Desiree Duff did not expect to witness the change she did when she started a team for girls-only U11/U13 hockey.
"It's literally just a transformation," said Duff, who is helping the team along with her husband, who is the coach.
While younger girls are allowed to play with boys in integrated hockey, until recently there were not always opportunities for girls to play on girls-only teams, with the exception of rep teams once they are old enough.
The U13 girls rep team was unable to run last year because they didn't have enough players to make a team, and Duff hopes to address this by giving girls the opportunity to play together before this and supporting making more space for girls in hockey.
"Getting them together at a younger age, you can start to sort of of build those relationships and that camaraderie for them to play together," she said.
Once they get the chance to play with other girls on a team, she said many of the girls only want to play with other girls.
She said this can be because for girls, often a big part of playing sports is for the social aspect.
"Once they're on a team together, they don't care if they lose, they just want to play hockey together," she said.
While team member Whitney Gillespie said she still plays on an integrated team, she has really enjoyed playing on an all-girls team for the first time.
"It was really fun," she said. "We were all laughing and having fun."
Gillespie said she got to try different positions playing on an all-girls team, which she hadn't on the integrated team, spending time in centre and defence, while she usually only plays right wing.
"I think I had a little bit more puck time," she added. Gillespie said she thinks centre is now her favourite position and she's hoping to be able to play on an all-girls team next year too.
Duff said it's wonderful to see how the girls really learn the game on girls only teams, which allows them then to shine more as players when they go back to play on their integrated teams as well.
"Because they have this new confidence," she said.
"It's really neat to see."
But there were some barriers to making the team happen. Getting ice time, figuring out how to pay for it, because the rules don't allow house teams to fundraise, made it hard for the team to get started, but they've worked through these.
Since putting together the team, they players have gone to a tournament in Revelstoke in December and then WickFest at the end of January.
"WickFest is like the Mecca of female hockey," said Duff, of the event, which is an initiative by Hayley Wickenheiser, former Canadian Olympic hockey player. The event included workshops, clinics and more to help empower girls in the male-dominated world of hockey.
Going forward, Duff hopes to support girls-only hockey programming to continue to grow in Williams Lake, especially given the Professional Women's Hockey League now gives girls a pathway to go further in hockey.
"I think the girls are here, I think think they're not given the opportunity to play," said Duff.
"I believe that if we invest in our girls, and let them take up space in this association and have the ice time for them, they will come," she said, noting it will take time to develop a program and grow awareness.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify a paragraph regarding the U13 rep team and opportunities for girls-only hockey
