Female minor hockey registration in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. is going up this year, thanks to the addition of two new girls' teams that will hit the ice this season.
After having no team in the bantam division last year, Fort Saskatchewan Minor Hockey (FSMH) added an "A" and "B" team to the age group this year.
"Any type of growth is good growth," said Jeff Fischer, director of female hockey for FSMH. "It's picking up momentum."
Fischer made it one of his highest priorities to revive female bantam hockey this season, in order to bring 14 and 15-year-old girls back on the ice in the city.
"Last year a lot of girls ended up quitting, so this year I said 'I don't want that to happen again,'" he said. "So I said we're going to form a bantam team no matter what, to draw back the girls that left."
The girls who didn't quit played for other towns last year, but having both an "A" and "B" team will keep them in the city this season. And for Fischer, it will hopefully keep girls at all age levels in FSMH for the long run.
"Having teams there promotes itself to the younger girls, that they have a place to go next year," he said. "And we have to be able to offer the highest level of girls' hockey available."
To that end, Fischer's goal a few years down the road is to have a midget triple-A team in the city. And FSMH is getting there, he said--the association held tryouts for the first time at the bantam level, to see who made the "A" team.
Plus, FSMH won't have the only team joining the bantam divisions of the Greater Edmonton Girls' Hockey League. Fischer said there will be two or three more bantam girls' teams starting up this season.
"I think girls have realized that it's a fun sport to play," he said. "It's freewheeling, and some of them are finding the game interesting and exciting." And it doesn't hurt that parents only need to drive a few blocks to take their girls to practice.
"Just knowing that I have a five minute drive to get my daughter there when I have three other kids playing minor hockey, is unreal," said Jan Bettac, who has two daughters playing minor hockey in Fort Saskatchewan. The hockey dad thinks the growth of the girl's game in the city is due in large part to the work of FSMH.
"They've put hours upon hours into it," he said. "So I think it's just an excellent thing."
After having no team in the bantam division last year, Fort Saskatchewan Minor Hockey (FSMH) added an "A" and "B" team to the age group this year.
"Any type of growth is good growth," said Jeff Fischer, director of female hockey for FSMH. "It's picking up momentum."
Fischer made it one of his highest priorities to revive female bantam hockey this season, in order to bring 14 and 15-year-old girls back on the ice in the city.
"Last year a lot of girls ended up quitting, so this year I said 'I don't want that to happen again,'" he said. "So I said we're going to form a bantam team no matter what, to draw back the girls that left."
The girls who didn't quit played for other towns last year, but having both an "A" and "B" team will keep them in the city this season. And for Fischer, it will hopefully keep girls at all age levels in FSMH for the long run.
"Having teams there promotes itself to the younger girls, that they have a place to go next year," he said. "And we have to be able to offer the highest level of girls' hockey available."
To that end, Fischer's goal a few years down the road is to have a midget triple-A team in the city. And FSMH is getting there, he said--the association held tryouts for the first time at the bantam level, to see who made the "A" team.
Plus, FSMH won't have the only team joining the bantam divisions of the Greater Edmonton Girls' Hockey League. Fischer said there will be two or three more bantam girls' teams starting up this season.
"I think girls have realized that it's a fun sport to play," he said. "It's freewheeling, and some of them are finding the game interesting and exciting." And it doesn't hurt that parents only need to drive a few blocks to take their girls to practice.
"Just knowing that I have a five minute drive to get my daughter there when I have three other kids playing minor hockey, is unreal," said Jan Bettac, who has two daughters playing minor hockey in Fort Saskatchewan. The hockey dad thinks the growth of the girl's game in the city is due in large part to the work of FSMH.
"They've put hours upon hours into it," he said. "So I think it's just an excellent thing."
