Girl Power Play

ALL-GIRL YOUTH HOCKEY TEAM RECRUITING FOR FALL SEASON

Maddie Harp, 8, takes a break during hockey practice on Feb. 12 in the Jones Center in Springdale.
Maddie Harp, 8, takes a break during hockey practice on Feb. 12 in the Jones Center in Springdale.

— During a power play in hockey, one team gains a distinct advantage by outnumbering the opposing team.

But youth hockey in Northwest Arkansas is equal opportunity, as evidenced by the all-girl team recently formed and scheduled to take the ice competitively in the fall.

Springdale has included female players on mixed-gender youth hockey teams in the past, but now has enough interest for a team comprised of only girls. Players began practicing earlier this month, forgoing Saturday morning cartoons for Saturday morning skating drills in the Jones Center for Families Joel Carver Ice Arena.

Gayle Brice, 14, is one of around a dozen girls between ages 4 and 17 practicing puck handling in preparation for the hockey season, which runs from September to March.

“She’s having a blast,” said Gil Brice, Gayle’s father. “It’s the only sport either of our kids have played where they beg us to go to practice. My son played baseball, football, basketball, and she’s played soccer.

“And normally it’s like pulling teeth to get them to practice.”

Gayle Brice laced up her skates for the first time two months ago after watching her brother’s team play, and now the siblings face oft regularly on roller blades in the family driveway.

“It’s great exercise, it keeps them busy and it’s a tremendous amount of fun,” Gil Brice said. “The kids love it, and since boys and girls can both play, it’s a great family activity.”

The board of the Northwest Arkansas Hockey Association decided to start a girls-only program after noticing more girls playing in the boys leagues. NWAHA youth director Vince Brick said interest has increasedthanks to the success of the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team, which has advanced to the goldmedal match in three of the past four Winter Olympics.

“It’s really picked up in popularity lately. We’re encouraging all girls to come out now, get started skating and get their hockey legs this February and March,” Brick said. “Then our goal is for the 2011-2012 season to have a full girls team that will travel to towns like Nashville, St. Louis, Dallas, Little Rock, wherever there areother girl teams, and compete in some tournaments.”

Brick was born and raised and Canada and has a “self-serving interest” in seeing youth hockey programs succeed. He has two sons already playing at the Jones Center, and he hopes 3-year-old Clare will join the ranks soon.

The youth hockey programs have taken advantage of opportunities with both the Arkansas hockey team and fi gure skatingclub to create a bigger following.

“Nothing warms my heart more than when I see a kid come out not knowing how to skate, and in a couple weeks they’re skating,” Brick said. “In a couple years (they’re) getting their first goal and then winning their fi rst tournament.”

Degree Sport made a donation to the youth program tohelp purchase equipment for the arena and rental equipment for players. The NWAHA also off ers a scholarship program to help pay for young hockey players.

“Our goal here is to get people introduced to the sport of hockey and develop an aftnity for it,” Brick said. “An added benefit for girls hockey, for the parents out there, is that a lot of colleges will have a girls hockey program to offset their (Title) IX oncollege scholarships. And as a result it’s a great way to get a college education.

“We’re hoping that some girls will develop here and make it up to some colleges in the Midwest and Northeast and serve Arkansas proud.”

Registration for the sevenmonth season is $325, and all participants must become members of USA Hockey at a $30 fee. More information can be found online at NWAhockey.com.

Sports, Pages 7 on 02/28/2011

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