The female program of the Cochrane Minor Hockey Association (CMHA) continues to grow at an incredible rate and part of the reason is the Esso Fun Day.

The latest fun day was held Apr. 8 at the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre and attracted about 100 girls.While the majority had hockey or ringette experience, 30 of the participants were new to the sport.

Lorne Bremner, who oversees the female development program and also coaches peewee hockey, was pleased with the turnout. He believes having more instructors on hand to provide for one-on-one instruction for the first timers was especially valuable.

"We had plenty of helpers from the Midget and Bantam Rockies," says Bremner. "It was almost one instructor for two kids and it made for a really good experience for the little ones."

The morning was set aside for the young charges and introduced them to the sport while making it as fun as possible

"In the morning it was mainly obstacles courses and learning to skate so it was really low key, fun stuff," he says. "We wanted to keep them moving and having fun."

The afternoon was a solid workout for the experienced players, followed by an hour of yoga. Added instruction was provided by the Cochrane Chaos of the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League.

This was the second Fun Day of the year and follows close on the footsteps of a February event. Whether the female division will continue to hold two a year  going forward is something the organizers will be determining in the future.

CMHA girls director Deb Novello says the fun days has helped in expanding to a full complement of girls teams.

"From the first year to the second year the growth was huge," she says. "From those two days and a big push on girls hockey we ended up with a team in every division, which was the first time ever for Cochrane Minor Hockey. So from initiation all the way up to midget we had a team in every division."

Only a few years ago there weren't enough players to form some teams and some of the players had to join Airdrie teams.

With the growing numbers, CMHA approved a pilot project and that was a big plus for girls hockey.

"They were totally open to letting us pilot it for a year and it was successful," says Novello. "Most of the girls that played want to come back to play girls hockey."

Some also choose to stay in the co-ed stream.

With the establishment of the Cochrane Chaos last fall, the door has been widened for females wanting to continue in the sport after minor hockey..

"I think girls didn't think they had anywhere to go when they finished minor hockey and to have the Choas here is a great opportunity," says Novello.

The Chaos organization is holding a spring camp, May 5 to 7, and players graduating from the minor hockey have been encouraged to attend.There's been continued co-operation between the girls division and the Chaos throughout the season

"It's a learning thing for everybody and it's exposure as well. Derek (Loomer) and the Choas have been excellent to us," says Novello.

Registration for the girls division opens shortly in two phases. Returning players can register from May 1 to 15. From May 16-31 registration opens for new players.

More information on registration can be found here.