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Girls hockey BԪַwill die on Vancouver IslandBԪַ

Call for girls to play on female-only teams before they can play on boysBԪַ squad meets opposition
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GirlsBԪַ hockey on the Island is going extinct, says the president of Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association.

More than a year ago, a proposal was brought to the VIAHA suggesting girls must play on a female team before they could also play on a boys squad. The girls would pay one registration fee.

BԪַI think it would have benefited female hockey,BԪַ said VIAHA president Jim Humphrey.

BԪַWeBԪַre starting the process of cancelling another competitive female team today because of the same issue. We had enough girls and then the parents didnBԪַt think it would be competitive enough so the [players] left to play on boysBԪַ teams.BԪַ

The proposal was created with hopes of increasing girls playing with female-only teams throughout the Island, because many girls in minor hockey are deciding to play on co-ed teams.

BԪַRight now 75 per cent of the girls play in a co-ed hockey system,BԪַ Humphrey said. BԪַThis year we arenBԪַt going to have any atom-aged girls teams. Zero. And we have very few peewees as well. ThereBԪַs just getting to be less and less.BԪַ

Humphrey said the proposal received negative feedback from some parents, saying they donBԪַt want their child to have to play on a girls team because itBԪַs not competitive enough.

BԪַI donBԪַt know why some parents do what they do,BԪַ Humphrey said.

BԪַAll kinds of universities across Canada and the U.S only select female players who have chosen to play in and support female hockey, and wonBԪַt select female players out of the male hockey system. So potentially girls could be missing out on huge scholarships when they graduate from school.BԪַ

Humphrey said there are less girls teams on the Island to choose from. The only place for many girls to play in their area is on a co-ed team, and some girls donBԪַt want to so they quit hockey.

BԪַMore girls quit than go play integrated hockey,BԪַ he said. BԪַNot every female can play male hockey and not every female wants to play male hockey. So what do you do with those girls that donBԪַt want to play with the boys? Right now all we can tell them is BԪַsorry, unless something changes you canBԪַt play hockeyBԪַ and thatBԪַs a sad thing.BԪַ

Humphrey thought the proposal would have been a win-win for everyone because the girls who didnBԪַt want to play with boys could still have a team to play on, and the girls who would prefer co-ed could play on two teams for the price of one.

BԪַGirls hockey will die on Vancouver Island, IBԪַm convinced of that,BԪַ Humphrey said.

This year the Island has lost approximately 30 to 40 per cent of the existing teams in female hockey in the Greater Victoria area.

BԪַWhatBԪַs a parent going to do when their child gets to be 15-16 and thereBԪַs no female hockey to go to? There will be no teams, their daughter will probably have to quit, because thereBԪַs some who can compete at that level but not many,BԪַ he said.

Rob Chisholm, coach of the Sooke Thunderbirds midget girls team, said it was a struggle to find enough girls to put together a team this year.

BԪַThis could be for many reasons, but I think there are a lot of parents who donBԪַt think their child is challenged enough playing girls hockey so they put them in integrated hockey,BԪַChisholm said.

BԪַMy opinion is that if all the girls played in the girls division, then it could be competitive to the highest level. However, thatBԪַs difficult when you are stuck with one level of hockey because the girls that are striving to play at a higher level often go and play with the boys.BԪַ

Chisholm said in past years he knew many girls that probably would have wanted to play for both the boys and girls teams if they had the option.

BԪַThe rights of the few should not outweigh the rights of the many, and it seems as if thatBԪַs what has happened,BԪַ he said.

Humphrey added that two-thirds of the Sooke hockey organization used to be made up of female hockey players, and now itBԪַs down to only about 50 girls.

BԪַOur goal is to keep but female hockey alive, but itBԪַs proven that we are losing more girls and more teams,BԪַ Humphrey said.. BԪַI donBԪַt know what the answer is, maybe it will take hitting rock bottom. But once you give up something, itBԪַs very hard to get it back.BԪַ





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