Letter: Proud to be a Mother Pucker

Proud to be a Mother Pucker

I was one of the first women to be on the first Mother Puckers squad, which started in 1974. It started because our very young sons had no team to practice against. We were a rag-tag team with various kinds of equipment for the ice. I wore figure skates and a football helmet. Our coach was Chuck Cole. There is an archive photo of Chuck and me at the 25th reunion of the Puckers. Bonnie Brucker was still alive at that reunion and attended it. There also is an archive photo of the mothers playing against our little guys in 1974 — which shows me landing on my back on the ice sporting a football helmet and a down parka. I have always been proud to have been a Mother Pucker! My son Steven played hockey all his years growing up in Aspen, and in high school was a captain of the team, and that team did very well with hardly any players. Steven has gone on to be a coach of junior hockey in the past and still plays on men’s leagues in Aspen. Now, my grandchildren are into Aspen Hockey — Ryan, a senior, is on the high school team and Kelsey, who is a junior, and Robbie, who is in seventh grade. The Mother Puckers never did beat the little guys in 1974, but we certainly had a fun time! And the kids got some practice! And I lost weight skating up and down the ice! A really fun time in Aspen was had by all of us. Those were the wonderful years in Aspen. Our grandson, Ryan, also had a very successful time with the Aspen Skiers Football Team.

Sally Fitzgerald

Carbondale