The First Girls' Youth Hockey Team?

Discussion of Minnesota Girls Youth Hockey

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The Exiled One
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Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:34 am

The First Girls' Youth Hockey Team?

Post by The Exiled One » Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:45 am

http://www.mvihf.org/files/girlshockey.jpg
The defenseman sports a brown pony tail.

She is Chris Kinard, 11, one of about 30 participants in a recently organized girls' hockey program, which probably is the first of its kind in Minnesota.

Chris, like many of the other girls who range in age from 8-13, had borrowed most of her hockey equipment from her brother.

"They're pretty good for girls," noted Chris' 12-year-old brother, Jon, who watched the group's first practice last Sunday at the Mounds View High School hockey rink.

The program has been organized under the Lake Region Hockey program, which is within the Mounds View School District.

The girls, some with brightly colored scarves wrapped around their necks, streaked down the ice with a sureness born of many hockey sessions on neighborhood lakes and ponds.

This year the group is divided into two teams, but by next year coaches Jerry Smith and Pete Paulos hope to have enough girls for six teams.

The coaches said they tried to divide the two teams "fairly evenly," and last Sunday's scrimmage ended in a 3-3 tie. Both Smith and Paulos had reason to be proud of their hockey-playing daughters, each of whom scored one goal.

Last year Smith's daughter Sue, 10, was the only girl on a championship-winning boys' hockey team.

At that point Smith and several of the other fathers decided that forming a hockey team for girls only might be a better alternative because they reasoned "the psychological aspects of a girl playing against boys are not good."

The rules are the same as in regular hockey except there are no slap shots or body checks allowed.

This winter the group will practice every Sunday afternoon, and the coaches hope to arrange at least three games between the two teams.

The teams are being sponsored by Vitales, a supplier of sporting equipment, and Merle Norman Cosmetics, each of which contributed about $80 to purchase jerseys for the girls.
Love how dated some of the quotes sound. Also, the fact that they were sponsored by a cosmetics company... :lol:

Coachk
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Re: The First Girls' Youth Hockey Team?

Post by Coachk » Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:57 pm

In Rochester in 1995, the state was awarding Mighty Ducks money to youth hockey organization. One stipulation was that there had to be a girls team. On a weekday evening there was an information meeting regarding the possibility of a girls hockey team. Myself just having moved to Rochester with 2 figure skating daughters attended the meeting. At the end of the meeting they asked for volunteers for commissioner and coach. No one raised their hand, so I did. And so it began, we started with 17 girls aged 8 thru 16. We couldn't roster in Minnesota, so I did some investigation into other states like our neighbor, Wisconsin. I spoke to a person in Onalaska who had a ringette team but wanted to transition to hockey. With his help we formed a informal league with EU Clare, Viroqua, Onalaska and ourselves. We went to their rink and played and then they came to Rochester. It was great fun and all the parents had a great time and the girls became close. The next season, I with the help of Bob Frekker we recruited 76 girls for the Rochester program. It didn't fade away as many had hoped. The funny thing about that team, 3 of the players went on to play division one hockey and one became a two time National Champion. All the pain and suffering was worth it, and myself, I am still coaching Girls hockey.

The Exiled One
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Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:34 am

Re: The First Girls' Youth Hockey Team?

Post by The Exiled One » Mon Feb 03, 2020 3:50 pm

Coachk wrote:
Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:57 pm
In Rochester in 1995, the state was awarding Mighty Ducks money to youth hockey organization. One stipulation was that there had to be a girls team. On a weekday evening there was an information meeting regarding the possibility of a girls hockey team. Myself just having moved to Rochester with 2 figure skating daughters attended the meeting. At the end of the meeting they asked for volunteers for commissioner and coach. No one raised their hand, so I did. And so it began, we started with 17 girls aged 8 thru 16. We couldn't roster in Minnesota, so I did some investigation into other states like our neighbor, Wisconsin. I spoke to a person in Onalaska who had a ringette team but wanted to transition to hockey. With his help we formed a informal league with EU Clare, Viroqua, Onalaska and ourselves. We went to their rink and played and then they came to Rochester. It was great fun and all the parents had a great time and the girls became close. The next season, I with the help of Bob Frekker we recruited 76 girls for the Rochester program. It didn't fade away as many had hoped. The funny thing about that team, 3 of the players went on to play division one hockey and one became a two time National Champion. All the pain and suffering was worth it, and myself, I am still coaching Girls hockey.
That's an awesome story! Definitely need to keep growing the girls game. I've got a first grader and I'll do everything in my power to make sure girls hockey is going strong by the time she graduates high school and beyond.

O-townClown
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Re: The First Girls' Youth Hockey Team?

Post by O-townClown » Tue Mar 10, 2020 1:00 am

Coach K, good for you! That's incredible.
Be kind. Rewind.

O-townClown
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Re: The First Girls' Youth Hockey Team?

Post by O-townClown » Tue Mar 10, 2020 1:02 am

TEO, do you know what year the article is from? My sister played in an in-house league around 7th grade in Edina. They played outdoors. Late 1970s. I'm guessing that article is from mid-70's or possibly a tad earlier.
Be kind. Rewind.

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