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Thinking about this thread from @BlackGirlHockey & @danharbridge & the reality/experience of women like @coachdaniele with coaching hockey. I am one of 4 women head coaches in the @GTHLHockey. How does having more women coaching at the youth level make a BIG difference? Well... https://twitter.com/danharbridge/status/1281222130776993792
I’ve been coaching youth hockey (95% boys) for 6 years, 5 as head coach. Over the years I’ve probably coached 40 different kids (my team has stayed very intact) & against 1000s. When new seasons begin or we go to tourneys, I always stick out. Why? Because I’m a woman head coach!
In my current division (Atom A) of 10 teams, to the ~150 players who play for/against us, I’m a regular figure. Seeing a woman on the bench is totally normal to these kids. And hey, our team is very good 
, so losing to a team coached by a woman is also normal to our opponents.
, so losing to a team coached by a woman is also normal to our opponents.
I’d wager that not one of these kids, or most of their parents or siblings, would argue that women can’t effectively coach a competitive hockey team, bc they see me doing it. My team is strong. And to the kids on my team, a woman coach is a non-starter. It’s just normal to them.
I will say that I face a decent amt of dumb gendered crap from refs, parents, even organizations (never from the league - they are very supportive). I feel I have to be better than my male counterparts to earn the same respect & to open people up to the idea women on the bench.
I also hear (A LOT) that hey, coaching A is one thing, but AAA is different. To that I say: My team has jumped divisions 3 times. As the game got faster/more competitive, I did just fine. I’m a player & a qualified PE teacher. My resumé is longer than many AAA youth coaches’.
AND there are many women far more qualified than me. Women who could take on coaching roles at AAA or Jr teams or pro teams & add profound skill, value, perspective and leadership. Women coaches aren’t tokens. I assure you we’re working EXTREMELY hard to earn spots on the bench.
But back to my original point. Normalizing women on the bench starts with youth hockey. I like to think that I’ve crossed paths with a lot of players & parents who’d now argue that women belong on the bench too, because they’ve seen it. That’s a small part of why I do it. 
