By Kristi Patton /
The St. Albert minor female hockey program has been going strong and they hope to continue that trend while wrangling up some more players at the rodeo —parade, that is.
Many of the female players will be wooing others to join the successful ride at the Rainmaker Rodeo and Exhibition parade brandishing their slogan of Play Like Girls.
“That slogan came from an editorial cartoon shortly after the last winter Olympics. The men didn’t make gold but the women had won gold and the political cartoon showed a men’s hockey player and coach with the caption ‘play like girls,’ ” said Chad Jenkins, director of female hockey for the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association. “We took that idea and made it our official logo to attract people to girls hockey. It is something that we would actually like see to Hockey Alberta adopt.”
Capping a season that included a jump in female players, successfully hosting the Western Canadian Midget ‘AAA’ Championships, gold at Peewee provincials, celebrating eight players winning gold at the Alberta Winter Games and a number of playoff appearances and league championships in different age groups, the female programs are not slowing down.
Jenkins said they have already talked about trying to put something together with the local post-secondary institutions women’s hockey teams to act as mentors to the St. Albert female players.
“Absolutely, we are working on putting something official together so there is a greater amount of connectedness and mentorship with those players. The greater media exposure from the Olympics and success like the University of Alberta Pandas have had filters down to the minor female players and acts as a bit of a carrot, in particular the availability and increase of scholarships that are given out to female hockey,” said Jenkins of some of the attractions of being part of the St. Alberta association and female hockey in general.
The St. Albert Kal-Tire Slash Midget ‘AAA’ female program has also been a boost for the younger players who are looking to play at an elite level.
“The program has given us stronger vertical integration and gives something for the younger players to shoot for without having to leave to another community,” said Jenkins.
The Slash recently hosted the Western Championships and they took advantage of the opportunity to allow the younger players in the community to experience the event by volunteering and being involved in the opening ceremonies.
One of the barriers to seeing the registration jump higher than it already has been is the competing winter sport of ringette.
Although female hockey registration was up in St. Albert from 130 girls the previous season to 175 this season, Jenkins thinks all the benefits that a player can take with them to post-secondary to the Olympics will entice more female athletes to hockey eventually.
“I don’t want to say a bad thing about anyone but ringette has been our biggest barrier to growth. Girl’s hockey does have the advantage in that they travel less than ringette because they have to go out farther to play but we play Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan and Spruce Grove,” he said.
With each season bringing more accomplishments to the association and word of mouth starting to spread, it will be hard for St. Albert to be bucked off its successful ride. |