Dosdall-Arena Returns from Motherhood to Metropolitan
March 6, 2022 - Premier Hockey Federation (PHF)
Metropolitan Riveters News Release
The Metropolitan Riveters family has grown, both on and off the ice.
Defender Kiira Dosdall-Arena recently signed for the remainder of the 2021-22 Premier Hockey Federation season making her just the sixth player to compete every year since the inaugural 2015-16 campaign.
Even more impressive in her return to action is that it comes just four months since giving birth to her daughter Josie on October 20, 2021.
"It felt great to be back," said Dosdall-Arena, a few days after skating both games in the club's weekend series against Toronto. "After having my daughter it was a long break from hockey, and your body goes through so much. I was a little nervous to get back out there and was hoping I wasn't underestimating the changes I went through. It was a lot of fun and exciting to focus on the game and the challenges that go along with that, both mentally and physically. It was all awesome. It was such a welcoming experience and it felt great to be back doing something that I love doing."
Dosdall-Arena was at peak fitness at the time of her pregnancy and kept active and working out during her first two trimesters. She adjusted as her body changed, but still recalls running three to four miles as part of her routines while following appropriate programs approved by her doctor. About four to five weeks after birth she felt well enough to jog, then got back on the ice in early winter on the frozen ponds near her home. She started to wonder if a return was possible.
"I was googling other athletes and how long it took them to come back and most of what I found was six, nine, 12 months later they are returning to competition," she said. "I honestly wasn't that hopeful. I wasn't that sure if I'd be able to do it, but at the same time I felt good and wanted to try and make it work."
The 34-year-old continued getting back into activity, pushing until she began feeling like her old self again. It's a personal journey she looks back on with pride.
"I think this was hands down the biggest challenge, from a physical standpoint, I've overcome. There's no doubt about it. Nothing can compare to birthing a child. I had also never been off the ice for so long. I didn't know how it was going to go. It was a little scary and uncertain, but I know my body and stayed in touch with it. It was a whole new challenge and extremely gratifying to be able to get out there and continue to push myself to get back into game shape."
Throughout the process she kept in touch with Riveters general manager Anya Packer and head coach Ivo Mocek who kept the door open for a return, if and when the timing was right.
"It took a lot of communication and understanding from the coaching staff and the leadership at the Riveters to say no pressure, come at your pace," Dosdall-Arena said. "They want this to be a welcoming environment for someone coming back so soon after having a baby. That made all the difference. I didn't have to jump into two practices a week and an intense off-ice training schedule. I was easing into it. The same thing with those first two games back. The coaches were really thoughtful and understanding, and I think that communication was huge both mentally and physically to make it possible."
Physical challenges aside, the support of the team and her family has helped Dosdall-Arena look after the many logistics that come into play for somebody raising a young baby.
"It takes a village to raise a baby and this is no exception," she said. "Without the support of the Riveters, the coaches, my teammates, my husband Peter, our parents, it takes so many people just to be able to make it all work. It's a whole community of support I'm grateful for."
Even though returning to hockey at times may have been in doubt, the former Colgate University captain from Stamford, CT always knew it would be with the Riveters.
"The Riveters organization is like family. I definitely have a ton of pride being a part of the Riveters, especially from the first season. There was nothing more exciting than signing that first contract and being a part of this. Each year there has been so much growth. I think it's hard to see when you're joining the league for the first time in season five, six or seven, but for Madison (Packer) and I who have been with it since the beginning, we get to see these amazing milestones that we've hit as a league, these sponsorship deals, and the growth that comes along with it has been so exciting. We love our fans, we love that jersey and what it represents, and we've tried to carry along the identity of that team since the beginning."
Dosdall-Arena isn't just proud to be a Riveter, she marvels at being part of that special group who have been making a difference by growing professional women's hockey.
"I think the most exciting part of all of that is that we've had a paid professional women's league for seven seasons," she said. "I never could have imagined as I was in college that I'd be able to play through my twenties and get paid. It's amazing and we keep changing the path for women in sports, and that's why this group who have been here since the beginning are doing it. It's still undefined how long women can play for and when they peak in hockey. We keep seeing players who are getting better and better into their thirties and I think that's amazing. It's been such a wonderful experience."
On the ice, the veteran of over 80 games and a 2018 Isobel Cup title joins a team in a battle for playoff positioning as they jostle between the fourth and fifth seed with Minnesota. She hopes her abilities in addition to her experience can help the team win.
"I want to be a reliable defenceman who is ready to play and ready to win battles in the corners, doing all the little things that might go unnoticed on a stats sheet but are crucial to building momentum and winning games," she said. "I expect my role to be one that's defensive minded, steady, and also with having the experience of playing in the league before, I'm hoping I can continue to jump right into games and help this team immediately. The goal is to just improve and get better each game in what we do as we prepare for playoffs in Tampa."
No matter how Dosdall-Arena or the Riveters perform in the playoffs, her journey should serve as inspiration for others who have seen what's possible for professional women's hockey players balancing their careers with family.
"In talking with Anya (Packer), she made it very clear that the league and the Riveters want to support women, and that includes women who have become pregnant and want to start families. Because the league is so young and has a lot of younger players, I think it's sometimes assumed that you're retiring if you want to start a family. That doesn't have to be the default, and the Riveters have made that clear to me.
"It's definitely been one of my motivators coming back, to show the players in this league and the players who are coming into it, that it's not a choice they have to make. You can continue playing and have a family as a professional athlete. It's just not sustainable if women have to leave their sport when they want to have a baby."
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Premier Hockey Federation Stories from March 6, 2022
- Dosdall-Arena Returns from Motherhood to Metropolitan - Metropolitan Riveters
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