Preds Girls Hockey Encouraging Participants to "Play Like A Girl"

The phrase "You play like a girl" is a compliment nowadays.
Those words are exactly what every participant in the Preds Girls Hockey program wants to hear - and for the first time ever, the initiative got underway in February at Ford Ice Center Bellevue.
Funded entirely by the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund, with support from the Predators, the Preds Girls Hockey program is a 12-week learn-to-play program for girls ages 4-17. The program comes at no cost for girls to participate and includes all of the on-ice coaching instruction, as well as a full set of equipment, head to toe, for participants to keep.
For a young girl, getting on the ice is one thing, but doing so surrounded by so many others just like them means more than anyone can explain.

"Representation is really important in the game of hockey," Predators Amateur Hockey and Fan Development Manager Jennifer Boniecki said. "You want to see your own community or peer group out there on the ice, so having all girls out there is extremely important. You want to be able to have that community, walk in and have that strong base your entire hockey career."
The first four weeks of the program are based on skating fundamentals like balance, edge work and agility. At week five, hockey skills will be introduced and players will use a stick and puck for the first time while working on stickhandling, passing, shooting and the like.
After week No. 1, those involved were already giving rave reviews.
Five-year-old Millie Altom, who has already been skating for almost two years, loves the Preds and their captain, Roman Josi. Thanks to the Preds Girls Hockey Program, Millie can be just like her favorite player.
"She had a ton of fun," Millie's mother, Jenn, said. "She's been looking forward to it, playing with just girls. The program is completely awesome. I wish they had it when I was younger. We are so thankful they are putting an emphasis on it and maybe get some more girls to stick with it."

That's exactly what the goal of the program is, and people like Delaney Collins are helping to make it happen.
A three-time Gold medalist at the Women's World Championships with Team Canada, Collins was a legendary blueliner for her country. Now retired from playing, Collins has also coached Canada's U-18 and U-20 national teams while helping to grow the game whenever she can.
She was on the ice in Nashville as the Preds Girls Hockey program got underway, and her involvement for young female hockey players is invaluable.
"It's really important to have these types of programs where we have girls only on the ice, because they can all play together and see that it's a safe environment, that they're supported, that they can look and have female role models," Collins said. "They can have these opportunities to really express themselves physically through sport, emotionally and mentally, and come out here and play.
With the Preds Girls Hockey program, coupled with the Predators Youth Hockey Diversity Program, an initiative funded by Bridgestone and supported by the NHL that aims to significantly reduce the barrier of entry to the game of hockey for minority communities, the Preds are embracing the "Hockey Is For Everyone" mantra.
For young girls in Middle Tennessee and beyond, they now feel like hockey is for them, too. They play like girls, and they couldn't be more excited for what's to come.
"This is going to grow girls hockey at every level," Boniecki said. "Down the road, we will have hockey throughout all of their age ranges, throughout all of the skill levels, all the way to elite. And hopefully, one day, we will see Nashville hockey players playing professionally, in college and even the Olympics."
"Overall, the feeling that I have tonight, even before stepping on the ice, is that there is a lot of backing for females to get involved," Collins said. "These young girls will know that they are completely supported by the Nashville Predators and that they do have a bright future here if they want to play hockey. It truly is for everyone."