Campbell gives back to the ringette community
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Tillsonburg's Taylor Campbell has experience helping kids develop ringette skills.
It's mostly been instructing larger groups in tandem with her teammates.
Last week, Campbell was asked to share her knowledge with a trio of Tillsonburg teens, a goalie and two skaters, using the mini ice pad at the Tillsonburg Community Centre to help prepare them for AA ringette tryouts.
"It's different when it's a small group or one-on-one," said Campbell, who recently finished her second year with the National Ringette League's Cambridge Turbos. "It's definitely new to me.
"I gave them my ideas about what kinds of plays they could run. Hopefully they remember it. We worked on going to the net... how to drive the net. How you can slow the play down, start over. This time, their moms told me what they wanted to work on. It's hard on the mini pad though.
"It's communicating with your line, knowing where you're going to go," she told the girls. "Three people driving the net instead of one. The three on the same line need to communicate off the ice."
In tryouts, Campbell admitted there isn't much time to talk with linemates, but she said just a little bit of talking on the bench helps.
"If you know you're going out next shift with them, talk about something that you want to do if you get into the offensive zone. Off the ice, really talk to your line – that really helps a lot."
Campbell enjoyed the chance to give back to Tillsonburg ringette.
"I know when I was that age I'd love to learn from a girl playing NRL."
Cambridge finished its 2013-14 NRL season with a 23-1 record, winning the Eastern conference ahead of Montreal (23-3) and Ottawa (21-4).
"I think we progressed as a team and we got stronger as a team throughout the season. I think we worked our way to the top of the league."
As the first place team, Cambridge received a bye early in the playoffs and avoided the risk of injury. The next eight teams played a best-of-three series to determine who would advance to the national championship tournament in Regina, Saskatchewan.
"So we went to nationals ranked first. We wanted the bye, we wanted to go in No. 1, but we did not have games for a while."
At nationals, early in April, Cambridge cruised through pool play with only one loss to Edmonton, good for a berth in the championship game.
"It was the third or fourth day," said Campbell, recalling the 7-6 loss. "So second and third played for bronze, and who would go on to the finals."
Ottawa eventually reached the finals against Cambridge and pulled off a 7-4 upset to win the 2014 NRL crown.
"They got two empty-netters. We pulled our goalie with like two minutes to go, I think.
"We did hit their goalie a lot, but we didn't play a bad game. I thought we played well. We had a rocky start, maybe. They got the first goal of the game and that's what gave them momentum. At half, we really regrouped. We picked up the pace. I think it was in the third, that's when we got the lead."
But Ottawa replied with two quick goals to go up by one, and those two, said Campbell, seemed to give the Ice most of the momentum.
To say the Turbos were disappointed in national silver medals would be an understatement.
"It was definitely our year to win. Definitely... it was very hard after the game."
Cambridge had finished third at nationals last year, Campbell's rookie season.
"We had good confidence going into it last year, but we didn't go in ranked first. This year, getting Jenn Gaudet on our team, and a couple more strengths. People thought they could focus on the Gaudet sisters, but our second line got so much stronger, it helped us out so much. We knew this was our time to win."
Cambridge came into the season with the same coaching staff, but picked up a former player to help with the forwards.
"Which definitely helped us," said Campbell.
For Campbell, the first few games might have been her best at the national tournament. Jennifer Gaudet had missed the first three, and Campbell was slotted into that position.
"I think maybe I had a better beginning to the tournament. A lot of the older girls encouraged me, gave me motivational talks to play like I was before Jenn was there. I think that helped me out, but my strength was at the beginning of the tournament compared to everything else."
In the finals, much like the rest of the team, Campbell didn't feel she was playing her best game in the first period.
"But I think I picked it up at the end."
Campbell, who finished 12th overall in NRL regular season scoring (13-58-71), is signed with the Turbos for the 2014-15 season. But there are question marks with a new set of coaches coming in.
"It was really our year to win because our coach, Glen Gaudet, is retiring. That was a big thing for the Turbos, I think. Our other coach, Ken (Brown), he's leaving too, and they've been there forever. I'm not sure about Sharolyn (Wouters), but she's having baby.
"That's why it was our year to win it because our coaches are going, and some of our older players, I'm not sure whether they're coming back or not. I don't know.
"I learned a lot from my coaches, but I also learned so much from the vets on the team. That definitely helped out."
During the offseason, the Seneca College student is playing pro-am soccer in London with the Gryphons. She also trains in the gym whenever possible.
"I try to stay as active as I can because as an NRL player, we really have the summer off."