Sting celebrate their own on International Women’s Day
Each year, March 8th is a day celebrated all around the world as International Women’s Day. This is a day to celebrate women’s achievements, as well as to raise awareness and lobby for women’s equality.
The Sarnia Sting are incredibly proud to recognize the contributions the women in our organization put forth, as well as to honour their courage, hard work, and achievements made on, and off the ice. These efforts help to inspire young females for generations to come. Teaching them that they can be whoever they want to be, and accomplish anything they set their minds to. In honour of International Women’s Day, the Sting celebrate their very own women in sport.
Amy Mausser
Head Athletic Therapist/ Registered Massage Therapist
Amy can be found on the bench with a smile and a first aid kit.
She has always had a love for sports. Growing up, her Mom was a huge inspiration to her, that inspiration ultimately led her to begin downhill ski racing. She found a love for sports as a whole, and decided to compete in cross country, as well as track and field.
Mausser began received her Bachelors of Applied Health Sciences in Athletic Therapy from Sheridan College in Oakville Ontario. During her studies, she had the opportunity to work for the Abbey Park Highschool Men’s hockey team, the Laurier University Men’s hockey team, and the Kitchener Dutchmen of the GOJHL. This was her first real dose of Athletic Therapy. It was during this time that she continued to pursue athletics and began to compete in triathlons, which landed her a spot at Worlds in Vancouver. In 2010, she attended the Ontario College of Health and Technology where she received her certificate for massage therapy. 
However, this was only the beginning for Mausser. In 2011, she packed up her car and ventured to the University of Connecticut for her Masters of Science in Kinesiology. While attending UConn, Mausser interned with the Connecticut Whale (AHL), and was the Athletic Trainer at Windham High School. She was involved in many extracurriculars, travelling around the United States to compete. It was here that she found her passion for cycling, and began competing in road races. Now, 10 years later, she competes in many championships, and has not looked back.
Upon graduation from The University of Connecticut, Amy moved back to Canada and began work with the Humboldt Broncos in Saskatchewan, followed by a season with the Kingston Frontenacs. Amy’s journey continued to the west coast in 2014, this time in Alberta with the Brooks Bandits before returning to Ontario and beginning work with the Sarnia Sting in 2017 as Head Athletic Therapist.
Being one of few women in the OHL, Amy finds her work very empowering, and it helps to build her self confidence and resilience, two key skills taken out of being in a male dominated environment. Nevertheless, she does not focus on being the only female but rather being a part of a team.
When asked about her views on women and sports, Amy believes it to be changing but at a slow pace. However, she can see the change compared to when she was growing up. “High school is tough. Back then, it wasn’t as recognized. It is so important to have those role models in higher management and skilled roles to empower young girls so that they know they can do it too.”
Amy encourages the young females of today to “try everything at least once and do not be shy about it”. Amy found confidence was an issue for her growing up. She never let the lack of power over her, so she seeks and enjoys new challenges every day. She was always worried about what others would think which held her back from many things, which is critical during your early teenage years. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, have as much fun as you possibly can, join different extracurriculars, and try new things.”
To Amy, International Women’s Day is so much more than just a day for recognition. It is a day to inspire the younger generation to learn, to empower the next generation and so forth. Girls need to stick up for girls and work together, and she is grateful to be able to do that each and every day.
The Sarnia Sting players are extremely grateful to have Amy as a part of the team.
Sting forward Brayden Guy states that, “All of the guys in the dressing room have the utmost respect for Amy. She’s constantly looking for ways to help us on and off the ice, and her efforts for us never go unnoticed. She helps us perform at our best, and we all appreciate what she does for us!”
Cindi Tiltman
Box Office Manager
Cindi has been the official smile of the Sarnia Sting since 1995.
For those of you who know Cindi, you know her for her kindness, calmness, and attentive personality. Cindi can be found in the box office, working hard to prepare for upcoming games by answering phone calls, emails, and printing tickets. A typical game day for Cindi can be very hectic. The phone is always ringing, she has to prepare tickets, and ensure that all the scanners work. To most, this job may seem very overwhelming, but Cindi wouldn’t change it for the world. 
Growing up, Cindi admits she was not involved with sports. She was not introduced to hockey until she met her now husband, who has a strong love for the game. When an opportunity arose for her to work for the Sarnia Sting, she saw the position to be a great fit. Cindi’s communication and people skills mixed with her optimistic personality are what helped to make her the perfect candidate for this position.
Cindi finds her interactions with the public to be her favorite part of her job, and she has made many connections with Season Ticket Holders over the years.
“I am very grateful to have the opportunity to work with Cindi.” Comments Sting Director of Marketing Jake Bourrie. “I am not sure she actually realizes how much she has taught me. Her kindness, caring and compassion for our fans and the people she works with is incredible, she helps make us all better people and a better organization.”
When asked how it feels being a woman in a male dominated organization, Cindi does not notice much of a difference. She feels as if she has been accepted by all into the organization, which helps to create a more healthy environment.
To Cindi, International Women’s Day is an opportunity to show some of the diversity women can add to the workplace, and encourages young girls to not hold back because of their gender. The Sarnia Sting is incredibly grateful to have Cindi lead her wonderful team on the front line.
Sarah Atkinson
Controller
Sarah may not be seen by the fans, but she has one of the most important jobs in the organization.
When Sarah was younger, she was not very involved with sports, but rather learning and studying. She finds herself to be a very atypical person. Growing up, she always wanted to become an accountant. Upon graduating high school, Sarah attended Lambton College for Accounting, and got her start working for her family’s trucking business, handling accounts receivable. 
Sarah began working with the Sarnia Sting at the beginning of the 2018-19 season. She started with the migration from paper to paperless by moving all of the accounting department over to cloud based systems which offer more functionality and efficiency. Other duties include preparing reports and statements, reconciling accounts, managing budgets, and more.
“The Sarnia Sting have always been supportive of advancements and have never tried to hold me back.” Sarah comments on her role within the organization.
Sting President Bill Abercrombie comments on Sarah’s contribution’s to the Club.
“Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge in the accounting and computing space to our team. She has been crucial and led the charge in helping us become more efficient and ultimately more effective as an organization. We are incredibly lucky to have her and thankful for all her efforts.”
To Sarah, International Women’s Day helps to recognize women and all of their accomplishments. “Women bring a different perspective to the work place in any type of organization. Male and female brains are wired very differently so it is good to have a balance of both in an organization. I feel as if the more balanced, the more successful it will become.”
Mara Cutting
Social Media Coordinator
Mara Cutting can be found running around during games taking photos and making TikTok’s.
Growing up, she always had an undeniable passion for hockey. If she was not playing, she was watching it on TV. Mara remembers attending many OHL and NHL games at a young age and paying close attention to the photographers and media team, always dreaming that she would be able to do that one day. “I remember my Dad saying, that could be you in the future. I was always like, yeah right. I never really believed it.” Never did she imagine that it would someday actually come true. 
Mara began Sports and Recreation at Lambton College in 2019. She was drawn to this particular school due to their partnership with the Sarnia Sting. When the opportunity arose to intern with the team, she worked hard to earn her spot. Mara began taking photos, capturing “More Than a Game”. From here, she worked her way onto the media team. “Lambton College offers a hands on experience with some of the best hockey in the province. I started this program with no specific career chosen, so working with the Sting really helped me to realize what I wanted to do with my life.”
Mara enjoyed her first year in Sarnia. She noted her favourite part was meeting new people, whether that be staff or fans. “I met so many people I never imagined to meet, such as Derian Hatcher, Ryan Kesler, and even some TSN staff such as Jesse Pollock. It’s cool to see them on TV and then have the opportunity to work with them.”
When COVID-19 hit, she was left feeling very uncertain about how she would continue with the Sting, but with the help of Jake Bourrie and Storm Astolfi, as well as fellow social media coordinator Spencer Loeb, many doors opened to new opportunities. Mara continues to work to grow the Sarnia Sting brand, working together with Spencer and our content creators to produce high quality content and engage with fans. Mara plans to further her post-secondary education at University in Sports Media.
“Mara’s work ethic is second to none.” Comments Sting Marketing Director Jake Bourrie. “Throughout her time with our organization, Mara has balanced work, school, the Sting and her personal life all with a smile on her face. It became prevalent very early on that Mara was extremely versatile and could be relied upon in any situation. This work ethic along with her passion and willingness to learn new things have made her invaluable to us and there is no doubt she will find success throughout her career.
To Mara, International Women’s Day is a day to help recognize all that women have done, and how much further we are going to go. “When I was in minor hockey I played on boys teams as we did not have enough for girls, so I kind of saw it all. Many didn’t like that I was playing, either because I simply was a girl, or maybe I was just out playing them. I have seen gender inequality in many different environments, and it is very unfair. But I am grateful things are changing and we are coming to a world where one gender is not any less than another.”
Mara is thankful for the opportunity she has with the Sarnia Sting, and hopes that she can one day inspire young girls as she once was. She encourages girls to never give up, and that they can achieve anything they set their mind to. “Don’t let the world convince you that you can’t do something because of your gender. In the end, it comes down to who wants it the most.”
There have been many great strides in the world of sports due to the hard work and perseverance of the women that have paved the way for young girls for generations to come. Today, on March 8th, and every day of the year, we thank these amazing women for their contributions to aid in the change of a more diverse and equal environment. Happy International Women’s Day!
