Twenty women signed up for the initial Mama Hawks program. Played out over three weeks in March, the sessions were designed to teach hockey moms on-ice skills and the basics of hockey, as well as improve their skating technique.
By Mark Campbell
The West Hill Golden Hawks have a brand-new division. This one is aimed directly at the unsung heroes usually found behind the scenes driving to the rink, tying skates, fitting equipment, and most importantly, cheering on their little ones. We’re talking about hockey moms.
The new program is the brainchild of Sue Vine, Director of Registration for the Golden Hawks. A long-standing member of the community, Vine contributes hundreds of hours each year as a volunteer helping to organize and keep the league running smoothly – but has never had an opportunity to play herself. Regarding her own three boys, Vine has spent “countless hours watching and supporting their games, and I felt it was a great opportunity to gather other hockey moms to join in on the fun.” More than that, “it’s about bringing women in the community together who share the same passion for learning how to play hockey or even just to learn to skate and to enjoy the camaraderie that comes with team sports.”
The program name, Mama Hawks, is a play on the league’s learn-to-play program called Hawks Nest aimed at four-to-six year-olds. According to Vine, hockey moms “spend a considerable amount of time at the rink, so why not take the opportunity to learn the game ourselves? This way, we can deepen our understanding of the sport and strengthen our bond with our children.”
She advertised on local Facebook groups and the immediate response was overwhelming. Twenty women signed up for the initial program, although there were well over a hundred inquiries. Three weeks of on-ice skills sessions were designed to teach the basics and improve skating technique. In the future, Vine hopes that this will be a regular program offered during the hockey season with the goal of developing a women’s hockey program at West Hill, and perhaps even a competitive women’s team in the future.
Local mom, Lauren Wolman, read about the group on Facebook and had “always wanted to play hockey, but never had the chance growing up.” Wolman, who describes herself as a non-skater although has a background in rugby, enjoyed the community and found the experience welcoming. There was “lots of high fiving and supporting one another.” She described the experience as “very friendly” with a “wide range of skills”.
Vine said the “experience was a huge hit, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The overwhelming response indicates a clear demand and need for both women’s hockey and learn-to-skate programs that are affordable to everyone.”