Our story begins back in 2015 when our middle daughter came to us and said she didn’t want to take dance classes any longer. Our older two daughters have danced competitively and enjoyed it. We assumed that she did as well. But as the classes went on over the year, and the discussions about skipping started happening more and more, we realized that perhaps dance was just not for her.
After telling her she needed to complete the season because we finish what we start as a family, we started to have conversations with her about what SHE wanted to do. We suggested softball, volleyball and even horseback riding. Activities we had always perceived as more feminine. We then went and watched our nephew play in his hockey game. She looked up at us and said, i want to do that!
Of course as we stumbled into the rink for her first learn to skate classes, we were told that she should put on figure skates, that was more her speed. She asked why would she wear figure skates when she wanted to play hockey, not just dance on the ice. We agreed and decided to get her first pair of hockey skates. She looked adorable on the ice with her pink helmet, purple coat and mittens as she could barely stand up. As the weeks went by she started moving better, having more confidence and was ready to put a stick in her hand.
We enrolled her into the learn to play hockey program, where she was surrounded by boys of all ages and skills, but she had an infectious grin on her face.
She may not have been as skilled as the rest of her group, but she was the hardest worker on the ice. She advanced, made leaps and bounds and started to catch up, and pass up some of the other boys. Come to the end of her first “Season” of learn to play, she wanted to tryout for her first hockey team. There was no option for a girls only program, so we opted to put her on the ice with the boys, and she excelled. She made some friends, advanced her skills but something was missing. As her teammates set up sleepovers, birthday parties and such, she was left behind. She wanted something more.
We then started looking for girls hockey programs, girls hockey teams, girls hockey shirts and noticed there was not a lot out there for girls who wanted to play, showcase their hockey pride. Of course, there was the occasional shirt that had a crown or slippers, but nothing that really was her makeup.
She started to follow the women’s games, learned about some of the phenomenal female athletes that play hockey and fell in love all over again. Unfortunately we kept going through vinyl sticker shirt, after sticker shirt. Replacing hoodies that peeled and cracked after the first time through the wash. Or she settled on shirts that were higher quality, but a lot more masculine in their designs.
That is when she asked why the girls don’t get as much recognition or the “cool stuff” the boys do. We decided to do something about it. After looking all over at countless shops in person, shopping on the internet and hitting up girls tournaments, we decided that girls work just as hard, have just as much passion and drive that the male counter parts do, and Gurl Power was born.
We found the best materials, created powerful designs and made a commitment to growing the girls game, and the awareness around the girls game. We are not just about Shirts and hoodies for the Hockey Girls and Women, but about growing the female hockey game. Sharing news stories, focusing on heroes and inspirational figures of the game and most importantly providing a place for them to shine.
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