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Girls Hockey Blooming in South Metro

By Minnesota Hockey, 01/27/15, 9:00AM CST

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Bloomington Mite Director Renae Spencer is recognized as the Total Hockey Volunteer of the Month for her efforts in growing the program.

Congratulations to Renae Spencer of Bloomington Girls Hockey on being selected as January’s Total Hockey Volunteer of the Month! Spencer is currently the Mite Director for the program, which encompasses girls from the Richfield, Kennedy and Jefferson hockey associations in the Bloomington area.

Currently in her second year as Mite Director, Spencer has drawn rave reviews from parents, coaches and other board members for immediate impact she's had on girls’ hockey in the area. Spencer's primary focus has been on encouraging more girls to play hockey and ensuring each of the girls that do come out to play have an amazing experience.

As one parent notes, “she has a gift of truly knowing and caring for each girl and their family, making them feel more than just part of a team, but truly part of a family.”

There’s no doubt Spencer has had a unique impact on the girls so we sat down with her to see what kind of influence they’ve had on her.

What has been your favorite part of being the Mite Director?

“There are a couple of things. I get pretty excited when we get the numbers that we’re getting.  When my girls started, we had like mid-20’s for 8 & Under [players], and now, we’re over 60. That to me is pretty fun and gets me excited.”

“It has also been great seeing all of the different stages of the girls through the youth program. Those first girls that come in where it’s their very first year, and they literally cannot even stand up on the ice. They are literally crawling. In a month, they are skating. It’s amazing. We have a group of 20 brand new girls this year. Now, they are whipping around the ice like crazy people. They grow so fast. I think it’s the only sport where you see so much improvement in such a short amount of time which is something that excites parents. It excites parents. It’s fun to watch. It’s my favorite group to check in on and take a look at because you see so much growth.”

What has been your most significant achievement in this role?

“I think definitely the growth is the biggest thing. Part of that is we’ve definitely taken advantage of the grants and programs from Minnesota Hockey and USA Hockey. That’s helped to kind of get the word out. I definitely think the biggest achievement so far is getting those numbers up.”

What can other youth associations do to emulate your success in growing girls hockey?

“I would certainly say that with girls, especially young girls, the social part of the game is a big deal. If you mix in some fun off-ice things where these kids can spend some time together, it’s huge.  And by mixing that kind of stuff in, I’m not talking about anything complicated.  I’m talking about donuts after practice out in the lobby after practice. Any time these girls spend a little time together off the ice, without mouth guards in their mouth, where they can actually talk to each other and get to know each other a little bit.”

“When these girls are having fun, it gets your word of mouth going. The girls are talking to their friends about having fun playing hockey, and we got to go to the Gopher Women’s game or we got go to skate at the Xcel. All of a sudden you have more people knocking on your door to play the game. I think that’s a big part of it.”

Minnesota Hockey and Total Hockey give Renae Spencer a special thank you for everything she’s done for girls hockey in Bloomington!  Encouraging more people to play hockey is a key part of our mission, and we couldn’t do that without volunteers like you who are making a major difference in your community.

Know a volunteer in your community who is doing an amazing job? Nominate him or her today for the Total Hockey Volunteer of the Month! Each recipient receives a certificate recognizing their hard work and a $100 Total Hockey gift card to use online or in the store. Nominators also receive a $50 Total Hockey gift card.

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