Getting to know Winny Brodt Brown

Details

Last Updated on Thursday, 06 December 2012 18:42

Winny Brown (Brodt) has been playing for the Minnesota Whitecaps for eight years. Nearly a decade since the Whitecaps inaugural season in 2004-05, Winny has worked hard to enjoy many successes in both her playing and professional careers. In 2005, she co-founded the Minnesota Jr. Whitecaps – an offseason hockey program for elite high school hockey players in the state – with Chris Peterson,  the Breck girls’ head coach. Currently Winny works as a sales rep for Proguard Sports, is a group fitness instructor at Lifetime Fitness and owns Os Hockey Training, an all-female hockey training program.

Winny began her career in the Roseville Youth Hockey Association, playing boys’ hockey, as girls’ high school hockey would not be introduced in the state of Minnesota until 1995. Winny honed her skills at a young age playing A Squirts, A Pee Wees and A Bantams, and then onto junior varsity at Roseville. Winny played JV boys’ hockey her sophomore and junior year until girls’ hockey was introduced in the 1995-96 season. 

During her senior year, Winny led the Roseville Raiders to an undefeated season and Minnesota’s first girls’ hockey state title. In 1996, Winny capped her senior year with bookend state tournament appearances in both soccer (fall) and golf (spring), while continuing her long-time passion for figure skating. 

As a college freshman, she attended the University of New Hampshire, winning a national championship and was named tournament MVP.  During her freshman season, the University of Minnesota announced their intent to field a women’s hockey team.  Winny transferred to Minnesota the following year and finished her career with two national championships, leading all defenders in points (134), goals (41) and assists (93), and was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year (2000). 

Her career with Team USA included 10 years with the U.S. National Team from 1996 until 2006.

Q: Who introduced you to the Whitecaps after you graduated?

WBB: I was graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2003 and still training on the U.S. Women’s National team for the 2006 Olympics and needed a place to play.  At that time the only option was to move to Canada to play on a CWHL team because that was the only place to play for the top women’s hockey players in the world.

This is when my dad, Jack Brodt, and Jenny Potter’s dad, Dwayne Schmidgall, took action to form the Minnesota Whitecaps and the Western Women’s Hockey League (WWHL). We were the only American team in the league, so we had to travel to Canada for most of our games.

Q: What was it like being the inaugural Ms. Hockey?

WBB: I was presented the inaugural Ms. Hockey Award in 1996 at the boys’ Mr. Hockey banquet and for me it was fitting because it was all the guys I grew up playing with and against.  Since 1997, the Ms. Hockey award has been presented at the Ms. Hockey banquet which is a great event that grows every year. It was a great honor and I was so grateful that Let’s Play Hockey sponsored the award not only for myself but for the future female hockey players.

Q: What are some obstacles you have had keeping active with hockey?

WBB: I have been fortunate to be able to work for a hockey accessory company (Proguard), so my job is flexible enough to allow me to continue to follow my passion of playing hockey. Also because we play our games on the weekends I don’t have to worry about missing work. I started Os Hockey Training to help advance girls’ hockey, and to help create opportunities for female hockey players of all ages (U8 to college). I have been fortunate enough to have two very flexible jobs that I love and that allow me to work with kids all year long and continue to play as well!

Q: When you are not playing hockey what other activities do you enjoy doing?

WBB: Golfing, skiing, coaching, teaching group fitness at Lifetime Fitness

Q: Who has been the most influential person in your life?

WBB: My family is the most influential piece in my life. My parents, Jack and Marlene Brodt, introduced me to skating at the age of 18 months, and put me in hockey at the age of 4. When they put me in hockey there was no girls’ hockey, no college scholarships or Olympics. I played because I grew up watching my older siblings, and I wanted to be like them. 

Our next door neighbors were Luke, Kurt, Ronda and Renee Curtin, who we carpooled to hockey with on a daily basis. I grew up playing boys’ hockey with Luke and Kurt, the Curtins’ older brothers. Luke was one of the best players in the state, and left high school after our sophomore year to play major juniors. It wasn’t until high school, and then at the University of Minnesota, that I played with Ronda and Renee.

My whole family plays hockey and golf, so we all had fun growing up together playing and competing against each other. My oldest brother, Vic, played college hockey at St. Cloud State under legendary coach Herb Brooks. His daughter Hanna followed in his footsteps and is a freshman on the St. Cloud State women’s hockey team. Vic is currently coaching the Roseville Area High School girls’ varsity team and led the Raiders to a state championship in 2010.

My older sister, Kerry, coached the first ever St. Cloud State women’s hockey team. and currently has four girls playing hockey in Edina (Madeline, Audrey, Jacqueline, Adeline).  Chelsey, my younger sister, won a state tournament at Roseville and two NCAA Championships at the University of Minnesota. She currently helps my older brother Vic coach at Roseville.  My younger brother Tony is a Roseville graduate going into the golf industry.

Q: Did you have any influential youth coaches in your career?

WBB: I have been fortunate enough to play for many great coaches in my career, including Brad Frost and Joel Johnson  (current Gopher coaches), and Laura Halldorson (former U of M head coach). 

One special coach in my early years of playing hockey was Denny Malarkey. He gave me the opportunity to play on the Roseville Bantam A team as a first- and second-year player and on a team that was rated in the top 10 in state both years.  This is where I really grew as a player because of the top talent I was playing with and the coaching I received. Playing 60-plus games in those years helped me develop the skills I needed that would allow me to continue to progress as I got older. 

Coach Malarkey gave me confidence by believing in my abilities. This winter season, Malarkey is helping coach the Roseville 12U A girls’ hockey team and inspiring kids to follow their dreams.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote you live by?

WBB:  “Life is 10 percent what happens to us, and 90 percent how we react to it.  We are in charge of our attitudes.”– Charles Swindoll

Look for game recaps at MinnesotaWhitecaps.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @whitecapshockey for updated schedules and information about the team!