The Gospel In The Game Sports Podcast
Conversation and stories about real athletes and the journey thru sport, faith and life.
Connecting athletes, sports families and the church. Build bridges and telling real stories to help repair, build and grow people.
Hosts Dan Dromarsky and Dave Dawson
The Gospel In The Game Sports Podcast
Claire Butorac - Stick on Ice, Heart in Faith
What does it mean to find your purpose right in your own backyard? For professional hockey player Claire Butorac, the answer lies in Minnesota's frozen rinks and the faith journey that guides her career both on and off the ice.
Growing up in Minnesota's unique community-based hockey model gave Claire the rare opportunity to represent her hometown from youth leagues through high school graduation. Now as a professional player for Minnesota in the PWHL, she's living a full-circle moment – competing at the highest level while simultaneously coaching at her alma mater, Andover High School. This dual role reveals something profound about Claire's character: while hockey is her profession, mentoring young players might be her true calling.
Claire candidly shares the challenges of professional women's hockey, including walking into training camp without a contract, simply hoping to earn a roster spot. During these uncertain moments, her faith becomes her anchor. "I pray a lot, I journal a lot," she explains, describing how writing helps process the anxiety that comes with her competitive nature. This spiritual foundation, instilled by her mother from childhood, surfaces in surprising ways – like writing "Fear is a liar" on her hockey stick as a powerful reminder during games.
The highlight of Claire's professional career came when she scored an overtime playoff winner in front of her hometown crowd. Yet even when describing this triumphant moment, she emphasizes the relationships that made it meaningful – teammates celebrating in the locker room and family members with tears of joy in the stands. This perspective exemplifies how Claire views hockey not as a platform for personal glory, but as a vehicle for connection, mentorship and purpose.
As women's professional hockey continues growing, athletes like Claire Buderak offer a refreshing template for what success can look like when paired with faith and community investment. Have you considered how your talents might serve purposes greater than personal achievement? Claire's journey reminds us that sometimes our greatest impact happens close to home.
okay, big question for you, claire if you could play any other sport professionally, what would you play?
Speaker 2:oh my gosh, I love answering this question. Probably oh, this is so hard. Um, going off my own sports background, I would probably play lacrosse because that was like my other sport. But if I could have any athletic ability I would probably be a gymnast because those girls are really cool and like really athletic. So off my own athletic background, definitely lacrosse, because I've played that before. But gymnastics if I was like open to anything.
Speaker 1:Well, and wait a second. You said you've answered this question before. Like you're like, I love answering this question Next time. I was like, open to anything. Well, and wait a second. You said you've answered this question before. Like you're like I love answering this question, next time I'm not going to do that. I'm gonna be like uh, claire, what's 500 divided by 4.75?
Speaker 2:no math questions. No, we like I don't know, that's always. We're on the, we're on the road a lot, right, we travel a lot, so we get to know each other pretty well. And that question always comes up as like what would you be if you weren't a hockey player? What sport would you play? And blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 3:So good feedback for dan to mix up our first question of the of the podcast.
Speaker 2:So I love it's a nice easy opener, that's fun yeah I'll take that like.
Speaker 3:That's a sport you know. You said if you had any athletic talent. Uh, looking at your history, you've won a lot in lacrosse in hockey. So I'm going to correct you on that. I think you have a lot of athletic talent, but lacrosse is a good pick. That's a fun sport.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was fun. I played. It started out as my quote unquote fun sport and I'm just. I'm too competitive for my own good to have a fun sport, so it ended up being a little bit more than fun. But yeah, it was fun to take a step away from the rink for a little bit.
Speaker 1:You are listening to Dave Dawson and Dan Dramarski, and this is the Gospel in the Game sports podcast. Well, welcome to the Gospel in the Game podcast. My name is Dan Dramarski, and with me always is my right-hand man, left-hand man. Well, welcome to the Gospel in the Game podcast. My name is Dan Dramarski, and with me always is my right hand man, left hand man. Well, it depends on which side he's sitting on. Dave Dawson, which side do you want to slap me from? That's right, exactly. Today we have a wonderful guest, clara Buderak. You're with us because, not only because of your hockey skill, because there's a little bit of a connection here us because not only because of your hockey skill, because there's a little bit of a connection here. I know Nicole Hensley and she was our first female interview. A little bit of history there, but you and I connected on social media, on Instagram, and so kind of a little bit of a connection, but not really a connection. So welcome to the gospel in the game.
Speaker 2:Well, thanks for having me, guys. I'm excited to be here in the game.
Speaker 3:Well, thanks for having me, guys. I'm excited to be here. Well, we'd like to like to ask one of the first questions, after we get a feel for who you are as well. Just describe yourself. How would you describe if somebody you know comes up to? Who are you? How would you describe who claire buderak is?
Speaker 2:yeah, oh, right off the bat, right off the bat.
Speaker 3:we're off the bat. We're asking the hard stuff. Don't worry, they get a lot easier as the podcast goes on.
Speaker 2:Who am I? Oh boy. Well, I think the surface level answer is I'm an athlete. I play hockey, that's my job. But I think I'm like a deeper level. I don't know, hockey's been a part of my life, but I also have a huge passion for coaching and I would say, as I get into like later in my career which sounds funny because I'm only 25, but we can't be athletes forever so, like as I've grown more mature, I would say like I have such a passion for like helping people and that I have like realized is something that I'm definitely going to continue doing when I'm done playing. So I love to like help people, I love being like social and around others who share the same passions as I do. So, I don't know, I would say I'm like passionate about whatever I do. Um, I care a lot for those around me and um, yeah, I guess on top of that I'm an athlete. But that's service level, right. But um, yeah, that's pretty much it, I would say good answer yeah, now we're gonna go into that coaching answer.
Speaker 1:I really like that. Coaches are cool. If you could coach any level of sport right now, what age group are you picking?
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, Another tough question for me.
Speaker 2:So I actually I have the privilege of coaching like high school all the way down to the little mites in Minnesota is like the four and five-year-old just beginning, and I think each level like it's hard to pick a level because they all bring such different things right.
Speaker 2:When you're coaching all their kids, you can like really get to see them like grab on the concepts and like take it their own direction, versus like a little kid. You just get to see like how happy they are just to be out there and like, oh, I'm falling down, I'm, I'm jumping over a stick and it's just like funny. But I would say right now I would say my favorite age is probably like my like 14 to 15, like just entering high school. Um, they're so like eager to like learn hockey and like be at the rink and um, they're not, they're kind of out of that phase of I'm too cool to try hard and trying to like hockey again and want to be there and want to be driven. So I would say that sweet spot between not seniors and juniors on their way out, but just in time to get into high school, those are some fun girls to coach.
Speaker 3:Well, growing up in Winnipeg myself, I've been down to Minnesota, minneapolis, a number of times in my life. I can almost memorize the drive and the turn and all that kind of stuff in the Mall of America. All those great memories take me into growing up in the state of hockey, which, from a couple of Canadians, we describe it as the closest thing to being Canadian. But hockey has exploded in the USA. So what was it like growing up in Minnesota and falling in love with hockey? How did you fall in love with the sport?
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, the best experience ever.
Speaker 2:I have a lot of friends, obviously from all around the country and all around the globe really from now playing professionally, who I get to tell about growing up in Minnesota and it's just, it's the coolest thing, like it's the community-based model that we have in Minnesota that just makes it so special. Playing for your high school or like playing for your hometown all the way till you graduate is something that I now know that not a lot of people get to do and oh, it's just like so special, like getting to play with the same girls that you went to elementary school with and got to grow up with. So that's like probably my favorite thing. And then just how all the communities are so passionate about their like hockey teams and you can see I don't know if you guys have ever been to, but probably have heard of like the state tourney in minneapolis. Uh, like the craziest high school hockey tournament ever. But just you like go and you'll walk in and it's sold out and I mean obviously we play at ralph engelstead arenaead arena.
Speaker 2:It's not called the excellent okay more, but um, it was at the XL Energy Center and um, they would sell. Like the state championship game for boys would sell out and I mean that's just like crazy. And I remember a couple years ago my high school was actually in the state championship and I was graduated but I was like glued to my tv. So it's just cool to grow up and have so much community involvement. And actually, speaking of going back to coaching, I coach in the town that I grew up in, so I am a high school coach at the high school that I graduated from and so just like going back and just having that connection to all those people.
Speaker 2:Still it's something that I feel that if I was playing AAA which I did, I played AAA in the spring I obviously am still very close to those people as well, but like just the passion and commitment to your town and wanting to make those kids better is it's something so special and so unique to Minnesota that I love talking about Minnesota hockey. I'm probably such a nerd for talking about it, but it's just such a special experience and yeah, it's something that I'm so like blessed to have grown up in and I mean I had a rink in my backyard. There's rinks everywhere in Minnesota. I mean you guys know that you're Canadian. There's, yeah easy rinks everywhere, but it's just like it's so accessible to people in Minnesota. So I think that it just definitely made me like the player that I am today, made me really appreciate how much Minnesota loves hockey and what kind of career that set for me.
Speaker 3:So so now before you. Well then, take me into the process of your your obviously high school hockey in Minnesota, you play NCAA hockey in Minnesota, and then along comes the PWHL. Right, you never had, wasn't really an opportunity, a place for female athletes to play professionally, and now you're a member of the professional hockey team in Minnesota. To describe that?
Speaker 2:what that's like to me, as you're having the opportunity now to live that dream yeah, I think, coming into year year three it is now with Minnesota I feel it's finally like starting to sink in as to what this means to be able to play in my home state, just as I'm like seeing everybody travel around and what a great opportunity is for all of us just be able to play, and let alone now I just get to stay home and play. So what a cool opportunity for me. But, yeah, I mean I I mean I'm a homebody but I like I'm not afraid to go out and do my own thing, but it just happened that the opportunity that I was given was in Minnesota. So, yeah, really special.
Speaker 2:People always ask me, like which championship was better to win, the first or the second, and while they're all great and such a tough question, it was super surreal to be able to win at home and I think it just was like a full circle moment because you're like I high school hockey here. I played my state tournament at the X and then, like you're winning another like huge trophy there and it's, yeah, it's like a kind of an indescribable feeling almost, because you're just like there's so many people that like are connected, because the hockey world in Minnesota is so connected, so like you'll see and hear people, like I was at your game and it's just such a conversation starter. So, yeah, we're, we're so lucky to have a team here in Minnesota and they do such a good job and I'm I'm so happy I got to stay. I know there was so much movement in the league just with the two new teams, so I'm just very excited I get to come back for another year in Minnesota.
Speaker 1:So, talking a little bit about navigating through things David mentioned about traveling from Winnipeg down to Minnesota and all the different twists and turns there's actually not one left turn at Fargo in order to get to Minneapolis but I think I want to go to this idea of navigating through what you're going through. Sometimes navigating through the familiar can be more difficult than navigating through the unfamiliar. What are your thoughts on that question?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I was actually. I was just talking to a friend about this is we were talking about how we probably chose the most uncertain career ever to exist. You know, there is so much uncertainty in what we do and I think a big part of how I get through and how I've navigated through it in the past is honestly just like leaning into my faith. And I think that I know that might sound like a little cliche or like cheesy, but it like really has like grounded me through this whole process, because there's like times when you're just you have to just be like you know what it's out of my hands and there's nothing left I can do. You know, last year I came into the season I wasn't signed, I was just going to camp as a free agent. So no job on, like no job on the horizon.
Speaker 2:I was just showing up hoping that I was going to be good enough to make the team again, and like that's, I think, really scary when you put it in terms of your job and your livelihood.
Speaker 2:Like you don't know if in the next two weeks you're going to have a job where you're going to have to start completely over, and I think for me, like many, many drives home from the rink in that two-week camp period where I was like you know what your will be done and we're just going to show back up tomorrow and do what we do and hopefully it's enough. But yeah, it is crazy chaotic and I think the chaos comes from the uncertainty. But you just have to sometimes just put my hands up and you know, um, pray about it. I pray a lot, I journal a lot and I think, uh, that helps me the most. But it's definitely made me calmer and I feel like this year, going into this year, I'm I have been gifted a contract, which is great, um, but I just um, yeah, I think just leaning into that helps me a lot.
Speaker 3:Journaling seems to be a topic that has come up a lot in this podcast and I love it. It has actually forced me to go and buy some journals. There's one about five feet from me, so it's great I've made one entry in the past two weeks. I should probably do more, but, claire, I love what you talked about there about just being unfamiliar and the Lord leading you through. Leading you through. What are the pressures that you face as a local athlete playing for the hometown team, growing up, being in Minnesota, and and how has the Lord revealed himself to you through that and or be that question? Did you grow up in a Christian home and is or did that faith interact, intersect with you at a later time?
Speaker 2:no, I, I grew up in a very faith-oriented house. My mom really spearheaded that with me and my brother, making sure that we just were familiar with it. She never pushed us one way or another, but she was very adamant about knowing that we knew who Jesus was, and whether we wanted a relationship with him or not was definitely left up to us, which I'm very grateful for, um, for that. But, yeah, grew up in a faith oriented house. I think, um, yeah, I think a lot of the times, like because I didn't go elsewhere, like I think a lot of people will be like okay now, like you have a portion of your life where you're going out on your own and doing your own thing. And I think, because I didn't leave Minnesota, I was kind of always like, well, what's next? You know, like what's my big moment gonna be, where I'm gonna like realize, like, okay, this is my purpose and I'm supposed to be doing what I'm doing. And and I just, um, I realized not not necessarily realized, I think I'm still type of kind of realizing it, but I know like last year, the last couple years, I've been able to go back and coach at my alma mater in Andover and I think that opportunity and while I'm like I'm not there as much as I, you know, want to be because I'm traveling all the time for hockey but I think just like going back and be able to like use what I've gone through in just the amount of times I've been playing professional hockey and be able to like go back and have an impact that has definitely, um kind of created like that purpose for me.
Speaker 2:So I think, like the pressure comes from like am I doing the right thing? Cause I didn't like leave and I didn't, you know, necessarily go out on my own. I mean, I went to college an hour and a half away, so whatever, but I don't know. That was like a big pressure for me. And then going back to Andover really helped, I think, relieve that pressure. And then actually last year I was given the opportunity to become a chaplain for my high school girls and I think that was a huge part of me again like finding that purpose, like oh, I'm in the right spot and being called to open that up to girls. And I remember being scared like is anybody going to show up? And we just had like crazy turnout numbers and girls like really bought into the idea of just sitting down once or twice every month and just talking about Jesus. So I think these like little moments have been building up to, you know, relieve some of that pressure. But yeah, hopefully that answers that question that's a great answer multiple hats.
Speaker 1:Like you, I thought coaches were cool. Chaplains were even cooler. That's I think that's one, it's both. So hey, stop giving away my hats. You had a great perspective there about investing into the next generation of player, coaching, mentoring, spending time with them. Is there anyone in your life as you grew up that invested time into you and helped you become the I guess you'd say the person you are?
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, yeah, I mean so many people, right, it creates. It takes a village to to raise anyone and to and to get anything done. But a few people that stick out to me non-hockey, I would say. Easy answer is my mom. We are so tight and she has just been that like sounding board for me through, whether it's hockey stuff, school stuff, life stuff, faith stuff. She's just been there, Um.
Speaker 2:But if I want to go more of a hockey route, I would definitely say which is another really cool full circle moment actually is the head coach of a high school team. Now is the head coach of when I was there. So she's been there forever, Um, and she was really young when she came into the head coaching role, when I was a eighth grader in high school and we just have kind of grown together. Like she was my biggest advocate in terms of hockey and really saw a potential. I mean that I didn't see in myself at the time and I think having her as a role model to look up to.
Speaker 2:You know, she has a really, really awesome family. She has a beautiful family, beautiful kids and raises her kids in such a great way that like gives me more of a role model to look up to now that I'm older. But when I was younger, just like the way she carried herself and helped me with hockey too, I think definitely attribute a lot of my professional like hockey success to her as a coach. But now later in life, like having still that role model to look up to with, like family and faith and whatnot too. So, yeah, she's a shout out to her, she's awesome.
Speaker 1:So, based on some of your answers, I can probably tell who are the first couple of people that you call when you celebrate big moments and in fact you had a very big moment during the playoffs and the semifinals, I did and you want to tell us a little bit about that quickly.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely, yeah, that was actually last year. Last year I scored the overtime winner. We were playing Toronto to force a game five in our first series last year and, yeah, crazy, I don't know Done a lot of cool things in hockey for sure, but that tops the cake for sure. It was really special, especially doing it at home, in front of all. My family comes out to all the games too. So coming up after the game in the stands, you know my mom was like crying and I'm just like, oh hello, but yeah, she um definitely was the first person to be there. And then, yeah, making those calls to Melissa, which is the head coach, and then just other family members as well. But such, a, such a surreal moment for sure now.
Speaker 3:Describe that moment to us, because we had, we've had other guests on who've shared moments of scoring goals and you know you've done it in the professional level which is unique, with, you know, 16, 18 000 people in the building and you're the one that put the puck in the net. Take us into that experience, looking up on the crowd, not only a crowd of of the home team, but this is where you grew up like.
Speaker 2:Describe that moment for us oh yeah, I think it was. It was a, I don't even it was. It was a couple overtimes, I believe it might have been. I should know this double overtime yeah double overtime. Okay, when you get to, when you get past one, you're like what?
Speaker 2:is your black right out right over time and I remember I my our coach, like we call our line out, and my center and wing were already out there. They jumped I was the last change, so I was kind of like the later one into the zone and my center actually ended up making like an unbelievable pass, but to me just popped out right in front and it was kind of one of those goals where you're people like describe that goal and you're just like, well, I was kind of just in the right space, right spot, at the right time, you know. But yeah, I've ended up finishing, finishing the puck in front of the net, off of like a beautiful pass from my teammate. And then I just remember she came around the back of the net and just like we just hugged each other and we fell super awkwardly. And I remember actually seeing comments like on Twitter and whatnot.
Speaker 2:After the game people will be like is this girl's knee okay? Because people thought like I fell on my knee weird. And everybody's like are you okay? Are you okay? I'm like, yeah, I'm great, we just won the game, what are you talking about? And they're like, no, like your knee. And I'm like, no, I'm perfectly fine. But I just remember that was crazy. And then obviously, like the pile on, all the teammates pile on and then into the locker room after and just everybody's so happy for you and you get to make your little speech after the game where we had like player of the game glasses, like purple star glasses, and we get that going. And just I just remember being in the locker room and celebrating with, with the people that you have been with all season and you get so close.
Speaker 2:Obviously, professional sports, like people, are in and out, but I love that team. That year it was such a special group of girls. So yeah, I remember that. And then I got pulled out for a quick interview and then just got to go up and see my family and just seeing like like you said, I grew up there just the reaction of the people that have been there through the 20 plus years I've been playing hockey. And it's so funny when you like take a step back, you just like look at sports in general, you're like, wow, we just are celebrating like putting a rubber puck in a net, but it's so cool and I don't know such a special, such a special thing to be able to do at home and then obviously we go on to win that year as well. So, um, yeah, really cool goal and to be able to go into Toronto with that motive, with that mojo sorry, with that mojo from the Game 4. So, yeah, really really cool experience, for sure.
Speaker 1:And with that coaching tip number one from the gospel in the game, stand in the right spot and put your stick on the ice.
Speaker 2:Stick on the ice right, Call for the puck. I always tell my girls that too.
Speaker 3:Well, and it's funny because you described that to your grandkids. Sorry to jump in there quickly, dan. So 30, 40 years down the road, if they don't see the video, how would you describe that goal?
Speaker 2:well, I'm sure I'll make it sound a lot cooler than it was. Right, you got to talk yourself up a little bit. You gotta be like, oh yeah, it was a really cool move and your top shelf, no, I'm just um, I'll probably just explain it the same same way. Like I got a really unbelievable pass from my, from my teammate, and, just you know, right spot, right time, not completely right spot, right time, right. There's a little bit of thought that goes into that and being able to put the puck and skills together. But yeah, it was uh still like. I just still like remember it like it was yesterday.
Speaker 1:I went to the rink, I had to carry my own equipment.
Speaker 2:We walked uphill both ways and yeah, knowing it was a blizzard yeah, well, you know Minnesota.
Speaker 1:like the snow, it must have been like above my waist and we didn't have snow pants like you kids have these days. I was probably wearing sandals or something like that.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, just making it sound crazy, yeah, make it way more difficult than it was. That's allowed. That's allowed. You keep on going back to this element of family and the people that are involved in it, and even when you're describing that goal, you're talking about the person involved in it. It's pretty obvious that God has put some people in your life. When you're surrounded by people and when you have the opportunity to work with people, what are you most passionate about sharing with the people God has put in front of you?
Speaker 2:That's a really good question.
Speaker 1:We're full of them today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you guys are. What am I most passionate about sharing? Ooh, I would say I'm most passionate about sharing just like my gratitude kind of towards people. I like love people to know that them being around me and them us like sharing whatever we're sharing conversation, meal, like a night to a dinner, whatever I want them to know like how appreciative I am and how grateful I am that like they're in my life. So I love like I love people knowing that and I love people like feeling valued and seen when they're around me.
Speaker 2:So I feel like that definitely just propels a lot of like my conversations, my friendships, my relationships is just I want people to know that they're here for a reason and that I I don't know I'm glad, I'm grateful for my friends and I'm I'm sure I hope you guys can like hear that in my stories I'm like very grateful for my family, especially and my um, just because I think I know like how special it is to have that and like obviously, like you said, god has placed these people in my life and I think, as I've grown up through through the sport and just like seeing how much goes into something like this, I just think it's like hard not to be grateful for those around you, right, and I think that that's like the first thing I love, people know is like I'm just happier here in this conversation, right. So yeah, I don't know, that's for sure Probably what I'm most passionate about.
Speaker 3:Still good, claire. You know, dan and I spend a lot of time around sports. I've been in broadcast for 20 years. I've had the privilege of interacting with a lot of pro athletes and this is some incredible people and I've heard a lot about. You know, I have a lot of friends in football, baseball, baseball hockey or football culture. There's a lot of faith there. In hockey culture, there's a little bit of faith, you know, starting to hear more about that and that's what we're grateful for this podcast and I've been around the women's game a little bit. I had the opportunity to do some university sports a few years ago and connect with some female hockey players there. Take me into Christian female hockey culture and how do you intersect with them. Are there quite a few that you've interacted with? And then how have they helped enrich you and through your journey?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think, like you said, I think it's getting there. I don't think you look at like football and stuff like that. I think that's very, they're very open about their faith and I think that's really cool, cool. I don't think hockey men or women's is quite as open or quite there, and I don't know if it's just because hockey players might not enjoy the media as much and I'm. I don't know if that is what it is, but I think, um, yeah, I don't know, I think that they're I don't know if they're like, I would say, like I have, I'm getting, I'm gaining more hockey friends that are also sharing my faith. But I think, like I talked to some people at HMI and I think it's just a matter of like getting that out there and, um, we've talked about, you know, trying to start chapels and whatnot, because I know a lot of like other professional sports will have that there for people to have. So I think, um, yeah, that's definitely getting there.
Speaker 2:But I would say, say, yeah, I don't know it's getting there. Right, I have a few friends and people that I'm like, oh, let's do this together. One of my teammates actually just agreed to come and do the chat because I know HMI, you have to have two adults there, right? So last year was my mom and this year I'm like I'm going to really try to find someone younger and just not that there's anything against my mother, I love her, but like just younger and maybe of hockey background. And one of my teammates just kind of like was placed in my life and really strong, face based and agreed to like come and help me out with it. So I think that will be really cool and just maybe having that on our team will have more people be like oh, that's cool, but I think it's definitely getting there in women's space and I think it's something that we can continue to like work at and chip away at, for sure.
Speaker 1:So we have the Claire mum mentioned in this podcast five. It's at the five count now, not that we're counting or anything that's right Under. In our next conversation with Claire we'll be over or under five mum mentions. So you mentioned some of the great things. And HMI for some people who aren't familiar, hockey Ministries International. They supply chaplains for pro level, amateur level, junior level, all through it. I think one of the challenges with having people come to chapel is, exactly as you expressed, this idea of talking about faith and being open in it, and now you're kind of exposed to your teammates in a way that you maybe haven't been before. What are some of the challenges with sharing your faith in sport?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that, yeah, I think the biggest challenge is just people have so many different ideas of what faith is and that if you don't believe in one thing or whatever, you're going to be judged for it, and I think that that's like my biggest pet peeve is just I wish that we were all not educated, but I wish that we would all do our due diligence before we, you know, judged others Right, and I think that there's no wrong answers or there's no bad questions.
Speaker 2:I always tell my girls, when I do chapel and I chapel, say, if you have a question, there's absolutely no bad questions, there's no questions that are dumb or that like may be below us or whatever. I think like that's the biggest issue or biggest problem is that people are like afraid to sound stupid or afraid to sound like they don't know what they're talking about, and the truth is like a lot of us don't and we're just like wanting to have a conversation about it, and that's like the starting point. So I would say that's like probably the biggest problem is just people are maybe like not necessarily like scared or like dull or whatever. So I think that's probably another issue as well for sure.
Speaker 3:I think that's probably applies to a number of areas in life and I think so much in our current world today. The public eye, claire, I think this with yourself being a professional hockey player excuse me, you're in the you're in the public eye from social media, from all those things. There's a lot of pressures out there. What are some of the pressures you find that you face Christian athletes face? Maybe specifically because you're the only second female Christian athlete we've had on the podcast and it's tremendous. We're going to have more in the future. We have guests lined up. I want to know what are some of the challenges that you face as a female Christian athlete in sport.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think, just in general for athletes in sport, I think, um, a lot of it's like, like you said, the social media thing and like wanting to look, look a certain way or not necessarily give out too much of your life because, you know, I, I personally, me, like, I don't have a huge following. I'm not like this mega athlete, like compared to some of my teammates right, we have girls on our team with like hundreds, hundreds of thousands of followers, right, that's not me. But I would think, like, for me personally, like, um, just being in like the little bit of the public eye, like I don't want to give out too much of what my life is, cause I like to have that to myself, right, I think there's like a privacy aspect of wanting to be open about your faith and wanting to be open about certain parts of you, but, like, your faith is yours and I think of it's like a very like intimate thing, right, it's your relationship. Your most important relationship in your life is your relationship with God, and I think it's hard to like put that out there, right, and like also wanting to keep it, like keep it to yourself so you're not listening to all the other outside judgment from it, right, whether that's positive or negative, you know also, but I think that's probably like my biggest issue, or my personal like um thing.
Speaker 2:Being an athlete is like wanting to keep certain part of parts of your life private and, um, I don't know, I hope that's like making sense, but I, um, yeah, I think that that's just probably a big issue with a lot of athletes is they just don't share a lot in general. Right, we don't. We have people that don't take to do social media a lot, just because it's easier to just not right with all the stuff going around social media. So I think that's probably the biggest pressure is just wanting to like keep your privacy, but like finding that line of like what's a good to share and what do you want out there and whatnot.
Speaker 3:So Well, let's take it on the flip side then. I want to know, just obviously, with the platform you've been given, lord provided you a platform which is incredible. What's some of the feedback you've had from young ladies who've come up to you? Now, where there's a place, there could be Claire Boudirac posters if those are still a thing on someone's wall, right, they have you as their wallpaper on the background on their phones, these young girls that are going into hockey academies, and then they can look up to you and say, claire, give me some advice, what's that? Have you had interactions with young girls who've come up to you and just shared what it's meant to watch you and what would you share for them as part of that process of becoming a professional athlete?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, lots of conversations, like I've mentioned. Probably now, like the third time, I'm just around a lot of young athletes just in the coaching realm. So I think there's a lot of conversations and passing on the ice during practice of like, what should I do here, what should I do here? And I think my biggest piece of advice for people is just, it's going to sound, it's going to sound like what is like cliche, but it's just like staying in your lane and staying like keeping yourself grounded. And I think there's a lot, especially for kids, like these days, like there's so many different directions that they're being pulled, like with the phones and social media and all this stuff. And I think it's just I tell my, my athletes, just try to stay focused on what's in front of you and don't worry about what's 10 years down the line.
Speaker 2:I think that's a big thing too with athletes these days is it's like well, if I don't make this team, then I'm not going to make this either, and it's like you got to just focus on one thing at a time. And I think, growing up for me I didn't have. I mean, I I'm on the beginning side of the whole, like social media explosion, so I didn't. I like social media explosion, so I didn't. I had a little bit of it, but not necessarily nearly as much as it is today. So I just always like tell my athletes just focus on just one thing at a time and if it's meant to be, it's going to be there and the opportunities are going to present themselves to you.
Speaker 2:And I think that's kind of how I bring the faith part into that right, as I start with the just focus on one thing at a time and then um of bring into you know, like you just gotta trust and you gotta trust in in god. And and that's how it worked for me, right, I it's like I am an anxious person, for sure, I have a lot of worries and anxieties, but the more that I'm just like I say like your will be done. And that, and that's like my go-to advice for my, for my athletes, is just throw it up. You gotta sometimes just throw your hands up and you know, trust that what you're doing is it's going to be enough and the opportunity will lay itself out for you for sure. So probably not the advice that you know, a worried 15 year old girl wants to hear, is trying to go to college and play hockey, but it's it's honestly like the best advice that I was given, so I'm just going to pass that along for sure so you mentioned.
Speaker 3:You shared that for the third time and again the quota of mom mentions was five, so I was trying to bring that up as high as I can to compete with mom. So next time we have you on we could have the over under on the many times you've talked about female feedback, young ladies and mom mentions, so anyway, that was a great story, thank you.
Speaker 1:And now? And now is time for our rapid fire. I guess what did you say? Part Section Segment.
Speaker 3:Segment. You always said the word.
Speaker 1:I like that word. Well done, dave. We give you a whole bunch of pile of questions, a whole bunch of questions, claire, quick, rapid fire questions, kind of a little bit about everything and let's see how you do. Are you ready? Yeah, okay, you're going to coach professionally and you're going to do it in a country where you don't understand the language. Pick the country.
Speaker 2:I would say Switzerland. It's beautiful there.
Speaker 3:Certainly is A pregame banger that you're playing to get you in the zone. What song are you, are you bumping?
Speaker 2:yeah, okay, um, that I don't really have a song I usually listen to, like the mixes, like song mashups, so that way when I'm driving, if I get bored, I can just I'm very like 30 seconds and done on a song, so I don't have have to switch it up.
Speaker 1:Diversify I like it Really. That's like the kind of answer someone who listens to like five straight hours of Creed would give Really no. No.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Dan knows, come on now. Come on now. No, that's actually a really good question. With the music side of things, boy, there's such variety. Okay, you're going on a road trip and you got a unlimited amount of money to spend, but you have to go buy a car. Where are you going?
Speaker 2:like what, like a? What brand?
Speaker 1:where are you? No, where are you going? We're like where in the world are you?
Speaker 2:well, what is it? I have to go buy a car. I'm like, what kind of car am I taking? No, where am I gonna go? Um? My dream road trip I've always wanted to, in the States, drive out west all the way to the West Coast, so through all those the Rockies, through the national parks, end up outside in Oregon, west Coast, northwest Coast, pacific, northwest.
Speaker 3:What was your Fakia? Excuse me, did I jump in on you? Dan? No, no, you go.
Speaker 1:It's going to be like an hour to edit we don't edit go on funny story for you, claire.
Speaker 3:I have to blow my nose on a podcast. Dan left it in a few episodes ago. I'm like, should you just cut it out? And he didn't. He left it in. We're not going to tell you which episode it was, but that's how we roll and I love it. Um, what was your aha moment, claire? And hockey, where you just kind of looked around and went wow oh easy, uh, my home opener, my first year pro.
Speaker 2:Uh, we played out 13 in front of like 13,000 people. That was my aha moment skating out there. I was okay, this is cool we talked.
Speaker 1:I've asked you like two rapid fire travel questions, so get ready for this one. Who's your favorite person besides your mom?
Speaker 2:Who's my favorite person besides my grandpa?
Speaker 1:Oh, so you'd take him on the road trip.
Speaker 2:Oh, I would absolutely take him on the road trip. That guy has many, many stories. Not one of them is ever boring.
Speaker 3:Who'd you pick to act you in the documentary of your life? Oh, boy.
Speaker 2:Okay, this is actually a really hard question for me, because I like don't know. I don't know actress's name, so I might have to put a skip on that one.
Speaker 3:I don't really know just, or somebody, a person you've interacted with. It could be an athlete, a musician you pick like I'm making a documentary, they've got to know how to skate. You're going to play me. Could be anybody. Could be a dude, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Could be like a friend, could be like one of my good friends.
Speaker 3:Probably like my best friend Cole Hensley on the spot saying hey, hensley, you're going to come and you're allowed to play goal.
Speaker 2:My, uh, my best friend from college. Her name's shelby. We, uh, we were like attached at the hip, so she knows me pretty well.
Speaker 1:She can do a good job you got to go back in time. You got to talk to the 12 year old self. Oh boy, what is the best piece of advice you could give the younger you?
Speaker 2:chill out, chill, holy crap. It's not all happening at once. I wish I could have told myself that a while ago, so you got time.
Speaker 3:Final, non-rapid fire, non-rapid fire question, claire. Favorite Bible verse or worship song? Something that the Lord really speaks to you, through that you really allow the holy spirit to penetrate your heart?
Speaker 2:um, I think there's a. There's a worship song. I'm not quite I think it. I'm not again the title, but it's in the song. It's like fear is a liar and I actually had that on my stick one year. I always put something biblical on my hockey stick and that was one of my things. Last year was because I always feel like that's like one of the things that holds me back on the ice is just like fear of making mistakes and not being good enough. I think that's something that helps me through that a lot. So it's in a song.
Speaker 3:Jack Williams. I think it's fear is a liar. Yep, it's a cool video too. Anyway, if you look it up on YouTube, it's a powerful video Nonetheless.
Speaker 1:That is awesome. That, that is awesome. That is awesome. Well, we've got two conditions, claire, coming on this podcast. First one is do we get to have you back? That way we can follow up with you and maybe you've changed your answers to the rapid fire questions.
Speaker 2:Here I am, I'm sure I will.
Speaker 1:And the second condition is that we pray for you before we go. So let's do that now. Heavenly Father, we come before you right now and, lord, we just thank you for having Claire on today. We pray that you would bless her, that you would use her in the sport of hockey and coaching in the chaplains chaplain chapels that she has. And, lord, we just pray that you would watch over her and provide for her. Thank you for her willingness to have a relationship and how important people are in her life and, lord, we pray that you would continue to bless her in this capacity. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 3:So refreshing to hear the story. You know, I love how she just talked about being an athlete and I think a lot in society today maybe people might gravitate too much to that male athlete, female athlete but it's unique. We're two men on the podcast. We've had primarily male guests other than her teammate, which was, I believe, our first ever episode. I believe that was when you broke the chair too, dan.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love the cool handshake. We're going to talk about that.
Speaker 3:But it's awesome to hear her journey of how passionate she is about pouring into the younger generation. I think what's happening with the PWHL is fantastic Now providing a pro option for women to aspire to locally, because there's internationally a lot of options. Before not a lot but options. So having something now in Canada and the U? S is incredible and seeing the impact that Claire's having through her faith and the story that you know she talked about is just still at the beginning of her pro career. She's only going to year three, but I just loved hearing yeah, just how you know, the relationships are so important in her life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I wanted to go on with that too, with the whole thing, not just relationships with like friends and teammates, but incorporating her family in in in this and uh celebrating those moments with family and having uh moments with her faith, with her family, and it just kept on going back family, family, family and the importance of having close relationships, not just relationships. I think we live in a world of how many contacts can we have? Well, you know, it comes down to close relationships because when, like the rubber hits the road, those are the people that are going through through things with you.
Speaker 3:And sharing those special moments with family close to home. Right, having that accountability close to home, not having to. I was 14, I moved across the country you know, from Minnesota to, you know, california, to play hockey. No, she played her entire hockey career close to home, which she had, you know, in that struggle of saying am I reaching my purpose? No, your purpose is right there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right there in your community, and I think often we think we have to be far reaching missionaries or we have to go to the foreign land. Sometimes it's their own backyard.
Speaker 3:And so in our world today, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and if she had to go, to, say, a place like Winnipeg, all she'd have to do is drive a little bit and turn right at Fargo.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's only one turn. Yeah, I think it's the right turn. At Fargo for sure, you drive past two Ralph Engelstad arenas, one in Minnesota, one in North Dakota, but clearly not as big as the was Xcel Energy Center. Anyway, so many rinks in Minnesota, easy to get confused.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and these big things, speaking of big things, this podcast, yes, going big yeah go big.
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