COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ebony and Essence Wyse are the first and only Black girls on the Olentangy High School hockey team.
Ebony and Essence Wyse have been playing hockey for almost a decade. Their love for the sport started after their brother started playing. They were already acquainted with the ice, taking up figure skating as small kids, but both girls traded their leotards for shoulder pads at 7 years old.
They attended a girls’ hockey clinic that allowed them to get a feel of various positions on the ice. Essence got to try the position of goalie and has been guarding the net ever since.
“My coach was like ‘you’re really good at it and you have the skill and the ability, so you should try it’ and I ended up trying it and liking it a lot, so now I’m a goalie,” said Essence.
The twin sisters have been each other’s rock since they started playing. It’s a rare occasion that another girl will join them in the locker room before the game.
“It’s really nice to have your twin because it’s kind of like having a built-in friend and a person you can trust and you can tell everything to, who also shares the same experience,” said Ebony.
Transitioning from middle to high school level would be difficult. Both would be the first and only African American girls on the Olentangy High School hockey team — a glass ceiling that wasn’t an easy feat to shatter.
“I was kind of shy and quiet and kind of stuck to myself because I don’t like speaking up, but I learned that I can’t let people walk all over me,” said Essence.
Essence wasn’t alone in her self-doubt. Ebony has struggled with imposter syndrome throughout her time on the team.
“I feel like I can’t make any mistakes and that causes anxiety, and I’m really hard on myself, and it’s been a struggle,” said Ebony.
Being the only Black girls in a white male-dominated sport, it’s taken some time to get used to their team. As they have gotten older and built relationships on the team, their confidence has grown stronger.
“It’s not thinking that they’re better than me because they’re males and thinking that they’re better than you. I think that I am able to be my own self and use my unique skills,” said Essence.
Outside of their team, Ebony and Essence have become a part of a larger community of girls that share their same experience. Saroya Tinker, a defender on the Toronto Six, hosts a Black girls hockey club, in which both girls are members. The club meets once a week and not only do they receive advice from professional hockey player Saroya Tinker, but they have a community of other young Black girls from across the world that they can lean on.
Essence said that the club has given her the confidence and skills to break barriers on and off the ice.
“If you really want to play hockey, you can and don’t let anyone put a limit on you no matter what you look like, your income or any of that,” said Essence. “Just do it.”
Ebony and Essence were highlighted at the Columbus Blue Jackets game Tuesday, March 1, as apart of the team’s Hockey is for Everyone initiative. Both girls will play varsity hockey next year.
