As you may have noticed, we’ve cut down the number of Girls’ Snapshots to better communicate upcoming events, utilizing the first month of each quarter (the 3^rd quarter, summer months, we may or may not publish a girls’ specific newsletter).

Last year we introduced our calendar of events to help families plan for the major hockey events that may impact their lives throughout the hockey season. The calendar can be found on the Girls’ page of the AHAI website and the cover page will show the current month’s events. There is a PDF link to allow you to download or print the calendar; remember that it will be updated periodically as additional events are confirmed or cancelled. Any event requiring registration will have a link on the dates that will redirect you to the application and specific event information. 

The Girls’ Committee is proud to introduce short webinars/tutorials to give parents and players insight to the sport of hockey. These webinars/tutorials will be approximately 30 minutes long or simply be a powerpoint presentation that you will be able to download or print. We will be covering choice & player movement rules, including substitution choices, and coach movement, concussions and head injuries, officiating, nutrition, mental health & the young athlete.

All the video webinars/tutorials will be located on the Girls’ page of the AHAI website and will also be available to view on the AHAI YouTube channel beginning November 4, 2022.

If there are other topics you would like educational information on, please contact Anita Lichterman at girls@ahai2.org and we’ll do our best to bring them to you.

Hockey is a great outlet for our daughters and they will have a greater experience when we all develop a better understanding of the various dynamics of the sport. We all should be developing our young athlete’s minds and bodies in addition to their skills.

Last year we were in-person again, but felt there was still something missing and we really wanted to capture and share so much more without affecting coaches, players, families, and everyone else whose lives have become so busy with little downtime to rest and re-energize. So, beginning on Monday, November 7^th please visit the Girls’ page of the AHAI website to find the all new Hockey & Life After High School brochure, a guide to what colleges offer women’s hockey, ACHA & D3, what you should do now while in high school, and what other opportunities are out there; officiating is a GREAT part-time job that gives you a chance to control your schedule and work around your class load, social events, and even practices, along with insight from a college coach and players, both current and former, of what it takes to be a college athlete.  

All Girls’ Affiliate Organizations will soon be receiving the official invitation to register for the 2023 Illinois Girls State Tournament. Please remember that ALL double-rostered female players at the National Bound age levels are required to declare to the District Registrar, the AHAI Registrar, and the AHAI Girls Chair which team they will participate with for the State Tournament. Once the declaration has been made, the player may NOT play with her other team in the event the declared team loses at any point during the state play-in games or round robin. Beginning with this State Tournament there will no longer be consolation games for the Girls Tier II 14u, 16u, and 19u age divisions. Consolation games along with the 3^rd & 4^th place banners will still be awarded to the 10u and 12u age divisions.

America’s Showcase will once again be held in St. Louis, MO from April 20 thru April 23, 2023. Illinois Girls have a championship title to defend!!

We were blessed to be able to take two teams this past year, but will be going back to only one team in 2023. The invitation to register for tryouts will be sent via email, as well as notification in the regular AHAI newsletter, and on the Girls’ page of the AHAI website. The invite will also have the tryout & practice dates.

Closing out this edition & 2022: