Black Girls Hockey Club making a welcome move north
Good day associates! I need to say that I’ve been revelling in pleasure all this week.
Initially, my all-time favorite film turned 20 years outdated. Sure, 20. Bend It Like Beckham is arguably the best sports activities movie of all time, in my view.
Along with that celebration, I partook in one other type of pleasure: the brilliance of Black Girls in Hockey type. Chances are you’ll be asking a number of questions. Nicely, I’m dedicating this week’s JOY DROP to clarify.
A number of months in the past, Black Girl Hockey Club and MLSE Basis determined to collaborate on an occasion — mainly a Toronto takeover. There have been many Zoom conferences and spreadsheets, Slack messages, reservations, and conversations occurring between core members of BGHC, advocacy committee members and MLSE and Launchpad workers. For this sequence of occasions, BGHC founder Renee Hess, board members Taylor Inexperienced and Rochelle Taylor, and lots of BGHC volunteers travelled to Toronto to attend this previous weekend.
BGHC and MLSE held a group occasion on Sunday with actions (together with ball hockey) and meals and connection alternatives that had been run by MLSE Launchpad volunteers. That was adopted by a panel that includes Olympic gold medallist Sarah Nurse, Toronto Six participant Saroya Tinker, Dayton O’Donoghue of the Toronto Junior Aeros and Raegan Subban of TSN’s Bardown.
The panel was unbelievable. I’ve moderated many occasions however this specific occasion was particular. Not solely was it the primary occasion to function an all-Black girls panel on hockey, but it surely was additionally a specific occasion that was absolutely rooted in pleasure. It was a spot to have a good time the wins, look to the probabilities and share in an understanding of the challenges.
Being racialized girls in sports activities areas is not any straightforward feat. The panellists have expertise, expertise and fervour that, when coupled with laborious work, obtain a lot. They’re younger girls athletes or members of sports activities media however they’re mentors and group organizers. Their existence and their presence make it doable for others to dream. They shared experiences with a lot sincerity that it was really thrilling and heartwarming to be in that house.
After the panel, there have been pictures with the panellists, and group members all rallied round to speak. It’s a house that’s not all the time obtainable or created. It’s a house that understands that Black girls are distinctive and that they typically created areas for different marginalized teams. Creating group was very a lot a part of the imaginative and prescient that Renee Hess had when she based this group 4 years in the past.
Her presence within the hockey house has united so many individuals and given us a purpose to benefit from the recreation collectively, welcome others and work collectively towards anti-racist and inclusive fashions inside hockey tradition. She is an exceptional particular person and one I depend as an expensive buddy. Engaged on ardour initiatives could be exhausting however when there are areas and locations which might be encompassed in happiness and never in trauma (regardless of any hardships) it’s all the time trigger for celebration.
Different BGHC occasions included attending a Marlies recreation, a go to to the Hockey Corridor of Fame, and a Toronto Black Historical past strolling tour with Jacqueline Scott.
After an exquisite lunch hosted by the Toronto Maple Leafs to have a good time girls and Black Excellence, the BGHC household attended a Maple Leafs recreation. Admittedly I’m a Habs fan however for this event, I fortunately sported a t-shirt from this magnificent collaboration.
It’s no shock that BGHC shall be coming to Canada from an organizational standpoint. Because of this way more younger ladies from many various communities shall be impressed and supported by Renee’s imaginative and prescient.
Having a spot inside hockey that looks like dwelling, that understands and unites people who love the sport however stay devoted to creating inclusive areas has been an amazing pleasure. The faces of the younger ladies on the occasions or the adults in raptures of the thrill of the sport have left an imprint on my coronary heart.
If you have already got a group in hockey then you definitely already perceive what this implies. However for these of us typically within the margins, it was an extremely rewarding expertise. Black Lady Hockey Membership has a “Get Uncomfortable” pledge. It’s a marketing campaign designed to “disrupt racism” on and off the ice.
In case you are a part of the hockey ecosystem, please contemplate signing this pledge, and inspiring your groups, organizations and associates to do the identical. It’s only once we eradicate racism and different types of oppression that hockey will really be for everybody.
I go away you with a tune from Stan Rogers. If you recognize, you recognize.
