Girls players

[DannyG]

This past year we have come to know many girl hockey players from all over the country. We are finding more and more that there are girls out there playing in a league or club where either they are the only girls, or there are only 2-3 girls around.

The Nations-Tobin Polar Bears would like to extend an invitation to any girl who would like to play on an all-girls' team at a national level.

We have greatly reduced the cost for a player in this. There are no team, floor-time, or such fees. A player incurs the cost of travel, but we have also reduced this considerably...for example, our girls going to the USAHIL Cup this year need only pay $295, which includes food, hotel, and the team entry fee...pretty good, huh?

The Polar Bears will hold a team training camp over the Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday in between Christmas and New Years. We will be on the floor and in the classroom from Tuesday evening through Thursday morning, a total of 12-15 hours in all.

Following the camp, the girls will play in the NARCh Winternationals tournament in Phoenix. The girls will then play in both the USAHIL youth nationals in the summer, and the USAHIL Cup (the adult nationals, for the older girls) in the Fall of '06. Girls will have the option of also playing in select regional events.

If you decide to play in this program, you would be making a committment to play in:
The December training camp,
The NARCH Winternaitonals (January),
The USAHIL Youth Nationals (August-all girls)
The USAHIL Cup (October '06-14's, 16's, 18's)

We want every girl out there to have an All-Girl hockey team to play with. If you want to play all-girls hockey, please contact coach Dan, [email protected], and I will send you our program information. You are under no obligation; get the information, and then decide if the Polar Bears are the right program for you. This program does not take away from anything else, ice or inline, that you might be doing already.

Come join us for a great year of all-girls' inline hockey. We hope to see you out on the blue floor in December.

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

[kt_13]

congrats with what ur doin danny its admirable. i run a girls team in the UK with an open entry policy....we will take anyone that wants to play and its a lot of fun....but my question to all female players out there is...am i the only one that has more fun playin on an all guy team then on a womens one?? it sure seems like it an i dont get it.

[DannyG]

KT:

good observation, but it probably depends on the "luck of the draw" with individual experience...that dream situation, where the team has at least some success, everybody reaches beyond their potential, absolutely no negativity, in fact everybody being very positive with teammates, etc., happens only so often...

I have had it happen in a variety of circumstances, with teams of all different make-up, as both a player and a coach...nowhere has it been been better than with our past two girls' 16's teams at the USAHIL nationals: everything a coach could possibly ask of the players, these girls produced in the highest level...and not a single negative interaction with anybody on the squad...what a tremendous experience for me as a coach!

In house league, I've played on teams that were undefeated, and teams that didn't win a single game...I find that what we are talking about is largely irrelevant to the "great fun" teams. In fact, if winning/losing becaomes an issue, that alone produces the negativity that goofs things up pretty well...

Good luck to everybody the coming hockey year, we hope all our friends have "the good teams" to play on this go 'round...

Incidentally, it is not by accident: Each year at nationals, USA Hockey InLine gives a division team sportsmanship award to a single team...our Nations-Tobin Polar Bears teams have won eight of these since 1997. Sometimes having fun is by design, eh?



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

[Defense1st]

Kt,

I have been coaching girls teams for about 4 years: I have won the AAU Junior Olympics in the 12u in 2003 and the AAU Disney Classic 16u in 2004; I have probably coached 50-60 different girls between the ages of 10 to 30, as I have entered and coached teams in the nationals mentioned before in every age group available. With rare exception my girls would rather play against AND with the boys than with girls only. Most of the time they would rather play in their own age group with/against the boys, rather than take advantage of the rules that allow them to play down. Almost without exception my 13/14/15 year old girls who are still eligible for 12u Boys in some tourneys until the end of this year would rather not play against or with that age boy (12/13), they find it a disadvantge based on the size of the player (smaller than them) and the tenacity which they play (versus the 14 or 16u boys who play a more deliberate/patient style even though hey are bigger faster and stronger). Most of the top level girls roller players in this country play with ferocity, speed and advanced skill because they have had very little opportunity to play girls only. Coaches like Dan Guard, Dean Keil (Florida Pink Wings), Mark Vittese (Tour Jaguars-NJ), Boo parrish (GEAR Mid America), Rich Furia (Colorado Blizzard), Jeff Prime, Wally Keane (Cal Selects), Mike Hagle (Cincinnati Eagles) and others have recently along with AAU (Keith Noll) and USAHIL (Aaron Kriss) really started to push the All Girls divisions as a way to entice more ice hockey girls to recognize that their are advanced levels of Girls play available in Roller hockey as well as promoting to the new, novice players that their are places for girls to play against girls only and not have to compete agains tthe boys until they feel they are ready.

Unfortunately in this country girls as young as 10 years old hve experieinced foul mouth boys denigrating them, insulting them, cursing at them, etc. just because they play with boys, just because they can compete with the boys and just because they can choose to use their age allowance to their advantage if they choose.

Danny,

I commend you on your recent posts in this topic, inviting all girls to play for your group if they feel it fits their needs; as well as challenging coaches across the country to expand their programs through female participation. I do not know if you are aware, but up here in Michigan at Plex Arena (www.skateplex.net) we have a Girl's Only house level league where for a regular league fee ($190) girls 8-13 year old girls can play on a draft league all girls team, with weekly practice and instruction by Michelle Hernandez and Stephanie Robertson, 2 of the most knowledgable training and game coaches I know plus games and playoffs.

Stephanie has also expanded her Inline Hockey Development Camps from a mixed camp to separate boys and girls camps, even going as far as scheduling a camp for all of the TEAM USA (AAU/USARS) 16u Girls for later in the year to prep them for tryouts for the 2006 Team USA Camps (16u, 18u and Women's).

Stephanie (Michigan Penguins 14/17u) assisted Rich Furia (Colorado Blizzard 12/14/17u) on TEAM USA Stars 16u; while Mark Vittese (Tour Jaguars 12/14/17/20/Womens) and Dean Keil (Florida Pink Wings 14/17/20) coached the TEAM USA Stripes 16u.

GEAR Mid America (Phil Steur/Boo Parrish) had a team in the 14's (as you know we have done teams in the 12/14/17/20's in the past).

My point is their are plenty of options for girls who want to play.

Anyone who wants information on who to contact in your area post on this board and I am sure Danny or Myself can point you to a team/coach/organization in your area.

Phil Steur
GEAR Mid America
AAU/USARS Women's Hockey Advisory Board Member

[kt_13]

thanks i was just kind of wondering cos it seems here most girls prefer the all girl thing. And a lot of them are moving away from roller and into ice because there is not an opportunity for them to play all girls roller regularly. its just disapointing to see. im the opposite i will play mixed rather then womens any day of the week.

perhaps this is one of the reasons USA is so far ahead of us in terms of the skill and strength of players. i had the pleasure to play team USA this yr in france at FIRS and even tho i had a horrible game personally it was fantastic to play such amazing female players. it looks like the future is good for your national teams too..

[Defense1st]

I know that our FIRS team (USA) and Canada's were very good, but 2-3 years from now when our 16 and 18u girls are eligible we will be awesome. The years of playing roller as their main sport (rather than the current members who were all ice players that now play both sports) will give them the advantage over all the other countries female players.

(JUST MY OPINION)

[Kdawg68]

Hi KT,
In response to your question,I definitly enjoy playing with the mens leauges and tourney team that I currently play for.One of the main reasons is because of my age,I am 28 and therefore am not eligable to play with girls.I have been playing with diffrent womens teams at National tourneys and although I try to have fun while competing it just isnt the same game that Iam use to playing.I feel very comfortable playing with men at any level but not as comfortable when I play with women I dont know why that is and I am always asking others why I feel this way.

[kt_13]

im exactly the same!! i play week in week out with the best players in the Uk and am fine competing with them, even get asked to play on teams ahead of loads of guys. but playing womens i dont feel that comfrtable, and there are girls out there who seem a lot better then me, that would never play with the guys like i do. its so strange i dont get it!

[CoachFoo]

That is very true.

Rich Furia