FORT LAUDERDALE – Ever since the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup, there's been a lot of hockey buzz in South Florida, and with that, women's hockey has become a lot more popular.
Recently, the Florida Panthers held a summer skills and hockey clinic at the Panthers Ice Den in Fort Lauderdale, but this time it was for women only.
“My dad was a goalie, so I want to be the first girl to play in the NHL,” said Eleanor, who attended the girls' hockey camp.
Women's hockey has grown exponentially in recent years. Whereas previously girls were only allowed to play on mixed teams, there is now enough interest that girls-only camps are being formed.
“I've played coed most of my life, but this year I'm fortunate enough to be playing with these girls for the first time,” Frankie Zito said.
Zito, the daughter of Panthers general manager Bill Zito, has played hockey her whole life, mostly playing with and watching men, and now she said there's finally a traveling team she can play for.
“There's a different attitude when you play mixed and when you play just girls. It's like a sisterhood. When we go out, the locker room is always like a party and you can tell someone is always playing good music,” she said.
Coach Priscilla Provenzano has been playing since she was a little girl and said watching her progress has been like a childhood dream come true.
“Growing up, I always wanted to be a hockey player, but my mom tells me it wasn't the norm back then,” she said.
Provenzano said it's very important for young girls to have an atmosphere where they can bond with their teammates.
“It's not just hockey that bonds them, it's friendship. They're friends now and can talk about girly things and not feel out of place,” she said.
Girls learn and grow through sports that have so much to offer.
“I hope and believe that a lot of the girls here will go further. A lot of the girls I play with are great hockey players and will beat the boys in 20 minutes, but I want them to be able to play in a world without discrimination. It shouldn't be like, she can't play because she's a girl. I want them to be able to play in a world where she's a good hockey player,” Zito said.
