Pine City, Osseo-Maple Grove Earn Female Honor Awards

At the 2018 Minnesota Hockey Summer Board Meeting, Osseo-Maple Grove Hockey Association (OMGHA) and Pine City Youth Hockey (PCYH) were recognized for their efforts in growing girls’ hockey. OMGHA received the USA Hockey Female Honors Award and the Minnesota Hockey Girls’ Hockey Award, while PCYH was honored with the Minnesota Hockey Girls’ Hockey Award.

Both associations have shown tremendous dedication and focus on their girls’ hockey programs and have seen significant increases in participation. Since 2010-11, OMGHA has grown by more than any girls’ hockey program in Minnesota, adding over 80 girls. PCYH, while not quite as large in total numbers, has watched their girls’ program grow at an even faster rate, nearly doubling in size over the same time span. The recent growth has the community of Pine City excited about the possibility of adding a girls high school team for the first time ever.

Below are some of the programs and initiatives these associations credited for their success.

Osseo-Maple Grove

All girls receive free registration for their first year of hockey (any level)
Girls traveling registration fees are aligned with the youth fees at the same age level
Partner with Positive Coaching Alliance on parent and coach training sessions the past four seasons
For 10U and below, OMGHA sets a maximum number of games allowed for all teams to minimize travel and out of town expenses
Host several Try Hockey For Free days to provide family friendly opportunities to try the game
Participate in local parades and other community events

Pine City

Offer a free Learn to Skate program, which includes an equipment lease
Organize a girls hockey mentorship program
Focus on player development by monitoring of practice plans and practice-to-game ratios
Emphasize community involvement in-season and during the off-season at events such as parades, the county fair, pancake breakfast and many more