Castor’s Beaverdome was bustling with activity on the last Saturday of September.
The facility hosted a “Girls Hockey Try It Day” for girls of all ages.
According to Town of Castor Recreation Director Tara Jenkins, 65 girls between the ages of five and 40 took part in the day which consisted of on-ice, off-ice, and team-building sessions.
“It was pretty amazing,” said Jenkins.
“Everybody was so excited and had such a great day.”
While the sessions were partially run by local parents and connections, the day featured activities led by the Olds College Broncos and the Edmonton Wolves hockey teams who also helped guide the groups on and off the ice.
“Those young ladies were great,” said Shiana Younger, one of the parent organizers of the event.
The day was put on thanks to a grant through Hockey Alberta and a variety of local sponsors.
While the core activities were limited to girls who wanted to either try or improve their game, the day ended with a game between the Broncos, a college-level team, and the Wolves, an Alberta Junior Female League team.
“It was a close game,” said Younger, noting that the Broncos won with a score of 2-0.
Before the game, the U15 3Cs Coyotes girls’ team played a warm-up period against the Broncos, and six of the U13 players participating in the day were drawn by lottery to participate in the warm-up skate, three-a-side.
“Everything was awesome all day,” said Younger.
“The girls were pumped up and excited. All the kids came out knowing more.”
Depending on age and conditioning level, the girls had the opportunity to take part in one or two on-ice sessions in the Beaverdome.
Jenkins says that the overall message of the day for the girls was “If you can see it, you can be it,” and it was a message that resonated with all the participants.
While the grant which partially funded the day was unique for 2023, there is a hope that this event can come back in the future.
