GirlsB次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淚 think it would have benefited female hockey,B次元官网网址� said VIAHA president Jim Humphrey.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e starting the process of cancelling another competitive female team today because of the same issue. We had enough girls and then the parents didnB次元官网网址檛 think it would be competitive enough so the [players] left to play on boysB次元官网网址� teams.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淩ight now 75 per cent of the girls play in a co-ed hockey system,B次元官网网址� Humphrey said. B次元官网网址淭his year we arenB次元官网网址檛 going to have any atom-aged girls teams. Zero. And we have very few peewees as well. ThereB次元官网网址檚 just getting to be less and less.B次元官网网址�

Humphrey said the proposal received negative feedback from some parents, saying they donB次元官网网址檛 want their child to have to play on a girls team because itB次元官网网址檚 not competitive enough.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know why some parents do what they do,B次元官网网址� Humphrey said.

B次元官网网址淎ll kinds of universities across Canada and the U.S only select female players who have chosen to play in and support female hockey, and wonB次元官网网址檛 select female players out of the male hockey system. So potentially girls could be missing out on huge scholarships when they graduate from school.B次元官网网址�

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 donB次元官网网址檛 want to so they quit hockey.

B次元官网网址淢ore girls quit than go play integrated hockey,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淣ot every female can play male hockey and not every female wants to play male hockey. So what do you do with those girls that donB次元官网网址檛 want to play with the boys? Right now all we can tell them is B次元官网网址榮orry, unless something changes you canB次元官网网址檛 play hockeyB次元官网网址� and thatB次元官网网址檚 a sad thing.B次元官网网址�

Humphrey thought the proposal would have been a win-win for everyone because the girls who didnB次元官网网址檛 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.

B次元官网网址淕irls hockey will die on Vancouver Island, IB次元官网网址檓 convinced of that,B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淲hatB次元官网网址檚 a parent going to do when their child gets to be 15-16 and thereB次元官网网址檚 no female hockey to go to? There will be no teams, their daughter will probably have to quit, because thereB次元官网网址檚 some who can compete at that level but not many,B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淭his could be for many reasons, but I think there are a lot of parents who donB次元官网网址檛 think their child is challenged enough playing girls hockey so they put them in integrated hockey,B次元官网网址滳hisholm said.

B次元官网网址淢y opinion is that if all the girls played in the girls division, then it could be competitive to the highest level. However, thatB次元官网网址檚 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.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淭he rights of the few should not outweigh the rights of the many, and it seems as if thatB次元官网网址檚 what has happened,B次元官网网址� he said.

Humphrey added that two-thirds of the Sooke hockey organization used to be made up of female hockey players, and now itB次元官网网址檚 down to only about 50 girls.

B次元官网网址淥ur goal is to keep but female hockey alive, but itB次元官网网址檚 proven that we are losing more girls and more teams,B次元官网网址� Humphrey said.. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know what the answer is, maybe it will take hitting rock bottom. But once you give up something, itB次元官网网址檚 very hard to get it back.B次元官网网址�