Extra ladies and ladies are taking part in hockey than ever, however the numbers nonetheless pale compared to males and boys.
There have been 108,313 ladies and ladies registered as gamers in Hockey Canada-sanctioned applications within the 2023-24 hockey season. That is about one-fifth of all contributors.
Gillian Apps, a former nationwide hockey participant who’s now main a steering committee on ladies for Hockey Canada, mentioned the tradition of hockey is altering, however it’s nonetheless a priority for fogeys.
“Are we going to place our daughter in hockey? Are we going to place them in soccer or gymnastics?” she requested.
“Hockey does not have a terrific rep proper now by way of the tradition piece. So I feel that that is an space that we have to proceed to do plenty of work to type of make the expertise for the following era even higher than for the individuals who got here earlier than us.”
LISTEN | This week’s episode of the That is Saskatchewan podcast appears to be like at how individuals are attempting to make hockey extra welcoming for girls and ladies:
Hockey Canada desires to see 170,000 ladies taking part in hockey by 2030, nevertheless it’s presently not on monitor to succeed in that purpose.
“There was plenty of work attempting to deal with tradition points in hockey and there may be nonetheless plenty of work to be executed,” Apps mentioned.
On the intense aspect, she mentioned ladies in hockey are having a second within the highlight.
“There’s a ton of pleasure round ladies’s hockey in Canada proper now,” she mentioned.
The Skilled Girls’s Hockey League launched in 2023 and final yr noticed the arrival of the primary full-time feminine coach within the NHL.
“You see individuals within the streets sporting a few of the [women’s] staff’s gear and it is actually thrilling … however there may be nonetheless work to be executed,” Apps mentioned.
Colleen Sostorics, a former nationwide hockey participant who now coaches a co-ed staff in Regina, mentioned she has seen a giant change in her 40 years concerned within the sport.
“There weren’t plenty of ladies taking part in, and now we have overcome that barrier,” Sostorics mentioned. “Now, a bit lady with a ponytail strolling into the rink with a hockey bag on her again shouldn’t be irregular within the slightest.”
A Hockey Canada dialogue paper launched final fall says boundaries for women and girls embrace training and coaching, coverage and governance, construction, visibility and fairness in ice allocation.
Women and girls follow hockey for 7.24 years on common, about 2.4 years lower than boys and males. Within the 2023-24 season, the retention charge for women and girls was 84.9 per cent, 2.9 per cent decrease than boys and males.
The success of the PWHL has been a significant enhance.
“There may be TV protection, broadcast rights and it is wonderful to see,” Apps mentioned.
“I hope that younger ladies, and boys, which can be watching these video games are saying, ‘Hey I need to try this.'”
Amanda Hungle, who’s head of Hockey Regina, mentioned there are starting to be extra choices for women and girls to play.
Hungle mentioned programming begins on the age of 5 for co-ed and feminine groups runs all the way in which to under-18.
“We see senior leisure leagues which have ladies’s divisions, like adult-safe and people sorts of issues. So these are choices for folk that need to be a part of the game later in life,” Hungle mentioned.
Ice time remains to be a battle.
Hungle mentioned Hockey Regina has fashioned a feminine hockey development and growth committee, with ice time parity between the totally different hockey streams as a kind of targets.
“We’re simply in that knowledge gathering stage to know what are the boundaries to enter the game, but in addition what are the issues which can be driving females out of the game and the way can we cut back that,” Hungle mentioned.
“So how do we provide experiences which can be inclusive, which can be participating, you already know, that basically empower feminine athletes to succeed not simply on the ice, but in addition off of the ice?”
Sostorics mentioned inclusivity and desirous to be with pals are essential.
“Retaining the enjoyable within the sport is certainly an essential half, and I’d wager to wager that is for each genders.”
Hockey Canada is predicted to launch suggestions later within the spring.
This story is from the That is Saskatchewan podcast — your connection to the tales Saskatchewan is speaking about. Each week, Leisha Grebinski and Nichole Huck will cowl native points that matter. Hear the voices which can be creating change, shaping coverage and fuelling creativity in Saskatchewan.
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