MT64 Hockey Association to host female-only hockey on Sundays to all ages and skill levels
By Mario Carr EBS CONTRIBUTOR
With leadership from Katherine Berasi and Logan DuComb, the MT64 Hockey Association is working to revive women’s hockey in Big Sky by providing a safe and welcoming environment to female hockey players of all skill levels and ages. Figure skating coach Abby Skane with the Montana State Figure skating club will also attend one more lady’s night on Feb. 8.
MT64 is a nonprofit organization operating for its second season on the ice in Big Sky, dedicated to making the sport of hockey more accessible to people of all ages and skills.
“No bros, no dudes, no dads, no men, no boys (ladies only),” MT64 wrote in a newsletter.
MT64 will provide the necessary gear for girls to learn, and will work closely with providers in Bozeman on acquiring more gear for loan.
“We try to make everyone participate safely and encourage them to be well protected. But you know the first night if they wanna just come out and skate we have some loaner helmets, we possibly have some learner skates, and then we just go from there. And kids, usually the night-of we can get them fully equipped,” said Joseph McFadden, hockey director for MT64.
Ladies Hockey night has launched after several coaches and players in the community have seen an increasing need. The female-only space with female coaches is essential for players of all skill levels, and competitiveness to get out on the ice without the pressure of competing with the boys. McFadden himself has a young daughter that is “enthralled” with the game according to coach Berasi.
“There’s great growth in the game right now at the amateur level in Montana with girls or at the collegiate level throughout the United States,” McFadden said.
Hockey in Big Sky has gone through a couple changes of the guard since the installation and improvement of the Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, and MT64’s wants to ensure the future of female hockey for the community after some girls may have felt left behind.
“When I came here almost two years ago… after previously coaching in Salmon [Idaho] I noticed the lack of support for girls,” Coach Berasi explained.
Coach Ducomb who grew up playing hockey in New Jersey and has been playing here in Big Sky since she moved here seven years ago is very excited about more opportunities for kids to learn the game.
“Since I’ve been here there hasn’t been a whole lot of opportunities for kids, and I think over the last two to three years that has changed a lot and it’s really great to be able to have a specific girls practice,” she explained.
In his own words, McFadden explained that while boys and girls can often learn the game together, as they get older it gets to a point where co-ed play is simply not ideal.
“This is kind of our first year of getting all the ladies out on the ice so we’re hoping that it just grows in numbers and gets the younger girls that played hockey and kind of stopped around age 12, when the boys kinda become unruly and then make it not really that fun for ladies,” McFadden said.
Coach DuComb emphasized that having these ladies only nights, with the goal of increasing opportunities for females in general, should help optimize practices for everyone.
“In the past a lot of these practices have been age-ranged from three-year-olds all the way up to the high school boys, and you’re all practicing on the same ice at the same time and it just really isn’t conducive to a good learning environment for any of the ages,” She said.
While there are countless activities in Big Sky to keep busy, everyone made sure to emphasize how special the ice rink in Big Sky really is.
“I’m from Minnesota and we have 1,000 ice rinks there and they’re all inside… I hadn’t skated outside until I came to that rink the first time I coached up there… The coolest part is seeing the sunset over it… every time that you’re there it is incredible,” Coach Skane said.
Three weeks into the Ladies Night and participation has grown each week, with at least a dozen ladies showing up on Jan. 25. Registration includes becoming a member with USA Hockey, which opens up additional opportunities to women to participate in clinics hosted by the Montana Amateur Hockey Association throughout the state.
