WomenB次元官网网址檚 hockey has travelled a long, and often sexist road since its inception.
Back in the 1890s it was played primarily at the university level and, until 1914, most women participating were expected to wear long skirts. The referees were men, and if a female player fell to the ice, play was stopped while the referee helped them back to their feet.
But for Joanne Maclaren, there has never been any question that girls belong on the ice.
She is the co-manager of the Juan de Fuca Grizzlies Midget female hockey team and the 17 players, aged 15 to 17, on her team are a hardworking, competitive group of young athletes.
B次元官网网址淥ur group has what is probably one of the longest standing associations with female hockey anywhere and weB次元官网网址檙e very proud of our girls. They play a very tough game and they love the sport,B次元官网网址� Maclaren said.
B次元官网网址淎nd they take it seriously. They practice hard and do their dry land training, just like any boys team. More than some boys teams, in fact.B次元官网网址�
Although the female midget league has suffered some setbacks this year with registration B次元官网网址� with both Victoria and Peninsula teams dropping out B次元官网网址� she explained that her teamB次元官网网址檚 dedication to the game has not wavered.
B次元官网网址淲e travel the Island to get our games, going to Nanaimo, Campbell River, Port McNeill. We go wherever we have to go. This year weB次元官网网址檒l also be hosting a tournament and hope to attract teams from as far away as Calgary.B次元官网网址�
But, after 20 years of involvement in the game, itB次元官网网址檚 a tournament at the end of December that now has Maclaren excited.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e traveling to Kalispell, Montana from Dec. 27 to 31 to take part in the Montana Winter Ice Classic. ItB次元官网网址檚 taken a long time to get all the approvals we needed to travel outside the country to play, but we have everything in place and the girls are very excited.B次元官网网址�
One of the features of the tournament that has most intrigued the team is the fact that the venue is outdoors.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e West Coast girls, and most of our team has never played an outdoor game. But they just built a big outdoor venue there and weB次元官网网址檙e just thrilled to be one of the first teams to play a tournament there,B次元官网网址� Maclaren said.
One difficulty of the ambitious trip is the cost and, in an effort to defray some of the expenses, the team will be at a variety of retail locations this Saturday, Dec. 16, selling Krispy Kreme donuts and accepting donations.
The girls will be in Langford outside Quality Foods, Canadian Tire, Western Foods and the Market on Millstream, and ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 Thrifty Foods.
B次元官网网址淭hese girls are like a family. Many of them have been playing together since they were three or four years old and have grown up together. WeB次元官网网址檝e been past league champions and the girls have really earned the right to go to this tournament. We hope the community supports us so that we can make this trip happen.B次元官网网址�
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