The present step...

[DannyG]

In September of 2000, my daughter asked me, "When can we have a girls' travel team?"

When I look around at all that has been accomplished in Girls/Women's inline hockey in this country over the last three years, I am amazed...

I am amazed even more at all that we have planned for the near future...

Congratulations to all of you that have been working so diligently toward the development of women's inline hockey in this country.

Keep it up...

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[gbisc]

Danny,
We are trying to get things going in Boston. Maybe you could come up an check us out.

John

[RichardGraham]

Hi Danny,

Keep up the great work.

I've had the pleasure of watching some of the women who played inline hockey at the beach in Santa Monica a few years back improve.

Most of them started as absolute beginners, and many of them are now playing on elite women's tournament teams.

You're starting the process much sooner, so I'm sure that we'll be seeing some growth in women's inline hockey soon. Give yourself a pat on the back... and then get back to work. /wtimages/icons/wink.gif

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[DannyG]

I remember a couple of months ago, when none other than Benny of IHA was frustrated at his attempts to "get things going" at a pace he was hoping for in the development of women's inline hockey...the Women's IHA first set of events is already up & running...

Caitlin asked me in January, "Are we really going to be able to have a 17's team for nationals this year?" At the time, we had only the core unit of 4 girls in the 13-17 year old age range.

I assured her that we would. I told her, "I guarantee you that we will have six skaters and a goalie, and that we will be very competitive at Nationals...we are going out there with the idea in mind to win the whole thing. Count on it..." Today, the Polar Bears Girls 17's have 8 skaters and a national-level goalkeeper, folks. We're going to have a training camp where all these regional players can get together, become good friends/teammates, and play a bunch of fun hockey. Then we be trucking down to nationals...

The point in all this (actually two points)...

1. There isn't any "how to" manual for gettin' the girls/women's program in your neighborhood going. We are all doing this as we go, figuring it out, trying lots of things that don't work, to find the things that do. That's the way it always goes with any program development...

2. The girls players and women players are out there, and they're out there now...all you need to do is find them all...the key is to start the program. Once you announce that you are operating the program, in one's and two's, the players will come from all over...ya just gotta start the thing, and then communicate it to everywhere that you can think of...

So, I reiterate my congratulations to all of you that are going through the incredulous amount of effort to be the pioneers of our sport on the gilrs/women side of the house...keep it up.

To those of you joining the ranks, take heart, just go and do it (the cliche is the only thing I will use from Nike) and it will indeed happen.

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>