Taking a look at the Michigan Girls Hockey League

 

By Staci Burlingame –

KENSINGTON VALLEY – An eager group of girls sat patiently in their locker room listening to their coaches go over some important keys to their game on Nov. 8. Despite a plethora of comments and giggles and one misplaced glove, the girls were ready to play.

Once the pre-game talk was finished, the girls headed out of the locker room and onto the ice. Head coach, Michael Wainwright, looked at this reporter as we followed behind the girls and laughed, “Welcome to the madness.”

The 12U Kensington Valley Ravens took on the Windsor Wildcats in an exhibition game in preparation for some big league games the team had coming up. The Ravens would skate away with a 2-1 over the Wildcats.

Wainwright is not only the head coach of his daughter’s team, but the league commissioner of the fairly new Michigan Girls Hockey League that the Ravens participate in.

As it enters its third full season, the creation of the Michigan Girls Hockey League has helped youth girls hockey continuously grow across the state. The league, which is composed of seven different divisions and 58 total teams, was formed in hopes of creating a positive experience for girls no matter their age or talent level.

“The Michigan Girls Hockey League is really all about developing the game,” Wainwright said. “It creates an opportunity for every girl to play the sport.”

Due to the lack of available girls’ teams in Michigan, most young girls under the age of 10 are limited to the choice of either playing with boys or joining a Tier I team.  The MGHL was created in hopes of giving these young girls, who may not want to join Tier I or boys’ teams, opportunities to play competitively.

“About six or seven teams got together because there was really no place for 10U teams to play at the Tier II level,” Wainwright said. “What emerged out of that was an opportunity for Tier III as well, which is kind of a house or recreation level.”

Due to equal evaluations of each team through exhibition games before the start of the season, the level of play in the MGHL is always equal and competitive, according to Wainwright.

“Our division coordinators are really tasked with working closely with all of the coaches, teams, and managers,” Wainwright said. “We kind of tailor-fit the season based on how many games they want to play and try to find the closest level of competition across all of our teams. We want them in the right division. That just makes it a more positive experience for everyone.”

Each year, the number of teams participating in the MGHL has grown. Six or seven teams competing at the 10U level quickly escalated to 58 playing in seven divisions ranging from 10U to 16U; quite a substantial growth considering the league is only in its third year.

Although there is not a division in the MGHL for 19U teams to compete in, Wainwright is positive it will not be long before one is created.

“We’re already talking to multiple 19U teams about joining our league.”

For boys and girls, hockey is a great way to learn about the importance of teamwork, dedication, and fun. The Michigan Girls Hockey league has only developed more opportunities for girls of all ages to experience these things while competing and improving no matter what their skill level.

Wainwright believes the MGHL can help girls hockey continuously grow in Michigan,

“I think the sport is growing now because there is a destination for tier III hockey- an entry point for girls to play,” he said. “Up until the last few years, girls could only really play on boys teams or against boys teams. That model was not a girls model. Our model of tier II and tier III hockey has provided an entry point and that’s what has grown the sport”

You can check out more about the Michigan Girls Hockey League and the competing teams at http://www.mghlhockey.com/.