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DannyG
07-14-2003, 01:57 AM
I want to harp on that thing I said below:

"The key is opportunities for development. As women get the same chances in opportunities to play, to receive coaching, to play at high levels of competition, more and more of them will reach the highest (even NHL Pro) levels of ability."

(key the Van Halen music)

Right now, little girls don't even think of signing up to play hockey.

Right now, the little girl who voices the thought that she might like to play hockey is given the suggestion that she "might like to get into something else."

Right now, the girl on the team is put on the defensive line, because most ignorant coaches think of defense as the "right field" position on the floor.

Right now, the instant the girl suffers a setback in her development, she is told that maybe she should want to get into something else; the little boy is told to work hard and fight his way up the learning curve.

Right now, girls are looked down upon when they are less experienced than their male teammates, and jealously despised when they develop themselves into better-than-their-male-teammates players.

Right now, programs who offer all-girls' programs in addition to boy/girl, coed play are accused of favoritism toward the girls.

Right now, high schools and colleges would rather eliminate boys/men's programs than add extra girls/women's programs to comply with Title IX requirements.

Right now, the road to equal respect is even worse on the ice side of the world, where the average girls' program gets 11:00 p.m. or 4:30 a.m. ice time, if they're lucky.

Right now, there is no practical, existent venue where legitimate, professional-level female players can make a living at their sport.

Right now, there are well-meaning, otherwise highly informed people, even on this discussion board, who really believe that women cannot possibly develop professional level hockey skills, equal to men.

Right now, I promise to work my butt off as an inline hockey administrator, coach, and player to see that I am doing everything I can to overcome these ridiculous obstacles so our girls can become everything they are capable of...and society will be all the better for it.

Hope to see all you girls and women out on the blue floor soon.




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

missionhockey21
07-14-2003, 05:49 AM
I wish you luck Danny. All it takes are some highly dedicated people who love the game like yourself to get one step farther to accomplishing your dream.

sactosaxons
07-14-2003, 09:33 AM
Danny,

Love that Van Halen song!!! But on a serious note... a lot of what you say is so very true BUT I see a shift happening - girls DO think of signing up for hockey; girls ARE playing positions other than defense, and girls ARE being encouraged to stick with it/work harder.

Yes, Title IX is causing schools to make tough choices, favoritism does exist, and yes, equal respect is still a dream. There are tons of intelligent, well-informed people who will NEVER accept female athletes as equal to men.

As long as we focus on the positives and the progress being made, and we continue to live & breathe promoting the sport (any sport) to boys and girls equally, progress will continue. As you said, opportunity is the key.

I spent the better part of a year developing a girls program a few years ago - providing the opportunity brought dozens of girls out of the woodwork and phone inquiries from all over Northern California. As you know, the easiest part is the actual time with the girls. Dealing with the other "stuff" is, shall we say, "challenging". I applaud your efforts and encourage you to keep it up - they're counting on us!!!

-Joy

DannyG
07-14-2003, 11:50 AM
You are entirely correct, and I want your attitude, approach, and especially your recognition that, indeed, things are getting better, to be mine as well!

I only portray the obstacles as present limitations because:

1. We must keep these stupidities constantly in front of our eyes; ya gotta know the enemy...
2. We can measure success every time somebody new to the sport says "Hey, ya know, it's not actually that way, anymore..."

We are indeed all going forward, and we are going to be very hard to stop...

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

sactosaxons
07-14-2003, 02:34 PM
AMEN!!!

goaliesaurus
08-14-2003, 09:13 AM
I believe girls are getting more involved and are becoming a force to be reckoned with. My daughter, along with four other girls, plays with the boys in inline and has won their respect (and fear) on the surface. She can play out as well as in the net and has brought her ice hockey knowledge to the floor. I just wish we could get more girls out in this no-hockey zone in PA. My daughter is a veteran student of Cammi Granato and Erin Whitten of USA Womens' Hockey fame and has been taught by some of the best women in the world. Her goal is to play college hockey at UNH and then in the NWHL which already has 12 canadian teams and it is in the works for US teams after the 2006 Olympics.

-venom-
08-15-2003, 03:45 PM
no-hockey zone in PA? bah! where at? Last time I checked, some of the top talent in the sport comes from good 'ol PA....... all over!

calselect89s
08-15-2003, 10:23 PM
I know there are some outstanding girl's ice teams in PA. We have girls driving 150 miles one way for ice practice 3 times a week. You might have to travel, but if you find the right team, it could change your daughters life forever. Not saying playing roller won't make her a great player, but she will get the recognition playing ice at the major tournaments.

goaliesaurus
08-19-2003, 08:14 AM
Come to Williamsport PA. We have an inline rink at the YMCA but we have to compete with soccer and extreme skate programs for the floor. The nearest real hockey is two to three hours away and then it is not female focused.

goaliesaurus
08-19-2003, 08:17 AM
Yes this is true. She is playing on a boys travel this year out of Sunbury and next year we may make the move to the Hershey Bears Girls Team. This is at the advise of her camp coaches, Cammi Granato and Erin Whitten.

DannyG
08-24-2003, 01:04 PM
after the USA Hockey Inline National Team Player Development Camp for 12-14 year olds, held in Lancaster, CA last weekend...

right now, every single one of the 8 girl players at this camp was more skilled, hustled more, and produced more effective play than her male counterpart, all over the floor, the whole camp.

I was amazed...

Anybody who still thinks that girls will never catch up to boys needs to re-evaluate their position...it's already happening, and it is fact up through the 89's in this country.

That means that in the 2003-2004 hockey year we see girl Bantam players in numbers just as good as the guys, with no playing down this time...

...amazing...

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

MRMVD12
10-09-2003, 02:29 PM
Danny,
If you can find sometime, and really have the passion you speak about for women's roller hockey development, give me a call any night after 9pm EST. Maybe we should be on the same page?

859-321-0892