Learn about Madison Mavericks Girls Hockey
MADISON MAVERICKS GIRLS HOCKEY FAQS
Who are the Madison Mavericks?
The Mavericks is an all-girls program that is housed under the Verona Youth Hockey Association. This program is open to any girl in the greater Madison area, whose current home association does not offer an all-girls program. The purpose of this program is to provide opportunities for girls looking for a like-skilled, all-girls hockey experience.
What is the Mission of the Madison Mavericks?
The long-term goal of the Mavericks program is to grow the game of girl’s hockey across the greater Madison area. The vision is to see multiple girls’ programs across the Madison area offering like-skilled opportunities.
Like-skilled teams is the core mission to provide a similar opportunity as co-ed teams. Playing on a team that has both new skaters and top-tier skaters doesn’t grow either group. We want newer skaters to have a welcoming space to try out new skills, push themselves, and grow without having to keep up with more advanced players. We also want to provide an environment for the more experienced players to be pushed by peers at equal levels. We want each team to have the opportunity to develop the skills of moving the puck down the ice, passing, and scoring as a team. By having each team consist of like-skilled players they will all have the opportunity to develop together versus watching the few higher-end skaters do all the work.
We know this will take time, but we believe this is an excellent pathway to making this goal a reality.
BAUER Hockey - The Women's Movement Never Stops
What age groups are available through the Madison Mavericks?
The Mavericks will be hosting U12 and U14 programs this year.
Why should we choose an all-girls option vs. a co-ed option for our child?
This decision is unique to each family and can have multiple factors to consider.
• Where to start: The first is, what is the preference of your child?
• “Female peers. Girls are social beings, and your daughter may have more fun playing with female peers from a social standpoint. Fun matters.” -USA Hockey
• Develop confidence: Over previous years we have seen numerous girls take on more aggressive roles and get a boost in confidence when stepping onto the ice in an all-girls setting.
• Creating an environment geared toward female players: USA Hockey did a study, and created a manual from it, around if boys and girls should be coached differently. This in part depends on their age, but the overall findings were more around creating the right environment for girls vs specifically coaching them differently.
o https://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/1103174
o Coaching Female Hockey Players
• Competitiveness: There has long been a concern that if a girl does not play co-ed hockey they will not develop into as competitive a player. Often playing in an all-girls setting can have the opposite effect, as they become more aggressive and confident. A like-skilled team is critical to this effort.
• Health and Safety: There have been various studies around the development of girls and boys as they go through puberty and the impact that taking a hit in hockey can have. During this developmental period, girls are more susceptible to receiving a concussion than a boy from the same hit.
• Getting a head start on their future in hockey: As female players age into high school and beyond they will be playing in all-girl settings. Starting this at a younger age builds bonds and earlier development of the style of play.
• The age group of your child will also play into your consideration: While at the U12 level the rules of play are the same for co-ed and all-girls, they change at the U14 level. The U14 level is when USA Hockey introduces checking into the co-ed game. At the U14 level and older checking is not part of the girls’/women's game of hockey. While girls do not check, they still play a physical game, which can be seen at local high school and University of Wisconsin Women’s games. As such teaching how to play this style of physical game will be taught throughout the Mavericks program. From how to use proper body contact, while playing the puck, to having their heads up for awareness.
USA Hockey has put together documentation around whether to have your child play all-girls or co-ed hockey. Please see the below link for that information: