BY ELIZABETH EDNIE
Growing up, Tara Watchorn always knew she wanted to become an ice hockey coach, but she never imagined building a team from scratch, leading Stonehill College’s first ever Women’s Ice Hockey team.
“Since I was a young girl, I knew that I wanted to coach. I remember watching sports movies to specifically observe the coach. Being a part of a team and belonging to something bigger than yourself is so powerful, and I want to create that experience for others,” Watchorn said.
Stonehill is part of the Northeast 10 (NE10) conference, but the Women’s Ice Hockey team that will make its debut in the 2022-2023 season, will compete in the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) conference, which mostly consists of Division I programs.
“I am looking to build a dynamic where each student-athlete in that locker room wants the best for the person next to them. A culture where we work to build trust, so that we can continue to push each other to grow as leaders, athletes, and women,” Watchorn said.
Watchorn said that she began playing hockey at the age of four after watching her older brother play. She started playing on the boys team, but eventually switched onto an all girls team which is when she said she realized what the opportunities were for women in the ice hockey world.
“I knew I wanted to play in college and beyond,” she said.
Watchorn wasn’t quite ready to hang up her skates after graduating from Boston University in 2012 with a bachelors degree in Public Health. In 2007, the Ontario native joined Team Canada, and competed in over 40 games on the international level. In 2014, she competed in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia where the team won gold.
“To be able to represent your country playing the sport you love is such an amazing feeling,” she said. “The feeling is what is so rewarding and keeps you coming back for more.”
According to the Stonehill Athletics website, Watchorn was the first Boston University alum to return to the Terrier rink to coach the next generation of young women. She served as an assistant coach for four years working primarily with the defense.
“It was such an amazing and overwhelming feeling to have my hockey career come full circle and be able to coach at my alma mater,” she said.
Watchorn said that coaching at Boston University helped make her transition into coaching easier since she was familiar with the school and the program.
“My playing career definitely plays a huge role in how I coach as well,” she said. “Every coach that I had the opportunity to play for and competing at the highest levels, all helped shape my perspective and how I teach players today.”
At Stonehill, Watchorn hopes to bring her passion for the sport, high energy, and a joy of collaborating with others to her daily life on campus. She said that she felt the support and overall excitement for the addition of a women’s hockey program, and for the role athletics plays in general at the College.
“I felt the alignment between the department’s and my own values, and that there was already a great foundation here to build my vision. Every day I spend at Stonehill reaffirms that I feel I made the right decision, and the school has given me so much already,” Watchorn said.
To learn more about Tara Watchorn, the assistant coach, Megan Myers, and the women's hockey program, join them at “Coffee With The Coaches” via Zoom on Friday, February 11, 2022, at noon. Register for the event here.
Visit the Women's Ice Hockey team's Instagram account @stonehillwih to learn about the program and the upcoming season.
Photo courtesy of Stonehill Athletics.
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