A Goodbye to WWFHA

When you have something that you love, something that you really, really love, it’s always hard to say goodbye to it. When you love something so much, it’s hard to let it go. Winnie the Pooh once said, “How lucky am I to have something so special, that makes saying goodbye so hard”.  It’s been 7 months, and I’m still not able to let it go. I’ve been able to say goodbye, but I still can’t let it go. For me, that ‘something’ was WWFHA.

I have always dreamed of playing for WWFHA since I started playing hockey. And getting to put on a WWFHA jersey for the first time was an indescribable feeling. It was unreal, I couldn’t believe that I actually got the opportunity to wear the WWFHA logo on my chest. What made it all feel real is when I got my jersey, my jersey with my name and number on the back but with the same logo as before on the front. I would later go on to play for the logo on the front of the jersey and be remembered for the name and number on the back. Getting to represent WWFHA was all I ever wanted, and now I finally got to. I got to represent the most amazing all girls team in the state of Washington, the only in the state. That’s not something a lot of girls get to do, I was very lucky that I got to. I never imagined  I would have to write about this in past tense because if WWFHA was still here, I would still be able to play for them.

The Washington Wild Female Hockey Association, WWFHA (wif-uh pronunciation), as me and my teammates call it, is the only girls hockey association in the Pacific Northwest. This is confirmed on their website, “Today, WWFHA is the only girls’ hockey association in the Pacific Northwest, and we give girls the opportunity to play on all-girl teams, regardless of ability or experience.” While it’s true that there are other girls teams in the state of Washington, WWFHA is the only girls association. Other associations offer all girls rec teams from 8U-12U and then only offer rep. At WWFHA, you can play any level at any age group. Me and my teammates ranged from ages 14-18 and if we were at any other association, we might not have been able to play on their all girls teams because most of us needed rec teams for our age groups. Here at WWFHA, we have that. Or, had that, I should say. It’s disheartening that this decision was made to remove the only all-girls hockey association in the Pacific Northwest.

Before WWFHA got settled down into their new practice facility in 2021, they used to offer rep teams. After about a season at this new facility, our ice time got cut which meant we had to cut our rep teams completely. That past season (2023-2024), WWFHA partnered with another association. In that partnership, WWFHA got the 14U/19U rec teams and the other organization got 10U/12U rec as well as rep teams from 13U-18U. 

And that partnership became extremely successful, giving girls their opportunities back. But then as our season came to a close, our ice time got cut completely. This meant that for the 2024-2025 season, we would not have anywhere to practice or play, we wouldn’t have a rink to call “home”. It wasn’t until a month before the season was set to begin that we found out we would have no rink to call home.

Our coaches made every effort to advocate for our ice time, but were met with rejection. Us players decided to take action. We started sending emails which then led to phone calls, all giving us the same answer. No. We got in contact with other facilities to try to find a place to play and one facility was so kind and generous enough to provide us with ice time for the season. The only issue was that the rink was located too far away for most players and coaches to travel regularly.

I remember how upset my teammates and I were-some of us were in constant tears. Many of my teammates had grown up playing for WWFHA, and suddenly, we were expected to say goodbye to an organization that had been a part of our lives for years. At the end of last season, I tried out for two all girls rep teams. I got cut from both but it was fine because I knew WWFHA would be there to offer me a team that matched my skill level and age group. Except, I came back to nothing, because WWFHA wasn’t there anymore. And I had only been with WWFHA for a season but to me, it felt like losing something that had become a central part of my life. It was a deeply upsetting experience for all of us. No apology could erase the emotional toll this decision took on us.

What seemed to be the main reason that our ice time got completely cut for the 2024/2025 season is because the rink that was letting us use their facilities wanted to focus more on their own programs. While it’s understandable that this rink has limited resources and ice time, the decision to completely cut the ice time for WWFHA has left a significant gap in the development of girls hockey in Washington. When girls start playing hockey, no matter how young or old, they usually want to play all girls. It makes them feel more comfortable, seen, heard, understood, and overall, they just have so much more fun. Because of this ice time cut, the development of girls hockey in Washington has been extremely impacted, leading to that gap in development. While other associations do offer all girls learn to play programs, not all of them offer teams for girls at the levels and age groups they need. Leading to what could be a decrease of girls hockey in Washington.

There are 14 youth ice hockey associations in the state of Washington, excluding WWFHA. All of these associations are affiliated with PNAHA (Pacific Northwest Amature Hockey Association). Out of the 14 youth hockey associations, only six offer girls’ programs, which means less than half of the associations provide opportunities for girls. In other regions, it’s much easier to find all-girls hockey programs. While girls’ hockey programs are expanding across the country, particularly on the East Coast, Washington seems to be lagging behind. Girls hockey is growing everywhere but in Washington, it almost seems to be decreasing. Associations used to offer girls hockey at all levels for all age groups. But then, at some point, there was some stereotype set into place for girls that after playing a season of 10U/12U, you should be ready to play AA/AAA girls hockey for your next season, whether that be 12U/14U or beyond. This leads to the lack of girls rec teams at high age groups. Luckily with WWFHA, they offered girls rec programs from 8U-19U. Last year when I got to play for WWFHA, I got to play on the combined 14U/19U rec team. It was perfect for me. I got a late start playing hockey as I started my first season in 14U. I wasn’t ready for rep hockey yet. But WWFHA had a team for me, for my teammates, for all the girls in the same position. We could still play all girls hockey in these higher age groups but at the level that we needed.  It’s difficult to understand that girls no longer have these opportunities in Washington. No other association offers girls recreational programs in the 19U age group, WWFHA was the only one. Emphasis on was, because now WWFHA is no longer around to provide that vital opportunity.

The charts above show how memberships have grown or dropped over time. These charts showcase statistics from USA Hockey nationwide as well as USA Hockey Memberships strictly in Washington State. According to the USA Hockey 2023-2024 registration report, there were 2,113 females with a USA Hockey membership in Washington state. The state with the most female memberships according to this USA Hockey membership report is Minnesota, with 15,723 memberships. In total, there are 93,610 female memberships nationwide. While Washington is not the lowest on the list of memberships, there’s still a big gap of 13,610 memberships.

There’s a simple way to fix this issue. The resources are there, the ice is there, the time is there. There is ice time. There are so many rinks all over the state. There are 14 associations in the state and each and everyone of these associations can be a part of the solution and be a major part in growing girls hockey in Washington. Give the girls ice time. We deserve ice time, we’ve earned ice time. The PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League)  has a saying, “Ice Time. Earned”. As a female hockey player, I can advocate for myself, my teammates, my coaches, and females playing all over the nation by saying that we’ve earned our ice time and that we deserve it. Because girls hockey is growing everywhere except in Washington. I truly believe that female hockey players are the most passionate and dedicated hockey players. When we want something, we fight to get it. And me and all of my teammates, as well as my coaches, have been advocating since the summer to get our ice time back. We want it, and we’ve earned it. Yet, we don’t have it. It’s not just us that have this problem, it’s girls all over the state. And there are some organizations who are dedicated to growing girls hockey but have yet to actually do anything. Every organization can. Start small with an all girls learn to play hockey program or an all girls try hockey free program. Then, move on to the bigger things such as starting girls recreational teams. Not just at 8U and 10U, but at all age groups. Once the rec teams have been successful, then it’s time to add the rep teams. If an organization wants to grow girls hockey, that is how you start. Every girl deserves her ice time. 

In a plea to get our ice time back for WWFHA, all of us were doing our part. Our coaches reached out to the rink and the people who made the decision to cut our ice time. Our coaches talked to the WWFHA board and their leadership. The parents contacted the rink as well as surrounding facilities. Us players, we contacted the rink, we contacted other facilities, we contacted those who made the decision to cut our ice time. I won’t stop until WWFHA is back for good and we have a rink to call home again. We did not stop advocating for our ice time. And I’m not going to stop until we get our ice time back. Because of our ice time getting cut, my teammates are all over the hockey world. Two of my teammates from WWFHA made rep teams, one all girls, and the other coed. Six of us, including me, are playing coed hockey. Two of my former teammates were able to find a girls rec team to play on at their respective age groups. Five of my teammates graduated high school and are now in college, not playing hockey. And the rest of them quit hockey. My teammates who quit, shouldn’t have had to quit the sport that they loved so much. My teammates who quit or are now playing coed and grew up playing for WWFHA, shouldn’t have had to leave the association that gave them everything. I only played one season with WWFHA, the season that might be the last season of WWFHA, but that season gave me so much. Playing for WWFHA has made me the person and player that I am now. And I had to say goodbye to it. All of us did. Tell me how that’s fair. 

All of us want to know what went into making the decision to cut our ice time. Were there any females involved? A female hockey player, a representative, a board member, would’ve fought for us, fought against our ice time being taken away. Did anyone consider where we would play? Did anyone think about how this would hurt the growth of girls’ hockey? Was there any thought about the girls who were forced to quit because there was nowhere else for them to play? Was there any thought about the girls who felt uncomfortable playing coed but now have to because they can’t play all girls hockey anymore? What made taking away our ice time so easy? What made the decision to take away ice time for the only all girls hockey association in the state so easy?

As a female hockey player, and a person who got to play for WWFHA, the only girls hockey association in the state of Washington, and the best association any girl could ever play for, I will not stop advocating for girls hockey. I will not stop advocating for WWFHA and girls everywhere who want to play hockey. I won’t stop advocating until WWFHA gets their ice time back. I won’t stop advocating until WWFHA has a rink to call home again. I won’t stop advocating until WWFHA is back, with ice time for every girl who wants to play.  Taking away our association isn’t just a loss for us-it’s a loss for every girl who deserves the opportunity to play.