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Volunteers are Role Models for Bemidji Little Lady Lumberjacks

By Mike Scandura - Special to USAHockey.com, 09/16/15, 2:45PM MDT

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First-year program attracted local high school and college players to serve as coaches in 2014-15

After one season as the Bemidji High School girls’ hockey coach, Jackie Robertson saw a need and took a proactive approach.

As a result, the Bemidji Little Lady Lumberjacks took the ice for the first time last season. And in part because the northern Minnesota program was so successful, it received a USA Hockey Grow-the-Game Award.

“It was unique to build a new program,” said Robertson, the Little Lady Lumberjacks program coordinator. “The majority of our girls were under the age of 8. It was something new and different.

“We were trying to see if we could create some interest in the Bemidji area.”

That’s exactly what Robertson and her associates were able to do, as 74 girls participated in the inaugural season.

Robertson realized the need for the program during her first season as the high school coach.

“I started looking into our youth numbers for girls and the numbers were a little low,” Robertson said. “I wanted to create a program that wasn’t intimidating.”

She began by organizing a committee of women in the community. Amber Fryklund, a Bemidji State University assistant women’s coach, was the first to join.

“Amber was the first person I contacted when I had the idea, because we needed volunteers to make it run,” Robertson said. “She asked the Bemidji State women, and I asked the high school girls, if they could help coach. Most of them were very excited about that.”

Between the high school and college teams, 15 young women signed up for specific time frames when they could serve as volunteer coaches.

The interaction between the Little Lady Lumberjacks and the volunteer coaches was important in terms of giving the girls a first-hand look at the level of play they could someday reach, providing that they stick with the game.

“I think that’s huge,” Robertson said. “It gives the girls a bit of a goal and some excitement. The girls can see those teams play. Just seeing that level of play is fun for the girls. We even have them check out the locker rooms, which is very exciting for them to see and also is very motivating.

“The cool thing about the Little Lady Lumberjacks is they’re getting coached by awesome role models. That’s a huge factor when parents and girls see our program.”

Receiving a USA Hockey Grow-the-Game Award, presented by Total Hockey, was huge because the Little Lady Lumberjacks received 20 sets of OneGoal starter equipment from USA Hockey.

In addition, Robertson applied for and received a Pass-the-Puck grant from Minnesota Hockey, a USA Hockey affiliate.

“Because we received the grant, we were able to buy some things we needed for the program, like pucks, walkers, etc.,” Robertson said. “There were little things we needed to get it rolling.”

Another plus for the Little Lady Lumberjacks was the minimal travel, which Robertson felt was a major reason why an impressive number of 74 girls registered for the program.

“I honestly think this is a more relaxed setting,” she said. “They weren’t traveling. Our goal is to create more numbers and play the teams in Bemidji. That’s a big thing for parents, especially if they have more than one kid. It’s hard to get them traveling in all these different directions.”

Several Little Lady Lumberjacks started in the association’s learn-to-skate program. This program is designed for young girls who want to learn how to skate while having fun with their friends in the process. They’re divided into groups based on skill level and age.

Another piece of the puzzle that Robertson assembled involved USA Hockey’s American Development Model.

“We used the curriculum, which was very helpful,” she said. “From the coaching standpoint, it was very easy for them to follow and to coach the material.

“The girls love it. The 3- to 4-year-olds are so little that their attention spans are minimal. But the activities USA Hockey has implemented make it easier to keep them interested and engaged.”        

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.

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