Girls Hockey to the PNW Power

The biggest hockey dreams start from within. For Katelyn Parker, her current quest is to establish Seattle as a "competitive market" for girls' hockey, making it a city and region that allows female players to stay home and play the game they love right through elite levels if desired.
Parker grew up in Bellingham. She started playing hockey at four years old, within the sweet-spot learn-to-play age range of three to eight years old. Kids can learn to skate at even younger and older ages-Kraken Community Iceplex has introduced programs for newbies approaching middle-school years and older-but young girls discovering the joy and empowerment of playing the sport is part of the idea for launching a female hockey program this fall at Kraken Community Iceplex.

"Hockey has always been a huge part of my life," says Parker, player development coach for all Kraken youth hockey programs. "It has taken me to many amazing places, allowed me to meet some of the most impactful people in my life, given me opportunities that I would never have thought possible."
Most important to Parker: "The game has taught me more about life than anything else has. The ability to persevere when adversity hits, how to have fun and laugh, how to learn new skills, how to socialize with others from different backgrounds and beliefs, and how to dream of a goal and work towards achieving it."
Parker's dream goal of helping launch a girls hockey program in her home region will materialize this fall as the Kraken start a dedicated girls' program. She and colleagues have grown the Kraken youth hockey program to nearly 500 players (ages six to 12, all-genders) across levels.

It's time to take the next step for female players. Parker's credentials of five years as an NCAA assistant coach (at Brown and the University of Connecticut) and four seasons before that as a Colgate University player (last two as captain) will no doubt fuel the instruction and development of both the program and its players.
The decision to start the program starts with a humble and respectful nod to all other girls' programs and teams in the region and state. Parker was part of a travel group that conducted hockey clinics (both beginner and advanced) across Washington last summer, meeting coaches and players from other associations. The fundamental desire for Parker and the Kraken is to grow the female game at the grassroots level and "give girls another opportunity to play hockey within the greater Seattle area."
"Our teams will participate in the MHL [Metropolitan Hockey league - Seattle area] and compete against others," says Parker. "Currently, the MHL is a league with male and female players, but we want to continue to expand girls' hockey and create weekends that will allow all players who participate on girls' teams to play in a girls jamboree each month."
With input from other associations and girls' hockey leaders, Parker and the Kraken's primary objective is to continue to build the base of female participants in order to have "enough girls playing hockey that each association can support the option for a girls-only team." From there, the dream would expand to start an MHL girls division."
Like NHL star T.J. Oshie and other young Seattle-area players with promising hockey futures, Parker, 28, moved to a private school starting 2010 in the Midwest to find a higher competitive and player development experience on an all-girls high school team. While Mountlake Terrace native Oshie attended school in Minnesota, Parker attended Gilmour Academy in suburban Cleveland, subsequently gaining the interest of the Colgate women's hockey program.

The Kraken, in collaboration with all programs in the region and state, are pledging to a long-term goal of girls staying home yet competing for elite hockey programs.
"We want continue to grow the base and the game in Washington so that other female hockey players have the opportunity to stay and play in Washington for as long as they can," says Parker. "We will be working to provide opportunities for young girls to see high-level hockey, to participate in an environment in which they feel safe to learn, and use our platform to offer different experiences for all players in the area."
Along with her Kraken duties this summer, which includes team-sponsored player development clinics for girls in Alaska, she is currently part of a national scouting and coaching group that is helping to evaluate players and work USA Hockey regional districts to identify players to invite to a U18 select girls camp in St. Cloud, MN. The development camp is the next step to be picked for the U18 Team USA roster. One more (but certainly not the last) feather in Parker's cap: she is the Girls' Hockey Ambassador for Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association (PNAHA), which is the USA Hockey affiliate serving the state of Washington.
"Many NHL markets have focused on both the youth and girls' hockey," says Parker. There has been successful in the growth of the girls' game recent successes in include Arizona, San Jose, Las Vegas and Anaheim]. We have had a strong start and are excited to continue to take the next step for the growth of the girls' game."
To learn about and register for all the girls hockey programs offered at Kraken Community Iceplex, including 8U and 10U Jr Kraken teams,
[click here.