“It has been a learning experience, I can tell you that,” said Stephens, who played at the youth level until he was 15 years old. “The biggest challenge is promoting and getting outside of the hockey community to let people know that girls hockey does exist. That is the number one thing on my list of things to do in this position.”

To help with the cause, the Lady Jr. Lancers held a Try Hockey for Free event back in June.  

The idea behind the event was to get some of the participating girls to sign up for the Lady Lancers’ initiation program, which helps with understanding the basic skills and rules of the sport, concepts of playing on a team, cooperation and fair play, as well as developing various skills such as stick handling, shooting and passing.

Forty girls attended the event at the Moylan IcePlex in Omaha for the largest turnout of potential new Lady Jr. Lancers in the event’s five years.

“You just never know where the seed is going to grow,” said Stephens, who oversees 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U and 19U teams.

Stephens and his crew wanted it to be more than just a hockey event. They organized raffles, offering kids a chance to win prizes from local businesses, such as restaurants and a sporting goods outlet, among other engagements.

“I recruited outside the hockey community to get girls to show up,” he said. “It was awesome. It was like a party.”

Some participants not only become Lady Jr. Lancers, but they also spread the word as they advance through the program’s various age groups. In addition, some continue to play after they have moved on from the program, whether it is at the collegiate level, an adult league or some other organization.

“A few have gone on to play collegiately as well as at the [Division III] level and with clubs,” Stephens said.

Stephens said that his wife, who also plays hockey, “nudged” him to get back into the game as a player, which he does on a recreational basis.

“Our goal is to eventually, if I can stay alive long enough,” he said, chuckling, “have all of us play together in a local league as adults. I want to live long enough so that (my kids) can pass me the puck.”

If that sounds like a fun and rewarding experience, well, that’s what Stephens is promoting with the Lady Jr. Lancers. A player’s level of skill does not matter. If a girl turns out to be an outstanding player, that’s a bonus.

In the larger context, the organization’s goals are simple: Grow the sport and make sure everyone understands that they are on the ice to have a good time and not feel pressured into achieving a certain level expertise.

“Fun has to be number one,” said Stephens. “I don’t ever want to see my kids walk away from the sport with a bad taste in their mouth or quit because they felt pressure from mom and dad. Seeing the girls get excited to be with their friends on the ice always make me feel good about what we are doing. We just have to keep feeding the pipeline and get as many girls involved as possible.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.