LISTOWEL – Girls enrolling in local minor hockey organizations is increasing every year. One needs to look no further than the Upper Maitland Mustangs (UMM) for the evidence of that.
Prior to the pandemic, Upper Maitland was icing around two or three teams per season. With the return of a fairly normal campaign in 2021-22, that number grew to five teams from U9 up to Senior B, while holding a complement of approximately 75 players.
UMM Past President Coreen Harding believes the organization is only scratching the surface of its full capability. With two of its five teams making WOAA divisional finals appearances in the 2022 playoffs, the Mustangs have grown into an organization that can compete with other strong girls’ centres such as Lucknow, Mount Forest and Central Perth.
And it’s not just about the competitive aspect; Harding added girls’ hockey offers a more complete hockey experience and atmosphere for those who take part.
“When a girl plays boys’ hockey, they end up in a small change room under a set of stairs, or in a bathroom. They don’t get the experience of hanging out in the dressing room before and after the game,” said Harding. “We try to show them that, too. The social aspect of girls’ hockey is as important as the hockey itself.”
UMM was founded in 2010, an amalgamation of the girls’ programs in Howick and Wallace. Harding said that approximately 67 per cent of its current player complement consists of girls residing in the Listowel area, one of the reasons the Mustangs would like to establish a stronger foothold in Listowel going forward in terms of regular ice time. The organization has primarily played out of the Wallace Arena in Kurtzville and the Howick Community Centre since its inception.
“There’s a bit of a stigma that the girls’ hockey programs are weaker than the boys’, which is not necessarily true,” said Harding. “Definitely if you look at Saugeen Maitland (Lightning), which offers the extreme rep-calibre in this area.
“It’s far more competitive from organization to organization. Girls have no residency rules… you can choose to play wherever you want.”
Free skate in Listowel, April 23
UMM is hosting a free promotional skate this Saturday, April 23 at the Steve Kerr Memorial Complex in Listowel, designed to attract female players who have previously played on primarily boys’ teams or who have never played organized hockey before. The Mustangs have been offering the free skate every year since 2010, with the last two pandemic years being the exception.
Two full-equipment skates will be held on April 23: Girls 10 and younger (born 2012 or later) will be welcomed at 3:30 p.m., followed by those 11 and older (born 2011 or earlier) at 4:30 p.m.
The skills skates will be conducted by female instructors, while equipment will be provided for those without the appropriate gear.
“It’s just a good learning environment,” said Harding. “It’s a fun environment for the girls to see if they would enjoy hockey before investing money in equipment and registration.”
And as always with UMM, having fun and creating new social bonds with other girls is the main objective.
“They should expect to have a very positive experience,” explained Harding. “An experience where they can learn, but not a high-stress experience. There’s no pressure on their calibre of play. It’s not about the calibre that the girl is, it’s about coming out and having fun with other girls.”
UMM representatives will also be on-hand to answer questions about team travel, logistics and other areas of interest.
Registration for the 2022-23 season gets underway in May, with more information available at https://uppermaitlandmustangs.com/.
