Grit, tenacity, energy, and leadership
Growing up in Kingston’s east end, Scout Watkins-Southward had a passion for sports. The 24-year says that she played “every sport available to me.” But one stood out. “Hockey was my true love and where my obsession with sports started.”
Her passion for the game has led her to Sweden where she plays on a professional team.
Watkins-Southward joined the Kingston Ice Wolves at four years old. She stayed in the organization for 15 years.
“I loved every minute that I got to be an Ice Wolf. It is what shaped my love for hockey and for myself. I would say I instantly found my calling, my purpose, and my direction in life,” she says.
“Looking back, playing minor hockey in my hometown with the Kingston Ice Wolves was really the foundation of everything for me. Every day, I poured my heart and soul into that team and that jersey. I was so proud to be an Ice Wolf. And then I was so proud to move on to play junior hockey in Kingston as well,” she says.
“Wearing those ice Wolves jerseys was about pride, community, and belonging.”
“Some of my best memories and closest friendships came from those years. The support from my coaches, teammates, family, and the Kingston community meant the world to me. I’ll always be grateful that my minor hockey journey started and ended in my hometown.”
Watkins-Southward went on to play hockey for the Queen’s Gaels.
When she signed with the Gaels, she remembered attending a practice with the Queen’s women’s team when she was a young girl.
“I actually have a photo of me with the team and Coach Matt [Holmberg] from back then. He brought that same picture to my university signing. It was such a full-circle moment and really made me feel like I was meant to be there.
”My first year was tough, but to be honest, I don’t really know any student-athletes who would say their first year was easy. It’s such an adjustment in every sense – you’re learning to balance school, sport, independence, and expectations all at once.”
Watkins-Southward majored in Environmental Studies with a minor in Health Studies. She was named an Academic All-Canadian in her fourth and fifth years and graduated with honours.
In 91 games for Queen’s in the regular season and playoffs, she scored 27 goals and 20 assists. She also represented Canada twice at the FISU World University Games.
“My game was built on grit, tenacity, energy, and leadership, being hard to play against, never giving up, and always bringing intensity to the ice,” she says.
”My final year was one of the most challenging but also one of the most defining experiences of my life. We didn’t have a head coach for the summer and the first months of the season, so as the captain I took on more of a leadership role to keep the program moving forward...It was also a year where I fought hard for the recognition and equality that women’s hockey at Queen’s truly deserves. I wanted our program to be respected at the level of excellence it represents,” she says.
She also connected back with the Ice Wolves, attending their practices and inviting young players to Queen’s games. “It was such a full-circle experience and really reminded me why I fell in love with the game in the first place. That experience helped me discover my passion for coaching. I began volunteering at hockey camps and even started developing my own strength and conditioning programs for youth players.”
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned through hockey is the importance of women lifting up women, first as teammates, and especially in a coaching capacity. That idea has become a real passion of mine.”
For her master’s degree, she designed a coaching course to support women athletes who are transitioning into coaching women’s sports. The goal is to create more opportunities and confidence for female athletes to step into leadership roles and continue shaping the next generation.
Today, Watkins-Southward plays women’s professional hockey with Almtuna IS in Sweden.
“To actually be here now, living that dream and playing the sport I love in a country with such a strong hockey culture, is something I’m incredibly grateful for,” she says.
She hopes to eventually play in the SDHL, Sweden’s top women’s league.
I want to keep playing hockey for as long as I can, it’s such a big part of who I am, and I still have so much passion for the game.
