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Stressing Out: Angela Ruggiero talks Stress Management
Ice Hockey, Two-time Olympic medalist
From the time I was 8 years old until 14, I was the only girl on the boys' ice hockey team and the only girl in the whole league. The guys on my team were always great - like brothers to me. But the boys on the other teams were pretty cruel.
They would swear at me and call me names. They would try to make fun of me, call me a man. And they would even call me fat. Even their parents, in the stands, would shout out, "Get the girl! Get the girl!"
I was nervous and fearful of what I would face at each game. Who would be picking on me? Which big goon would they send out after me? What names would they call me? I would watch the boys' faces to see who was looking at me the wrong way. I would always hear, "She doesn't belong here."
It's a good thing that I was bigger than most of the boys. I learned to deal with the worry and nervousness. I was determined to prove them wrong. Of course I belonged there!
All of this prepared me to deal with the incredible anxiety I felt when I went away from home at age 14. I had an amazing opportunity - a scholarship to a great prep school in Connecticut, with a great girls' ice hockey team. But I was leaving home at 14, leaving my friends and team, and leaving warm, sunny California.
I was so nervous. I was worried about the schoolwork. I was worried about the new team. I was worried about the kids - would they like me? Would I fit in? I was concerned about the cold weather. But I was most anxious about what to wear. What did they wear at prep school "back East"? I had no idea. I was so anxious - I was having sleeping problems. My body would start to shake. It felt like my head was racing.
Then I got to Choate. I had to adjust - I was the complete outsider. Something else was new for me - skating on an all-girls' team. At first, I wondered if I would be good enough. Getting out on the ice to skate changed all that. It was a lot of fun playing on the girls' team, and they soon became my close friends.
Being good at sports really helped me through all this. All I had to do was gear up and get on the ice, and all my confidence would come back. I was so comfortable as an athlete. It helped to calm me down. I kept thinking - it's just a game. It's a game that I'm good at. It's a game that I love.
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