It might be summer but one group of hockey players couldn’t wait for next season to start.
A group of Chilliwack Minor Hockey Association’s female skaters rattled pucks off the boards at the Sardis Sports Complex, blades cutting into the ice and laughter filling the air.
Many were playing hockey for the first time. While some skated like Marie-Philip Poulin, others more closely resembled Bambi slipping on the ice. But all of them were clearly having fun. Wanting to do their part to grow the female game, CMHA has been hosting free learn-to-play sessions throughout the month of August.
While CMHA has seen an increase in enrollment, the rate of growth is slower on the female side. Brandon Fentie, the director of the female division, believes it’s a matter of exposure to the sport.
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“Many girls have never considered hockey,” he said. “It hasn’t been presented as an option. These sessions give girls a chance to try something new.”
CMHA provides equipment and ice, and former professional and NCAA player Debbie Beaudoin has been running the sessions. Players are welcome to attend as many sessions as their schedule allows.
Three more are coming up Aug. 19, 23 and 26 (9:15 to 10:15 a.m. each time).
“Hockey was never meant to be for boys only,” Fentie said. “Some of the earliest photographs of the game feature Isobel Stanley, daughter of Lord Stanley, skating stick in hand down the Rideau Canal. Unfortunately, the social norms of sexism kept most girls on the bench as the boys had all the fun. Though some fringe leagues and teams have always existed it wasn’t until 1990 that the first women’s world championship was held.”
In Fentie’s view, not only can girls play hockey, they should play hockey.
“Research continually shows that children who play sports experience physical and psychological benefits that last beyond their playing years,” he said. “When girls play hockey, they get those benefits.”
For more info, e-mail femaledirector@chilliwackminorhockey.com.
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eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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