The Women’s Hockey Association of Minnesota (WHAM) recently announced it has distributed seven Girls’ Hockey Spirit Grants in support of growing girls’ hockey. The grants were funded by proceeds of the 2016 USA Hockey Girls’ and Women’s National Championships (“Nationals”), which WHAM hosted this spring.

One of WHAM’s goals as the host of Nationals was to elevate girls’ and women’s hockey and help drive future growth. The Girls’ Hockey Spirit Grant program was developed by WHAM to achieve those goals by encouraging local youth hockey associations to get involved with the tournament, submit an application showcasing their passion and be eligible to receive a grant to grow girls’ hockey.

“Girls’ and women’s hockey has climbed to new levels – it’s exciting to watch, getting faster and more aggressive every year,” said WHAM President, Gina Wright. “We wanted to raise awareness and have a platform to showcase the great talent of the players involved.”

On the ice, the girls and women certainly delivered as the competition was fierce, and the speed and skill were impressive. Local teams played a key part in that as all the Minnesota teams at the Girls Tier 1 16U and 19U levels made the championship round and teams from Minnesota finished claimed the championships and runner-up spots at both levels. In addition, one of WHAM’s top level teams, the McGoverns, captured the Women’s Senior A title.

The exciting play drew a never-ending crowd over a five-day span, giving WHAM the resources to fulfill their grant program.

After a careful review process, WHAM announced the Girls’ Hockey Spirit Grant winners at their board meeting this summer. The recipients include the DinoMights, Lakeville, Rosemount, Sartell-Sauk Rapids, Silver Bay, Willmar and Woodbury. The total amount awarded exceeded $4,500, but in WHAM’s eyes, they’re far from done.

“We intend to keep fueling growth by reaching out to Minnesota’s young female players as they move from youth programs to high school and even college,” said Wright. “We want them to know they will always have a place to play the sport they love!”