization, different tips and tricks. We were able to kind of just talk amongst ourselves throughout the session and bounce ideas off of each other, which was awesome. It wasn’t just somebody talking at you for X number of days and you’re expected to have a test at the end. We kind of built our own community, we held each other accountable and it was awesome.”
Now Jackson makes sure to check in daily with the emotional health of the kids and staffers who come to her rink. She also uses new ideas to attack problems and better ways to communicate better with parents, including how “a simple diagram can answer 75% of the questions that I’ve been dealing with repeatedly throughout the years.”
She’s combined all of that with Snider Hockey staples such as checking in on report cards to make sure the kids are doing well in school, as well as providing help or rewards where appropriate.
She loved her trip to Milwaukee, but the experience almost didn’t happen.
“My boss suggested I apply for it,” Jackson said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, cool. I’m never going to get it. I’m going to write my essay. It’s not going to be a big deal. They’re going to let me down gently.’ And then I had my interview for it and the people who interviewed me were super cool, really down to earth. … But I’m still not going to get it. So, when I got that email saying like, ‘Oh, yeah, you’re going to Wisconsin,’ I kind of had to just sit there and look at it for a minute.”
Jackson called the information she was able to gather and the relationships she made “insane.” So much so that she wants to go back not only to further her education, but to help those in West Philadelphia, whether or not they stick with hockey.
Jackson started working with Snider Hockey near the origin of the program, and she’s loved seeing how much it’s changed over the years.
“We have kids that are brand new to the area, brand new to the country trying out a sport that they never would have had an opportunity to and just seeing that wonder of like, ‘Oh, my god, I never knew the sport existed. I never thought I could do this,’” she said. “It’s always an amazing experience to witness seeing them go from a terrified kid to ‘Oh, no. I got this. I’m the best player out here. I’m going to be going to college and playing this. I’m going to be going to the NHL.’”
Jackson experienced those emotions as her playing career developed.
When she first picked up the sport, she played at left wing. About three years later, her team didn’t have a goalie on its roster. Jackson had played goalie in street hockey, so her head coach encouraged her to try the position on the ice.
Initially, Jackson was sure she’d struggle After all, stopping a ball on the street is much different than blocking a puck on the ice. Her parents convinced her to commit to playing goalie — not only to help her team, but to build confidence in herself.
“I’d still be playing goalie now, if my knees and my joints could keep up with it,” Jackson said.
After high school, Jackson said she started “working immediately for Snider so I could start giving back.”
She hasn’t stopped giving back yet.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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Source: usahockey.com