Provided by Bauer Hockey
An instructor gives pointers to a First Shift participant.Families in Centretown that can’t afford to enroll their daughters in organized hockey may be in luck next winter.
The Ottawa Girls Hockey Association, which draws many of its players from Centretown, may expand a pilot program that offers girls from low-income families the chance to play hockey once a week. The initiative, called the Learn to Play program, ran successfully in Lowertown for the past two seasons, with as many as 60 elementary school-aged girls participating.
The program could come to Centretown next season if there’s enough interest and volunteers to support the expansion.
“Centretown is the prime place to have this OGHA Learn to Play program,” says Nalin Bhargava, president of the Ottawa Girls Hockey Association. “There are some pretty wealthy homes there, but there’s a lot of not-so-wealthy people there. Unfortunately, a lot of their kids aren’t involved in organized sport.”
Data from the 2011 census survey, the most recent available, shows the average household income in Centretowns’ Somerset ward is $65,269, compared with $96,815 across the City of Ottawa.
Coun. Catherine McKenney, who represents Somerset ward, says she’s heard from constituents that they’re concerned about the affordability of sports in their community.
“A lot of families can’t afford recreational programming,” says McKenney. “When it’s a decision between groceries or paying rent and sports programming, that programming just doesn’t happen. Playing on a sports team shouldn’t be a luxury.”
The average hockey family spent $3,000 on minor hockey in the 2011-12 season, according to an unpublished survey by Hockey Canada, quoted by the Globe and Mail in 2013.
“If the goal is to increase the number of girls playing hockey, where are the roadblocks to that? It’s cost,” Bhargava says. “It’s becoming a sport for the upper class or the upper-middle class.”
Girls who sign up for the Learn to Play program are outfitted with equipment donated by players and organizations across Ottawa. Participants in Lowertown were recruited by the Ottawa Girls Hockey Association from York Street Public School and École Sainte-Anne. They played after school once a week at the outdoor arena in Jules Morin Park, a short walk from both schools.
The Learn to Play program takes its cues from other organizations that offer affordable sporting opportunities to young athletes.
Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program helps families pay registration, equipment and transportation costs, according to their website. Jumpstart says one in three Canadian families can’t afford organized sports for their children.
Those financial constraints shouldn’t limit access, says Landon French, president of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.
“Taking part in sports and other forms of organized recreation helps to build a foundation of confidence, self-discipline, social skills and teamwork,” says French. “That can make a lasting contribution to success in every aspect of a child’s life.”
While Jumpstart assists kids in all sports, some programs focus exclusively on hockey. The First Shift is a partnership between Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada. The organizations works with minor hockey leagues, offering equipment and six on-ice sessions to new participants ages six to 10 years old, for just $199. Kids participating in the program are outfitted by Bauer’s equipment experts, and keep their gear when the session is over.
“We’re looking to change the way hockey is offered to new families,” says Tory Mazzola, a senior manager of communications at Bauer Hockey. “There’s a great community feeling around being at the rink with your friends and neighbours watching your kids have fun playing hockey.”
The First Shift has offered programs in Carleton Place and Orleans. Mazzola says 86 per cent of First Shift players stick with hockey after their first season.
“The sport of hockey has so much to offer,” he says. “It’s great to hear that there are programs out there welcoming new families to hockey other than The First Shift.”
Bharghava says whether the Learn to Play program runs in Centretown next winter depends on the number of people available to help with logistics.
“It all comes down to volunteers,” he says. “In terms of the expertise of how to put this together, now we have it.”