Why the growth in girl’s hockey?

There was a time when girls did not play such an aggressive sport as hockey simply because the sport is violent.  Times have changed for girl’s hockey.  It is a growing and changing sport.  There are more girls playing the manly coed sport of ice hockey.

Statistics can easily show this growth in girl’s hockey.  There were about 60,000 girls, ranging from ages six and under to 20 and over, registered under USA Hockey for the 2008-09 season. In 2004-05, there were about 51,000 girls playing hockey.

Southern States Skate recently presented a poll using www.surveymonkey.com asking what people think the main reason girl’s hockey has grown over the past years.  Results show 64.3 percent found the reason to be that more girls programs have been established in clubs and schools.  With more programs for girls to play on, there are more opportunities for girls to participate in the sport.  Parents are concerned with the dangers of the sport.  Girls have played with boys in the past, but with new programs for girls, there are safer ways for girls to participate in the sport.   In girl’s hockey, there is a checking rule, so it should not be considered as violent as boy’s hockey.

• 18.6 percent found the reason to be women’s hockey being featured in the 1998 Olympics has given girls something to strive for.

• 8.6 percent found competition has increased so the growth of girl’s hockey has increased.
• 5.7 percent found Title IX to be the reason for the growth in girl’s hockey.

• 2.9 percent found the reason to be that there are more rinks today.
• 0 percent found hockey is cheaper today than it has been in the past.

The idea that girl’s hockey is a growing sport is a known fact according to statistical numbers, but the reason as to why it is happening is still not defined.  The poll gives a better concept of what people think the reasoning is behind this growth.

Flipbook

This Flipbook is a helpful tool in those interested in girl’s hockey.  The rich media of videos and photos can help influence girls who want to pursue a career in hockey.  Links to blogs and other websites are also useful sources in the Flipbook.

New Widgets…

Widgets can help with web reporting among society. Widgets are interactive applications that can be embedded into one’s blog or website. This can ultimately reach new users and drive traffic back to a blog or website.  According to John Skinner from Widgetbox Support, “Widgets can help syndicate your content, allow it to spread virally as fans install them, and brand all your social media outlets in one application.”

The widget I chose to use for this blog, the box.net widget, helps benefit my niche audience.  I am able to share files in a widget on the sidebar of my blog.  Viewers have the opportunity to download the files if they choose.  With my blog, there are many statistics about women’s hockey that I share and I can make them easily accessible through my box.net widget.  Janine Duffy, a senior forward on the Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team, said, “It makes the blog more interesting and more hands-on.”

Check out the statistics I have already shared about women’s hockey.  The statistics show how women’s hockey has grown over the past years, especially in southern states of the U.S.

Here is a link for another widget that can be beneficial to hockey lovers.  Also if you are looking for a rink near you, check out this rink atlas widget.

Where is women’s hockey going?

IOC president Jacques Rogge said Thursday, Feb. 25, he isn’t ready to banish women’s hockey from the Olympics, according to http://www.nbcolympics.com.  Rogge said the IOC will give the sport four to eight more years to build depth.

“We cannot continue without improvement. There is an improvement in the number of nations — and we want to see this wider,” Rogge said. “Women’s hockey is a growing sport. There is no doubt that in the future women’s hockey will be a hit.”

According to http://www.nydailynews.com, three-time U.S. Olympic ice hockey player Natalie Darwitz said, “This is all we have. This is our Stanley Cup,”

You can’t take the Stanley Cup away from women’s ice hockey.

Where is the future of women’s hockey going?  Should it be banished from the Olympics? What will this do for girls in the south trying to pursue a career in hockey?

North Carolina Ice Hockey Rinks

North Carolina, a state in the southeastern district, has less than 30 ice hockey arenas while Minnesota has more than 460 ice hockey arenas.

Does ice time prove to be a factor in the improvement for female ice hockey players?

According to Erin Barley-Maloney, who grew up playing ice hockey in Raleigh, North Carolina and now plays Division I ice hockey at University of Vermont, it was tough to find ice time in North Carolina.  She said, “When I was really young we only had 2 rinks and not enough ice time to go around.”

Joelle Jacobson, a junior at Quinnipiac University, said, “I think that is really unfair to the kids.  The climate of a state shouldn’t matter for the amount of rinks.  Maybe with more rinks there will be a greater amount of kids that want to play.”  Jacobson is a native of New Jersey.

Meet this Sunshine State Skater

Felicia Vieweg, 20, is from Port Orange, Fla. and a freshman on the Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team.  She attended the preparatory school, Cushing Academy, in Ashburnham, Mass. for her high school career.

Vieweg said there are not many girls playing hockey in Florida and she finds competition by playing with boys.

According to reports from USA Hockey, there were 59,506 girls registered to play hockey under USA Hockey.  Only 542 of them came from Florida.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Felicia Vieweg“, posted with vodpod

Harry Rosenholtz on recruiting

Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey assistant coach Harry Rosenholtz discusses recruiting hockey girls from the south.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Harry Rosenholtz on recruiting“, posted with vodpod

Minnesota Hockey

Amanda Nagel and Kallie Flor discuss what it was like growing up and playing hockey in Minnesota.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Minnesota Hockey“, posted with vodpod

EXTRA CREDIT: Griffin the Crimson

She traveled 730 miles and now wears a crimson red jersey as she has skated her way onto Ivy League Harvard’s women’s ice hockey team.  Randi Griffin, a senior forward on the team, grew up in Apex, N.C.  Griffin expresses the difficulties in growing up and playing hockey in the southeast district.

According to Griffin, ice time tends to be more expensive in southern states than northern states.  Competitive hockey and knowledgeable coaches is something the south is lacking as well says Griffin.  Griffin further explains if a competitive team is put together in the south, one has to travel far in order to reach the nearest competitive team.

Reports from USA Hockey reveal that 342 female hockey players from North Carolina were registered in 2008-09.  In that year, 59,506 girls were registered for USA Hockey across the nation.

Griffin says girls growing up in northern states, such as Massachusetts and Minnesota, rarely have to leave their home state to find competitive hockey.  In 2008-09, Massachusetts and Minnesota led the nation as the states with the most registered female hockey players for USA Hockey.  Massachusetts had 8,006 registered female hockey players while Minnesota had 11,694.  “They certainly never have to board an airplane,” explains Griffin.

Griffin on the other hand had to board a plane several times a year to play competitive hockey.  Griffin played part-time on a girl’s club team in Boston, Mass. for the last three years of her high school career.  She had to fly to meet her team at several tournaments throughout the year.  She did this to get exposure to college scouts.

Griffin says, “If you have dreams of playing at a higher level, it is virtually impossible to get the exposure to prep school/college scouts without leaving the state.”

Girl’s hockey in the southeast has its advantages according to Griffin.  Griffin grew up playing on boy’s teams.  The speed and strength of the boys allowed her to become as competitive as girls in the north who play on competitive girl’s teams.  There is a lack of competitive girl’s hockey in the southeast.  Griffin says one reason is the lack of leadership and coaches who care about the women’s game and advocate for the girls.

Traveling, gas mileage, expenses, and lack of competition have been factors for Randi Griffin, but it has been worth it as she now wears a red and white uniform at a Division I college.

Griffin says, “I would love to see the day where living in the southeast is not a disadvantage.”

Photos courtesy of Randi Griffin.

Meet Virginia

Jill Zelonis, a senior goaltender and sports management major at Niagara University, is from Ashburn, Va.  She played club hockey for the Montgomery Blue Devils and Washington Pride before attending Niagara.  As a freshman, Zelonis was in net for two games and did not allow a goal.  She started 21 out of 28 games her sophomore year.  She played eight games her junior year.  She was named College Hockey America All-Academic team her sophomore and junior year.  She now has seen ice time in two contests this season. 

Alisa Harrison, a senior forward and communications major at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is from Vienna, Va.  She played for Washington Pride before attending RPI.  In 2008-09, Harrison led the team in points with 31 as a freshman.  She was third in ECAC Hockey in rookie scoring, 15th in overall scoring, 12th in assists and 22nd in goals.  Harrison was ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week twice and three-time ECAC Hockey Weekly Honor Roll.  She made the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie team and was awarded the team’s Rookie of the Year.  She currently has 18 points, nine goals and nine assists, in her sophomore year.

Amber Yung, a junior defenseman and biology major at Providence College, is from Rockville, Va.  She earned four varsity letters in hockey at Patrick Henry High School, played for Washington Pride and the Richmond Royals Bantam AA team before attending Providence.  She recorded 15 points, two goals and 13 assists, her freshman year.  She recorded six points in assists as a sophomore.   As a junior, she currently has 13 points, four goals and nine assists.  She made the Hockey East All-Star team and played against the 2010 U.S. Women’s National Team Nov. 22.