Archive: Sports

Tompkins Girls Hockey Association (TGHA) will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2007 with the reintroduction of a recreational hockey program for girls whose love of the game persists despite the demands of other activities.

"Many of the girls who play or have played in our league are athletes in other sports as well as hockey", notes TGHA board member, Catherine Van Brunschot. As girls move up through age level groups - particularly in their teen years - each sport can demand more time, often requiring girls to choose a single sport and to drop others. "We want to leave that door to hockey open for girls, by bringing back our recreational program, where girls can simply have fun with the game without a huge time commitment", says Van Brunschot.

This demand for more time by a single activity also holds true for teens' pursuits in the arts and in other community activities. A 2005 survey conducted by USA Hockey revealed that participation in other sports, and other demands on time, were the most frequently-cited reasons given for girls quitting hockey. This occurs despite the fact that the same survey showed that girls' love of hockey actually increases as they grow older.

To nurture that love of the game and to meet the need for a lower-commitment way to continue to enjoy hockey, TGHA will be offering Girls' Recreation Hockey for middle school and high school girls on Thursday nights at Cass Park Rink from 6:45-7:45 pm starting in November. Girls will participate in skills sessions and scrimmages in a fun, non-competitive atmosphere.

"Some of these girls will be moving up to Recreation hockey from our House and Initiation programs. They want to continue playing the game, but they don't want to play Travel hockey. Other girls will be returning to the sport, after some time away while they've been busy with other things," says Karen Muckstadt, TGHA's vice-president of House Programs. "Still others will be those who are good skaters, but who may have never tried hockey before."

TGHA's annual Open House is scheduled for October 29 at 6:30 pm and will be held at The RINK, when girls who are thinking of joining TGHA this season get together with those who are continuing from last season.. The event will feature free skate rentals, as well as activities and refreshments, and an opportunity to register

TGHA offers ice hockey programs to girls from ages 4 to 19, at all levels of play. Girls do not need to live within Tompkins County in order to participate. Scholarships are available to those for whom program fees are a barrier to participation. In addition, TGHA operates a used hockey equipment loan program.

Tompkins Girls Hockey Association will be celebrating its 35 seasons of hockey with anniversary events throughout the 2007-08 season. It is the third oldest girls' hockey association in the US, and enjoys a close relationship with the Cornell Women's Hockey team, also inaugurated in 1972.

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