Interest Increased for This Year’s McFarland Youth Hockey Association 8U Jamboree in Wisconsin
Nick Trentadue and the McFarland Youth Hockey Association are contributing to the expansion of girls’ hockey in Wisconsin.
Trentadue, who serves as the president of the McFarland Youth Hockey Association, and the organization recently organized the second annual Junior Icebergs 8U Jamboree, which included 15 teams, 13 associations, and over 150 girls.
“There was a lot of positive energy, and it’s at the right age level where parents aren’t yelling,” Trentadue stated. “It’s really about the girls exploring whether they enjoy the game.”
McFarland Youth Hockey collaborated with Stoughton Youth Hockey and the nearby Oregon Hockey Association for the full-day event at the McFarland Community Ice Arena.
Any organization was welcome to enter a team at no cost, and there was no fee for spectators to attend the event.
“Many hockey tournaments are becoming quite costly, and people are turning them into fundraisers, which is not our intention,” Trentadue remarked. “We don’t want any burdens. Just come, play hockey, and have a good time.”
The event provided 10 continuous hours of hockey for the 15 teams and over 150 girls present. Each team participated in four games across nearly two sheets of ice, culminating in a tournament at the end of the day.
“I sent out the sign-up, and people kept expressing interest in playing,” Trentadue noted. “There was significant demand.”
Trentadue mentioned that he had to decline two teams because he could not accommodate any additional time or games on the rink. The goal for next year is to include at least 20 teams and 12 full hours of hockey.
“The kids had a great time, and we enjoy promoting the event within the community,” Trentadue said. “It was a wonderful experience, and the girls were sharing it with their friends.”
This event was not merely a standard girls’ hockey tournament. Trentadue explained that the girls received bags containing a voucher for a pizza slice, snacks, a sports drink, and personalized foam pucks featuring the event logo.
During breaks between games, players had the chance to create friendship bracelets, hair ribbons, and other crafts, as well as the opportunity to capture memories in a photo booth.
“We aimed to provide them with a complete tournament experience,” Trentadue stated. “With grandparents, parents, and players present, there was a large turnout. The players had to wait 45 minutes between games, and we wanted to offer activities for them. It was more than just a few hockey games.”
Trentadue mentioned that McFarland has two teams at three different travel levels and four 8U teams, including an all-girls team. The organization also has a cooperative agreement with neighboring associations for three additional girls’ age groups.
“We’re effectively generating interest among girls at the 8U level,” Trentadue stated. “We’re making progress. We’re just trying to recruit enough girls to fill the rosters.”
Being located less than 10 miles from a prominent NCAA hockey program is advantageous. The Wisconsin women’s hockey team has secured two of the last three national championships and has reached the title game in each of the past three seasons.
Trentadue aims to further enhance the organization’s collaboration with the university in the upcoming seasons.
One of McFarland’s teams recently skated alongside the Badgers, Trentadue noted, and the 12U team is planning to create the fan tunnel for an upcoming game at LaBahn Arena.
The girls’ jamboree certainly contributed to the growth of the sport in the region. Following a successful inaugural tournament last season, demand surged this year and is anticipated to continue increasing in the future.
“We’ve had females participate in our co-ed program, and some were quite skilled, but they typically came from hockey families,” Trentadue explained. “We’re managing, but we would like more kids who can progress to our older levels. We want to cultivate strong high school players, and we want these girls to play together like the boys’ teams do.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
