GIRLS ONLY
Girls ice hockey is one of the
five fastest-growing sports in the
US and arguably the world. In
early fall 2018, Peyton Hockaday
was invited to participate on
a student panel hosted by the
President’s Council on Youth
Sports, Fitness and Nutrition in
Washington, D.C. Unfortunately,
the timing of the event fell just
days after Hurricane Florence
swept through the greater
Wilmington area, disrupting
travel.
The invitation was cool, Peyton
says, but the idea of participating
in a live streaming national media
event was nerve-racking.
“It was a big deal. It put me
out of my comfort zone,” she says,
“but I was bummed I wasn’t able
to go.”
She had already begun think-ing
about her answers to some
of the questions planned for the
panel discussion, and shared
her response to three main top-ics
posed: What barriers has she
encountered or obstacles over-come?
What coaches have become
mentors on and off the ice? What
is the future for girls hockey in
Wilmington?
“When I started hockey, I
played inline before I played
ice. My coach back then, Randy
Shields, made everything so much
fun and that helped me come out
of my shell. Hockey is a huge part
of my life,” Peyton says. “I used to
be super shy and now I’m not. It
gave me confidence. It allows me
to stay fit and have fun with my
friends.”
“Hockey isn’t a big thing
around here … it’s mostly a ‘guys’
sport. It’s hard to be part of a team
if you’re one of the only girls. It’s
sort of scary because when you get
older you start checking.”
FAMILY AFFAIR
Family members of all ages and skill
levels can join adult and youth recre-ation
leagues. For kids, the U.S. Hockey
Association sanctions Try Hockey For Free
events.
“The goal,” says coach Rich Brouwer —
a 50-year veteran of the sport who has been
coaching for the last 11 years — “is to get
them to start at 5 years of age.”
For some kids, like Paul Hockaday’s
three children who attended a try-for-free
event several years ago, it was their first
time on ice. Today, Harrison, age 11, and
his eldest sister, Peyton, age 13, play com-petitively
for the Wilmington Icehawks,
Harrison in the U12 division and Peyton
in the U14 division.
Wilmington Icehawks U18 coach Rich
Brouwer takes to the ice to run drills and
review plays during weeknight team
practices.
ALLISON POTTER ALLISON POTTER
ALLISON POTTER
Harrison Hockaday, 11, takes a shot on the net during an Icehawks’ U12 practice drill.
december 2018 22
WBM