Rick Stiebel/B次元官网网址 Staff

One of the goals of newly minted Capital Region Female Minor Hockey Association is to provide more girls with the opportunity to play together on all-female teams.

Although the CRFMHA received official stamps of approval from BC Hockey in March and the Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association in May, efforts to form a new association date back to May 2017, said CRFMHA president Ian Fleetwood.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of work went into getting this done. WeB次元官网网址檝e taken a model universally accepted in Canada and applied it locally,B次元官网网址� he said.

ALSO READ: Victoria Minor Hockey Association looking to make girls fall in love with hockey

The timing of the approval fits in with recommendations in a BC Hockey report released in February that called for the formation of more female hockey associations, Fleetwood noted. B次元官网网址淭he CRFHMA has already registered 23 girls who are completely new to hockey,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淭his many new female players in one season is unprecedented in Victoria.B次元官网网址� Statistics show that increasing the number of girls who register makes higher retention sustainable over time as well, he added.

B次元官网网址淥ur objective goes beyond hockey,B次元官网网址� Fleetwood said. B次元官网网址淲e want to create an environment where girls and young women can take on mentorship and leadership roles. ThatB次元官网网址檚 important because itB次元官网网址檚 not just hockey. We have lots of social events planned throughout the season to create a region-wide social community.B次元官网网址�

The CRFMHA plans to have 12 or 13 teams involving girls between the age of five and 20 ready for September. Ice time has already been secured at 13 arenas in the region from Sooke to Sidney, Fleetwood added. B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 say enough about the work so many volunteers and parents have done to make this happen.B次元官网网址�

That includes the efforts of one of the associationB次元官网网址檚 directors, Ken Jones, a graphic designer who came up with the logo for the teamsB次元官网网址� jerseys. The name, Victoria Reign, was selected through a process involving the roughly 130 players who have registered to play this season.

B次元官网网址淓ach player was allowed to submit two names, and we narrowed it down to five choices, which the players voted on in a series of elimination rounds. It was kind of neat to let them decide,B次元官网网址� Fleetwood said.

While the cost of equipment can be prohibitive for some families, the CRFMHA believes it has addressed that as well. B次元官网网址淲e have a large inventory of loaner equipment we can make available for girls starting out who need it,B次元官网网址� Fleetwood said.

Plans for this season, which begins with pre-season games in September and runs from October to mid-March, include games against local girls and boys teams, as well as girls teams from other parts of Vancouver Island. B次元官网网址淲e plan on a few trips to the Mainland for games as well.B次元官网网址� In addition, The CRFMHA is also looking to host two tournaments featuring teams from the Lower Mainland and the U.S.

ALSO READ: Trailblazing Peninsula hockey player talks growing up as the only girl on the team

Another CRFMHA board member, Maegan Thompson, will coach 13- and 14-year-old Reign players this season. Thompson, whose passion for coaching began in 1989 when she was a teenager coaching her younger sisterB次元官网网址檚 ringette team, has coached hockey for 10 years. B次元官网网址淢y husband and I started coaching hockey before we had kids,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hen we started coaching our kids. IB次元官网网址檓 just thrilled about the new association. There were lots of attempts in the past, so itB次元官网网址檚 nice to finally come to fruition.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 important to provide all girls with the opportunity to play,B次元官网网址� Thompson stressed. B次元官网网址淚n the past, some girls had to play on integrated teams with boys. We lost some girls from hockey because of that, especially those just starting out. I hope they played another sport because itB次元官网网址檚 so important to every child for confidence and social skills.B次元官网网址�

Team sports are especially important because they provide an understanding of what it takes to be part of a team, she added.

Bianca Parkes, a 17-year-old Belmont Secondary School student, said she has made lifelong friends since she started playing hockey when she was five. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 pretty cool and exciting to be part of a first-year team,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 probably know half the players on my team because we played together on the Juan de Fuca Grizzlies girls team last year.B次元官网网址�

Although she loves sports in general, the speed and competitive nature of hockey have added appeal, Parkes noted. B次元官网网址淵ou get exercise without realizing it because youB次元官网网址檙e having so much fun. I love playing defence because I really like the challenge of stopping the other team from scoring.B次元官网网址�

rick.stiebel@goldstreamgazette.com

Like us on and follow us on