AAA Blue Jackets girls team provides opportunity in Central Ohio

Over the past two decades, participation and interest in women's hockey has been growing across the country and in Central Ohio.
An exciting new effort locally has been the addition of the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets Under-14 Girls team. The program was re-started this season in an effort to expand opportunities for Central Ohio girls to play the sport that they love.

Someone who has been greatly impacted by this new team is 13-year-old Lena Levins.
Levins is a left wing on the team and has been making a difference on the ice. Despite being a Type 1 diabetic, she brings both high energy and a strong work ethic every time she steps onto the ice, which has helped her become the current leading scorer for the team.
Hockey runs in the blood of the Levins family, as Lena's father, Scott, had a 14-year pro career that included stops in the NHL with Winnipeg, Florida, Ottawa and Phoenix. Lena's older brother, Grant, also plays, and she has been on the ice since she was 3 years old. Originally, she tried figure skating but ended up realizing it wasn't the sport for her and switched to hockey.
"I love being on the ice and skating, it's just so fun," Lena said. "My teammates are awesome, and I love just being and playing with them."
Lena also plays soccer and lacrosse, but her biggest inspiration is the United States national women's hockey team. With the AAA team now in Columbus, the path now exists for Lena to follow in those players' footsteps.
"I love watching her love what she does," her mother, Dana Levins, said. "To have the camaraderie of playing on an all-girls team is really great because she hasn't always had the chance to do that full-time. It's inspiring and we are very proud of her."
With the creation of AAA Blue Jackets team -- which was recognized at Tuesday's Blue Jackets game ahead of National Girls & Women in Sports Day -- girls are having a new opportunity to play high-level hockey close to home. Before the team took the ice at the start of this season, Levins had to go to Cleveland to play for a girls' hockey team because there were not any AAA options close to Columbus.

"I am really happy to be a part of this new team," Lena said. "Before when I was on the team up in Cleveland, we would only have practice once a month and it was hard to be able to go up there every time. I am now getting more time on the ice to be able to work on my play to get better, and I also get to see my teammates every day. It's been awesome."
The addition of the AAA Blue Jackets team is a big step in the right direction for girls wanting to play competitive hockey. With the popularity of the Blue Jackets and the national championship-winning Ohio State women's team also in Columbus, there is a chance for girls hockey to just keep getting bigger in Central Ohio.
"It is really exciting for all local girls who have aspirations to play hockey at a high level to be able to develop and progress through their hockey careers here in Central Ohio," head coach Kerry Bowman said. "And for the younger girls, now they can see the path ahead of them and have something tangible to strive for. We are excited for the future of this program as it grows along with the increasing number of girls participating in hockey locally."