GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — The Grand Rapids Amateur Hockey Association is hosting a "girls only" try hockey for free event to give young girls the opportunity to experience the sport.
The event will be at The Patterson Ice Center in Grand Rapids at 11 a.m. on October 5 and is a part of the month-long celebration for girls hockey.
The class is an hour long and will include everything needed to play, including ice skates, hockey sticks, helmets and other gear.
The class is open to girls ages four to nine. No experience is necessary for girls hoping to sign up. The class will be staffed by a trained coaching staff, including current female hockey players.
Jean Laxton, general manager for GRAHA, has worked for the organization for over 30 years. She said they want to continue expanding the sport for girls.
"We've had girls teams since the 90s, and then the first girls travel team in 2001," Laxton said. "We have five teams now with little girls from four years old all the way up to 19 year old's... So those girls like to come back and give back to the community as well. So we like to offer it in hopes that we'll have the next little girl hockey player that wants to stay and go up through all the teams that we have to offer."
The event is also in conjunction with the Patterson Ice Center's 30-year celebration. So, after the class girls and their parents can stay and participate in the free skate event and open house.
"We do this because it's a good opportunity for us to get the word out to about ice hockey to the girls in the area," Laxton said. "Sometimes they don't want to put in the money or buy the equipment if they don't know if their child will like it. So this is free. We provide the equipment, the skates, the helmets, the sticks, and they can come out and try with no obligation."
Registration is required ahead of time, there is a form for parents to fill out at www.graha.org