Coyne Schofield on the challenges and joys of motherhood
When asked about the biggest challenges of growing older, Kendall Coyne Schofield quickly rephrased the question. For her, motherhood is defined much more by joy than by difficulty.
“It was just pure joy, the most beautiful thing in the world,” she said, before acknowledging the physical toll of the birth and recovery. “It was hard to watch my body change and get my body back to where it was to compete. But I surrounded myself with an incredible team of people.”
That team, she explains, included physical therapists, doctors, pelvic floor specialists, family members and her teammates, all of whom played a role in helping her return to elite competition.
“He has 30 wonderful aunts who love him,” Coyne Schofield said of her son’s occasional “babysitters” in red, white and blue. “They are so helpful when he is with me. He has been with me at all of our training camps so far this year. If I need to get treatment, they will keep an eye on him in the room. It has been really special to see how great my teammates are with him.”
The experience, she says, changed her perspective and made her a better hockey player as a result.
“It has changed me for the better. I think I am a better hockey player than I was before I became a mother.”
She admits that before motherhood, she could carefully plan every detail of her day and expect it to unfold as intended. Now she has learned to adapt, laughing because “you have a plan, but your baby may have a different plan, and that’s the plan you’re going to follow because that’s more important.”
The shift has also changed the way she leaves the rink. At home, her son doesn’t care how training went or how she skated; he’s just excited to see his mother.
Coyne Schofield has now been officially selected for Milano Cortina 2026, becoming only the second mother to represent the United States in Olympic women’s ice hockey, following Jenny Potterwho participated in three Olympic Games from 2002 to 2010.
Inspired by icons such as Allyson Felix And Alex MorganCoyne Schofield hopes her journey will also show the next generation what is possible.
“I think they see that I don’t have to give up my career to become a mother,” she said. “I can be a great mom and a great hockey player at the same time. And knowing that they see that, that’s really special to me.”
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