SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A hockey tournament this weekend may seem like just a sporting event to some people, but it has an underlying message.
If there was one thing Brittany Corcoran loved, it was hockey.
“She put on the goalie mask and she just shined on the ice. From then on, she literally was the heart and the soul of her team,” Brittany’s Mother, Angela Drake said.
While she was tearing it up on the ice, many people didn’t know about her internal battle with mental health.
“So the mask that she wore on the ice wasn’t much different than the mask that she wore in real life. She had this big, beautiful smile for a mask off the ice and no one would have ever known the battles that she fought in her own brain,” Drake said.
In 2016, Brittany died by suicide.
Losing Brittany not only affected her family and friends, but also the hockey community.
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“It was certainly a shocker in the hockey world. You know, at the funeral there was a lot of people there. It was it was a big impact to, you know, what’s what’s happened what happened in the ice sports community,” Youth Hockey Coach, Brian Prisbe said.
Because of all the people devastated by losing Brittany, her mom started the Fight Like a Ninja hockey tournament.
“We’re bringing these girls together, we’ve got their attention, we’re playing a game we all love. But in addition to that, I have speakers coming in to talk to these girls about mental health, girls in STEM, how to manage money, just give them the tools to really be a powerful part of our community as they as they grow into womanhood,” Drake said.
“It’s not about the hockey. It’s about, you know, spreading the awareness and having a good time and remembering Britney,” Prisbe said.
While hockey is the name of the game, Brittany is the name on the players’ hearts.
The 9th annual Fight Like a Ninja is taking place this weekend.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Fight Like a Ninja scholarship that is given out to a girl hockey player each year.
Click here for more information on the Fight Like a Ninja tournament.
