Women’s rec league starting up
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Updated: September 23, 2009 6:14 PM
A wish of many women who play recreational hockey in Salmon Arm has finally come true.
“We are going to be hosting a four-team recreational women’s league, something we’ve been wanting to do for years now,” explains organizer Jen Findlay. “It’s finally going to be happening, thanks to the recreation society. They gave us another block of ice – that’s what’s opened it up for us.”
She explains that women’s recreational hockey has always had a 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. slot, but that’s pretty late for moms who have to get up early.
They now have an 8:15 to 9:15 block of ice to add to the later slot.
“Now we can have four teams every night, which is huge for women’s hockey,” says Findlay.
She explains that a lot of girls who go through minor hockey have nowhere to play once they turn 18. The women’s rec league is open to women 18 and up.
There are two teams in Salmon Arm that are more competitive, but they must travel to Chase, Revelstoke, Vernon and Kamloops – and to other parts of the province for tournaments.
Findlay says organizers are hoping to have 48 skaters in total for the recreational league and, at the moment, 38 have signed up.
“All we require is that people know how to skate. We have figure skaters who come, ringette players, moms with kids who play hockey and ringette and want a form of exercise, and people who have done public skating but never played hockey.”
She said women who play range in age from 18 to 57, including a mother-daughter duo, and have a wide range of skills.
“When we divide the teams up, we get a nice mix of experienced players, newer players, older and younger. Halfway through we switch up the teams so people get to know each other.”
The whole idea is to have fun and to develop hockey skills, she says.
The first ice time will be Monday, Oct. 5, when a mini hockey camp will be held to get an idea of what kind of players have signed up. League play will start Oct. 12.
If you’re interested in playing, call Jen Findlay at 250-833-1541, e-mail her at findlay40@telus.net or be at the rink on Oct. 5.
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