Being a hockey parent can be very rewarding, especially if your daughter is skating circles around the boys her age. When it comes to deciding whether you should sign your daughter up to play on a boys hockey team there may be many factors involved. Such as, there are no girl’s teams or leagues in the area, your daughter is advanced for her age and is just as good if not better than the boys, or you simply want to give her an even greater challenge athletically. Now every hockey player is different and what might be best for one player may not be for another. Making that decision to put your daughter in boys hockey may be difficult, which is why it is so important to evaluate your daughter and see if boys hockey is the right fit for her.
If your daughter is a strong player and can keep up with the boys then by all means put her in with the boys and keep her there as long as she is good enough and safe enough. However, always ensure she is having fun. Playing with the boys may be good for her development as player but may be hurting her development socially. The girls always have to go in their own little dressing rooms and therefore miss out on the bonding experience that goes on in the dressing room with their teammates. Yet, some girls still thrive and socialize with the boys away from the dressing room and still feel a part of the team. At the end of the day it is all about having fun so reassuring that your daughter enjoys playing with the boys is very important.
Now, being a parent in the stands may put you on edge watching your daughter skating with the boys. There is always that fear of your daughter getting hurt, however, from my own experience I can attest that fear never crosses her mind while she’s playing so don’t allow it to consume your thoughts. As a parent of a girl playing with all boys you may be concerned the coach will hold her back and play the boys over her due to her gender. These are fair anxieties however, there is no need to stress about it until the time comes. Resist the nervousness of her playing with the opposite sex getting in the way of you enjoying watching her play the sport she loves.
