Even though sports can benefit everyone, it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 always widely accepted for women to play.

Karen Brown, president of the Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Hockey Association, started playing when women in hockey wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 the status quo.

She says that sheSA国际影视传媒檚 better because of the sport, her team and the people she plays alongside.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e encouraged each other and have grown in many different ways together,SA国际影视传媒� says Brown. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 just an opportunity for us to come together, to be a little bit competitive (and) develop ourselves as leaders, as mentors, as athletes and as people.SA国际影视传媒�

Brown recalls when she began playing hockey as a young girl.

SA国际影视传媒淕rowing up, I was very much encouraged by my parents to play hockey when hockey was not cool for girls,SA国际影视传媒� she says. SA国际影视传媒淚 have fond memories of being a tiny little girl on the ice with my little bob skates and my Chicago Blackhawks jersey, and wanting to know so much more about the sport.SA国际影视传媒�

Her father would bring her to the rink to play with a full set of hockey gear.

SA国际影视传媒淎lthough I was accepted, or I thought I was in hindsight, I was a bit of an anomaly out there.

SA国际影视传媒淭o see women in sport now and how much women in sport has grown, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a huge achievement for women worldwide,SA国际影视传媒� Brown says. SA国际影视传媒淚t gives me a sense of pride.SA国际影视传媒�

She joined the local womenSA国际影视传媒檚 hockey league when she moved to Yellowknife in 1994.

SA国际影视传媒淏ack in 1994, we had maybe about 14 to 20 women who were playing hockey but not in any organized fashion,SA国际影视传媒� she remembers.

The league grew vastly over the years. She credits the late Robin Mercer-Sproule, one of the associationSA国际影视传媒檚 founding players, for being instrumental in growing womenSA国际影视传媒檚 hockey in the NWT.

In 2018, the womenSA国际影视传媒檚 hockey league rebranded to SA国际影视传媒淵K RobinsSA国际影视传媒� to honour Mercer-Sproule, who died in 2020 at age 56.

The YK Robins grew to be a more competitive group, Brown says.

They would start playing in tournaments in small towns such as Fort Smith, Hay River and Fort Simpson.

To further highlight the growth of the YK Robins, she mentioned one player in particular, Shakita Jensen, who just attended in the Canada Winter Games in Charlottetown as a coach-in-training.

SA国际影视传媒�(ItSA国际影视传媒檚) really exciting when we start to see players branching out into other areas of hockey and becoming mentors themselves,SA国际影视传媒� says Brown.