First-time girl hockey players and those seeking to further develop their skills are invited to attend the free Girls Hockey Day, Apr. 6, at the SLS Family Sports Centre.

The Esso Fun Day is returning for the fourth consecutive year and Cochrane Minor Hockey continues to expand upon the activities offered.

The day is a chance for girls, ages 4 to 9, to try the sport for the first time. There's also a session for those with ice sport experience (hockey, ringette, figure skating) ages 6 to 17 who want to further develop their hockey skills.

Brand new this year is a goalie session that's broken into two groups. First timers will be in their own group and experience goalies will receive instruction from a goalie coach from P3 Sports.

"For anybody who wants to try goalie or have already played goal, we'll have coaches on the ice that can help those trying it for the first time and a P3 goalie coach out for the experienced goalies to get a little training," says Lorne Bremner, female development coordinator for Cochrane Minor Hockey and one of the coaches.

Loaner equipment will be available for those trying the sport for the first time. When you register, indicate what equipment you will require. If you are bringing your own helmet it must have a face mask.

"If they can find gear that's better, but we can absolutely gear them up," says Bremner.

They'll be several coaches on the ice and many older players helping who nurtured their skills through Cochrane Minor Hockey.

The whole idea is to have fun while enjoying the sport.

"We keep it really fun for the little girls," says Bremner, "We start by showing them how to skate. If we some girls that can get around a little bit we'll get them going with the puck and maybe doing a little bit of shooting. We'll run them through some obstacle course. We'll keep it really simple, really fun, make sure their feet are moving all the time.

That fun extends to the dryland sessions each group will enjoy. The younger charges will be drumming while the older girls will have a chance to learn about kickboxing.

Pre-registration is required by Wednesday, Apr. 3. Go to bit.ly/CochraneGirlsHockey. When you press the "register" button, a description of both groups is provided. Select the one you want, indicate how many participants, then complete the form that pops up.

Cochrane Minor Hockey continues to receive support for this event through the "Esso Fun Day" program. Esso provides jerseys for first-time participants and contributes financially.

The girls' hockey program continues to see strong growth, There are teams in every division and a swell of younger players coming up the ranks.

"It's getting better and better every year," says Bremner.

Alberta Challenge Camp Here

That same weekend, a southern Alberta Challange tryout camp is being hosted by Cochrane.

From Apr. 5 to 7, bantam-age female players from across southern Alberta will be participating in a camp that starts Friday night. Bremner believes upwards of 10 Cochrane hockey players will be participating.

The Alberta Challenge aids in the preparation, evaluation and identification of potential players for Hockey Alberta’s Team Alberta program, and is a grassroots program. Through the camps, the players are able to measure themselves against other players of the same age and receive instruction from some of the best coaches in the province. 

The Alberta Challenge is held in alternating years when the Alberta Winter Games isn't held. Six teams will be selected to compete for the cup in Leduc, May 1-5. Cochrane hockey players have been among those selected for past teams, including Bailey Fiala and Sarah Wozniewicz, both of whom played in the 2017 tournament.