Why no one cares about female hockey
Viral video from UBC women’s team points to gender bias, says creator
Maybe it was when she was forced to lace up her skates sitting on a toilet, or maybe it was when she had to toss on just enough clothing to join her teammates in locker-rooms, but at some point Kirsten Toth realized something was seriously wrong with female hockey in Canada.
“I had my fair share of tough times being the only girl on the team growing up,” said Toth, who played on a boys’ team until turning 15.
“There were some times of humiliation; times that I’m definitely happy are in the past.”
As a teen, Toth travelled across B.C. with her male teammates simply so she could remain in a competitive environment. With a female hockey infrastructure lacking in her community, Toth’s eventful but necessary journey into the men’s game was an eye-opener.
Some players ridiculed her, some parents even petitioned for her to be left off teams, but for whatever difficulties the Aldergrove native had to endure, she was more than willing to partake in the sport if it meant she could revel in the country’s national pastime.
“Boys pay the price on the ice with blood, sweat and tears,” said Mike Toth, Kirsten’s dad and former coach who has been involved with the game for more than 40 years.
“And girls pay that same price, but also by the way they’re treated. Four to seven nights a week for years they are isolated, off somewhere in some sort of bathroom or manager’s room while the entire team is celebrating and bonding and the coaches are desensitized to it.
“And why? Because you have to leave your daughter in boys’ hockey since the girls’ side isn’t developed enough.
“So they paid the price — why doesn’t someone pay attention then and see what they have to say?”
You may have seen and heard exactly what they had to say recently in the viral video Toth and the University of British Columbia (UBC) women’s hockey team — the majority of whom formerly played on competitive male teams — put together in response to the defenceman’s (woman’s?) creative writing class assignment.
Given the challenge of making a video, Toth responded with a compilation of Stupid Questions Female Hockey Players Get Asked, varying from whether they really practice to whether their coach has the gall to yell at a group of ladies.
The self-deprecating humour, wit and satire caught the attention of CBC, Global and TSN’s BarDown. That netted 120,000-plus YouTube hits and thousands of shares on social media. More than enough to pass her assignment with flying colours, but barely enough to sustain a discussion on a pernicious issue prevailing in ice rinks across the country.
“We had a lot of fun with it, but I think in doing so and watching the video, people can sense our frustration and it’s that — a whole life of frustration,” said Toth, who lamented her sport’s lack of bodychecking in the video. “We dedicate our entire lives, countless hours, every single day, but playing at UBC is as far as most girls will go because of a lack of opportunity.”
Gender preference in sports is nothing new, with the nod almost always going toward male leagues by way of larger endorsements deals, viewership numbers and developmental programs.
In the last 10 years the average yearly ratio of male-to-female hockey participants in B.C. across all age groups was 44,516-7,263, while last year’s participation numbers were up for both genders (53,573 male, 8,034 females).
So while more males than ever can strive for and envision their NHL dreams, females are still left chasing an unknown commodity, says Mike Toth. “When you’re talking the difference between the two (genders), you’re talking sponsorship deals, and for Major Junior Hockey, the (junior) team gets a dollar figure from the (NHL) team when a player is drafted,” said Toth, former coach with the Abbotsford Pilots (Pacific Junior Hockey League) and Langley Thunder (British Columbia Junior Hockey League).
“It’s kind of like a ‘thank you for taking care and developing this player for us’ type of thing.
“There’s no process like that in girls’ hockey, because there is no pot of gold, there’s no NHL or feasible women’s (pro) league. Why would (female teams) get sponsors when no revenue is generated?”
But that doesn’t mean female hockey isn’t making progress.
“I’ve seen it grow quite a bit. Womens’ hockey is more skilful than before, it’s improving and the CIS is actually quite comparable to NCAA Division 1 now,” said Graham Thomas, former associate head coach at Syracuse University and current bench boss at UBC.
Toth and the Thunderbirds (9-5-2) resume league play on Friday night against Mount Royal University.
While they battle for exposure, a clearer future for the sport they love is the real goal.
“People need to understand the message we’re trying to send. It’s not that we think women are as strong, as fast or better than men in hockey,” she said.
“It’s that we dedicate our lives to this sport, we put in the same amount of work and hours as anyone else yet we have no dream to chase.
“Why can’t we have the same opportunities as any boy or man in this sport?”
“Playing at UBC is as far as most girls will go because of a lack of opportunity.” — Hockey player
Kirsten Toth