Editor’s Note: The following story recently appeared in BC Hockey’s newsletter:
The BC Hockey Female Development Committee is dedicated to developing female hockey players in all districts of our province. The numbers of female players varies from year to year and it is a challenge to find ways to promote the female game and attract more enrollments in our hockey associations. I had the pleasure of overseeing the BCH Female PeeWee Championships this season in Clearwater, B.C. and discovered not only a hockey association but also an entire community that supported and sponsored this event. It was inspiring to see the teamwork amongst the players, coaches, parents and community members in hosting the championship.
Five years ago Clearwater MHA female director Donna McLellan started developing a female program in this small community. Donna, who has two young female hockey fanatics, dedicated these years to building up interest in the game and recruiting girls from Clearwater and surrounding towns. At the beginning there were only a few players but by September, 2010, there were enough players to form the first female team consisting of Atom and PeeWee age players. This team played in the OMAHA Atom Development league for the 2010/11 season and took third place in their division. They went on to host and play in the BCH Championship and were the Cinderella team of the tournament. It was evident from the first game that they were in tough against some powerhouse teams, both in size and skill but these young girls never gave up. They played hard in every game and were like little gnats at the heels of the stronger teams. Their perseverance was truly inspirational and they quickly became the fan favorites, even with the out of town fans! They didn’t win the championship but they were truly winners!
Clearwater is a hockey town and its people believe strongly in the game supporting both males and females. They are a community of less than 5,000 people who came together despite adversity to help these female players develop and to help in the sponsorship and success of their program.
Thanks from the players and parents is also given to the boys in the association for their support. As Clearwater Minor Hockey president, Hans Wadlegger said in his message in the Championship Program, “We would like to raise our sticks and tip our helmets to the boys who let our girls play and in many cases, made them stronger and more determined as a result of the experience.”
Congratulations to this BIG little town for developing our female program! Keep up the good work and good luck in your future seasons.
– Margie Moss is the Okanagan member of the BC Hockey Female Development Committee
