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NoCo Ice Center nets new locker room for growing girls’ hockey program
FORT COLLINS, CO (January 19, 2012) – The Northern Colorado Youth Hockey (NCYH) Lady Eagles, a non-profit sports program affiliated with the Colorado Eagles professional hockey team, will celebrate the grand opening of its newly renovated girls-only locker room on Tuesday, January 31, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at NoCo Ice Center west of Windsor. Players, coaches and parents will come together to officially open the new NCYH Lady Eagles Locker Room.
To show their support of the NCYH Lady Eagles program, and to encourage increased female participation in hockey, Colorado Eagles players, their mascot Slapshot, the Pioneer Press Eagles Chicks, and Colorado State University Women’s Hockey players will all be on hand.
According to USA Hockey, women’s hockey is the fastest-growing segment of the sport, with the most growth happening in the eight-and-under, and six-and-under, age groups. This comes as no surprise to Bob Smith, President of NCYH’s Board of Directors. “The Lady Eagles program has grown significantly in just a few short years with players representing all skill levels.” Smith added, “The enthusiasm from the young ladies and their parents has really fueled our organization’s desire to grow the girls’ hockey program in Northern Colorado.”
Until now, NoCo Ice Center did not have a locker room for the growing number of Lady Eagles players. This was problematic for a sport that requires adequate room to change into a considerable amount of gear. The nonprofit facility wanted to provide a better locker room for the girls so they partnered with parents and local businesses to make it happen. Time, money, labor and materials were donated to re-purpose and renovate a space at NoCo Ice Center for the girls’ locker room.
“The Lady Eagles are an important part of our hockey club,” said NCYH Hockey Director Aaron Grosul. “We wanted to give them a locker room they can be proud of, and it reinforces the bigger social message that women deserve their time on the ice in the world of hockey.”
Northern Colorado Youth Hockey, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, offers numerous recreational and competitive hockey programs for boys and girls ages 4 to 18. Leveraging its strong affiliation with the Colorado Eagles of the East Coast Hockey League, NCYH is celebrating 25 years of building self-confidence and character in all of its Junior Eagles players.
For more information about the NCYH Lady Eagles hockey program, please visit www.NCYHLadyEagles.com [2], or contact Aaron Grosul at hockeydirector@NCYH.com [3]