Before games, Anna Fairman sits with her headphones in or listens to music with her team. She prepares herself for what she considers the most exciting part of the game: the beginning.
“I don’t really get nervous,” she said.
Fairman started playing ice hockey at eight years old after she switched over from figure skating. She said her ultimate goal was to play in college, and she was recently scouted to play at Robert Morris University, a D1 school in Philadelphia.
The scouting process started at the beginning of Fairman’s freshman year. She began emailing colleges before big tournaments and showcases with information and updates on herself and her team. She eventually set up phone calls with colleges that showed interest in her. However, National Collegiate Athletic Association rules for recruiting state that college coaches are not allowed to contact student athletes until September of their junior year of high school. Fairman had to go through her coach in order to set up calls and unofficial visits to the schools where she was able to tour the campus, locker rooms and ice rink.
Fairman made the 12U Chicago Young Americans girls AAA team, and, after not being able to play as much as she wanted on her 14U team, she said she began to work harder.
Although hockey is a predominantly male sport, it is gaining popularity among women. According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, in 1990 there were 6,336 registered females playing hockey in the United States. By 2015, there were more than 73,000.
Fairman said she is inspired by her older sister.
“I’ve always looked up to my older sister, but she doesn’t play,” Fairman said. “She always works hard.”
Although multiple schools showed interest in her, Fairman verbally committed to play at Robert Morris University after being offered a scholarship.
“I like the coaches there a lot, and I like the campus, and it was also the closest one to Michigan that I was looking at,” Fairman said.
Fairman said committing to Robert Morris University was the high point in her career.
“Playing makes me extremely happy,” Fairman said. “I can’t imagine not playing anymore or wanting to quit.”