Do you have girls in your life?

I've encouraged my daughter to try sports.
We tried soccer - she didn't like it and that was it.
Last year she tried a one-week hockey camp run by a university here in southern ontario (which made for a great column,i must say) and she enjoyed it but was still too timid to go any further
this year she surprised me when she said she wanted to do another week of hockey camp -- this one all girls of course . I am pleased she is eager to try again... and theres absolutely no pushing.
As long as she is active, I am pleased.

 

That's all me!

 

Pick me! Pick me!

 

I have three sons so I'm no help there but I do have four sisters.

I grew up in a matriarchal household--I have four sisters and since my father worked shifts, he didn't seem to be around all that much. Sports were never encouraged or discouraged. You either played them or you didn't. The ONLY important thing in our household was education.

My eldest sister--back in the late 50's/early 60's played on the girls hs basketball team that eventually went on to win the Ontario provincial championship. She also played on the McMaster University badminton team (mixed doubles) but interestingly enough has NO interest in spectator sports despite being married to an oldtime jock.

Two of my soeurs were and are about as disinterested in sports as you can get--without being openly hostile.

The other one played rec softball and is a huge Jays fan.

My brother hate sports. Period.

My mother was pretty much a hardline feminist way back before the women's movement even began.

She refused to accept that boys should have special privileges-- because of their gender--or that women should not work outside the home. My mother was one of the few working moms in our entirely Leave it To Beaver neighbourhood.

So I guess we never thought anything about girls playing sports.

 

HC, I'm indestructible. I can take a hard check into the boards!

My only wish is that I pot a goal and do my combination Brendan Shanahan-Adam Graves celebration.

 

If there's an SportsJournalists.com hockey game, it should be Canuckistan versus the rest of the world.

 

Can I play for Canuckistan? I'll do my best Adam Graves imitation and stay parked in front of the crease.