Grant-A-Week WINNER
Surrey Female Hockey Association

In February of 2001, the Surrey Female Hockey Association (SFHA) held its first annual "SuperHeart" tournament. This was a PeeWee tournament for girls aged 13 and younger. Fifteen teams from all over British Colombia participated in the 32-game schedule.

The unique part of the SuperHeart tournament was the involvement of the SFHA Midget players (13+). The association already actively encourages the Midgets to become referees and coaching assistants for the PeeWee teams. For the SuperHeart tournament, however, this mentorship was moved to the next level with the Midget players becoming event hosts. They assisted in distributing refreshments and prizes after the games. They also helped with a skills contest and other off-ice activities. The Midget players' enthusiasm made this event special.

To reward them for their assistance, each of the players who participated was given a commemorative sweatshirt. These sweatshirts were embossed with the girls@play logo in recognition of the support CAAWS and Nike provided. This event has become the formal starting point for a full mentorship program that we hope to expand in future years.

Our aim is have the Midgets increase their involvement in the tournament and eventually take full responsibility as hosts. Surplus funds generated from the tournament have been set aside to provide scholarships for Midgets wishing to take coaching, officiating or leadership training.

We wish to thank the CAAWS/Nike girls@play program for their assistance in initiating this program.

Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity contact us