The Castlegar Sun 100% B.C. OWNED & OPERATED Wednesday, December 14, 1994 Our Deli We make delicious fresh meat & cheese trays at competitive rates. i, 218 ke Fully Cooked HAMS Whole or shank Rocco, bone-in .06 kg. 3 POTATOE ROLLS Traditional Country Style Turkey 120 g. - 150 g. ea. @UY BERTRAND Dean added that former Sterling News Services NHLer Tiger Williams will also ‘The movers and shakers hop- ing to bring a group of out of work National Hockey League stars to Trail are optomistic the game will go on. Doug Dean, who is spear- heading an effort to bring NHLers to Trail for a charity game, said only two stumbling blocks lie in the road of a Dec. 20 match between the Trail Smoke Eaters and NHL stars. Dean said the game is pending the status of the NHL lockout as well as nailing down the cost of ice rental for the Comincg Arena. He met with Trail City Council Monday night to negotiate the rental costs. At press time Dean had yet to have any firm plans but remained optomistic that a deal could be reached. Dean added that the NHL Players Association has already given its blessing to the endeav- our which will feature 12 to 15 current NHL players. The rest of the line-up will be filled by local former NHLers as well as some local Major Junior A players. Already confirmed are well known local NHL players such as Ray Ferraro, Scott Niedermayer and Travis Green. be playing. Dean wouldn't comment on any other players participating as he waited for confirmation from several Vancouver Canucks. Goaltending will also be a surprise as Dean said he has spo- ken to a couple of NHL goalies but neither would accept the invitation just yet pending the status of the lockout. “A lot depends on what hap- pens Monday,” said Dean refer- ring to the City Council meeting as well as on-going negotiations between the NHL BEST SKATE SHARPENING IN TOWN Castlegar Bicycle & Sport Shop Ask About our Profile Cut NHLers coming to Trail? and its players. He added that the NHLPA has recommended that tickets don't go on sale until four or five days prior to the game to avoid refund- ing a large amount of tickets should the lockout be settled. Ticket prices will depend on the cost of putting on the game “The idea of the game is to put money back in the commu- nity. We're going to try to desig- nate some registered charities,” said Dean. Those wishing for a quick end to the NHL dispute might want to put those wishes on hold for at least a couple of weeks. Coaching Presented by 3M1 713 - 13 Street, Castlegar 365-5044 RELEASING PLAYERS One of the toughest tasks a coach faces is telling players they did not make the team. Although difficult, releasing players must be approached with planning and sensitivity to ensure try-outs are a growth experience, not one which Before you make decisions to release players, develop a clear plan to inform them. Never post a list or read the names of players to be released in front of the team. Always meet with each player individually. Here are suggestions for these players’ self-est The first step is effective plan- -ning of your try-out sessions. Develop a clear player selection * be honest and straightfor- ward: tell players why they did not make the team, identifying hs and - plan, taking into di ion the number of players, the quali- ties you are looking for, how to evaluate these qualities, and the ice-time ‘available. Once your plan is in place, inform players and parents of all details. Outline your player selec- tion plan, including evaluation criteria, objectives of drills and scrimmages and timelines for lection. Clear here will prevent misunderstand- ings later. T Your Sales & Leasing Specialists CASTLEGAR MAZDA 713 - 7th St., Castlegar > 365-7241 * invite questions and pro- vide players with constructive feedback to guide further improvement; + don’t make future promises. direct players to other teams, thank them for their efforts, and encourage them to work hard and improve, After releasing players, be pre- pared to answer questions from parents. Be honest and straight- forward with parents, and avoid confrontations. Remember, try-outs are a vehi- cle to place players on teams where they will benefit most Releasing players is never easy, however, it's really important to meet with players one-on-one! 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Plus you'll get the lowest price available anywhere 5 on the Mazda truck of your choice. ne Ww Price And when we've made you a deal to * be proud of we'll take care of the $ 00 financing while you wait. So fasten 1 ? 977" your seat belt, good buddy and hurry j on down to CASTLEGAR MAZDA. With $500 CASHBACK it's going to in $500 CASHBACK! Enough money to help _ be one busy truckstop! mazda *Plus freight and PDI $605 Rick Kellen's Castlegar Mazda © 713 - 17th Street in Castlegar 365-7241 « CALL NOW, CALL COLLECT Te TE TRS OE PROFILE The Castlegar Sun WEDNESDAY, December 14, 1994 PUCKS & Ponytails | Castlegar Girls booked on playing bockey here have been more than a few surprised people visiting the local arenas over the last few months. They bring their young son to his pracice early only to be confronted lock-out as everyone else. But now she has her own team and has found playing on an all-girls team to be a breath of fresh air. She is typical of the girls on the team - they love the game and enjoy playing it. “We get more hyper,” said Nicole. “During games, by some y i players who skate hard, fall down hard and make a lot of noise which can be hard on the ears. It isn’t until closer inspection that one notices the long pony-tails and the occassional giggle which gives one the shocking realization that those are girls on the ice - and they’re playing hockey. For the first time in recent memory, Castlegar has a girls hockey team and there is nobody in the city more enthusiastic about the game of hockey than the 19 girls who have been lacing up their hockey skates at least twice a week since the beginning of October. The team is sponsored by NRS Realty but the girls have dubbed themselves the Violet Femmes. “My brothers always played hockey and I go to all the games,” said 15-year-old Nicole Archam- bault, who plays on the team. “I love everything about it and it’s so fun. I guess you could say I’m infat- uated with it.” Archambault is more than just a player, she is also the main reason the team exists. She had played hockey previously in Grade 5 on a boys Senior Novice team, but gave that up to try her hand at figure skating and basket- ball. But this sum- mer, she got the hockey itch. “I asked my par- ents if I could start playing hockey again and my mom we're ing and yelling on the bench all the time. There’s no hard feelings on the team at all. Every- one’s open and no one is afraid to be themselves.” They also tend to make alot more friends, even on the opposing teams. The team spent last Friday and Saturday in Kaslo playing their girls team and they were soon all good friends. Such good friends in fact that one of the Castlegar girls actually apolo- gized to the Kaslo goaltender after scoring a goal. When the teams played in Castlegar on Sunday, a few girls from the Kaslo team came into the Castle- gar dressing room between periods to chat. The coaches aren't too excited about fraternizing with the enemy but it’s all part of the game. Castlegar won the first game in Kaslo 5-2 but pro- ceeded to lose the next two contests 4-3 in Kaslo and 9-4 at the Pioneer Arena. The win was Castlegar’s first official victory this Nicole scored a goal | on Friday, giv- ing her three move up to forward just to score goals somoracxpemmonmeusn ccm She was addicted to scoring after her first goal. “I was so happy and I coulda’t believe it actu- ally went in wouldn't let me play on a boys team,” said Archambault, who is now in Grade 10 at Stanley Humphries Secondary School. “So my best friend Darby [King] and I got a bunch of people together. Our dads said they'd coach if we got enough. I don’t think he believed we could do it but we did. In the end we got more people than we thought would come out.” The two girls’ fathers, Bob Archambault and John King, insisted on parents signatures and when their daughters quickly produced 15 players com- plete with paperwork, the team was born. Archam- bault quickly applied to the Castlegar Minor Hockey Association and after a little more recruit- ing the team grew to its current size. The squad is comprised of players ranging from 10-17 years of age with a varying range of skills and experience. Both Archambault and King, along with part-time coach Kenny Carlson, knew they had a tough task ahead of them but they also had some extremely willing pupils. “When we first started we had a couple of girls who couldn't really skate,” said Archambault. “Now they can skate. Then we had some girls who didn’t know any positions, but now they under- stand. They've still got a long way to go but they’ve done great so far. “They still all have smiles on their faces and that’s what makes it all worthwhile. As long as they’re having fun, ‘we'll keep doing it.” Most of the girls have had little or no hockey experience but some do have a pretty good handle on the sport. Mary Short has played with boys teams for four years and Mireille Evans has played for three. Castlegar newcomer Erin Dothan played ringette for four years back on the coast and other girls have experienced limited playing time in the pee wee division. They acquired skills and enjoyed playing but there are definite problems associated with being the only girl on a boys team. “Part of the problem is that the girls, especially those who played alot, have to get dressed in sepa- rate rooms,” said Bob Archambault. They're part of the team on the ice but they can’t be part of it in the dressing room, and that’s a big part of any team.” Bob’s daughter Nicole knows what it’s like to be part of a team full of puck-hogging boys. She remembers having fun but never really felt accepted. “Some of the boys didn’t include me because they were better and, although I was older, I was weak,” said Nicole. “I never really got into the game and I just floated around.” But Nicole never lost her love for the game and remains a big fan. Her favorite player is Mario Lemieux and she is as perplexed over the NHL Coach John King teaches Jill Carlson proper foot work as Melissa Amos looks on. the net,” Said Nicole. “I was jumping up and down. Now I always want to score.” Unfortunately, scoring goals is a problem since the girls don’t have a lot of competition because there is no girls league and Kaslo is the only other full team in the area. Trail has a squad but they always have to borrow players to field a full team. There also aren’t very many girls hockey tournaments. However, girls hockey is part of the B.C. Winter Games and Nicole, Darby, Mary, Erin and Mirielle will be going to Creston along with Amber Solin- sky and Amelia Gracey in an attempt to make the West Kootenay team. The entire Castlegar team is also looking forward to attending a tournament in Kamloops at the end of January. Until then they’ll just keep practising and improving. The goal from the beginning was to have fun and get better, and they’re sticking to it. “Every one of them from the ten-year-old to the 17-year-olds has improved every time out,” said John King. “We wish we had a video at the first practise just to show them at the end how much they’ve improved. It’s been a really good surprise and really enjoyable. “The girls don’t even seem to mind whether they win or lose, they just enjoy it. They can’t wait until the next game to get out there again.” It seems in the final analysis that what sets these particular hockey players apart isn’t necessarily their gender, it's their enthusiasm for a game maybe too many men and boys have taken for 4 d. In the ding quest for hockey glory, it is easy for many coaches and players to lose the true nature of the sport. Players become tense and aggressive while coaches become stressed and volatile. The game ceases to be fun and a successful year is often measured by statis- tics rather than improvement and enjoyment. Theref it is iall ing to find, P ly 4 within the Minor Hockey Association of Castlegar a team totally devoted to having fun first, playing well second, and last of all, winning. They don’t argue penalties, they don’t talk trash and they don’t fight, they just play hockey. And all it took was the dream of a 15-year-old girl who fell in love with a game long considered to be a bastion of masculinity. Nicole Archambault and her team-mates may never play in the NHL, the WHL or even the KUHL but those leagues could certainly learn a few things from them. And not just how to keep a dressing room clean and fresh Story and photos by Jeff Gabert an oO ween, From left: Michelle Bragg, Mirielle Evans and Jill Carlson kick back and relax after a tough two periods of action Sunday afternoon at the Pioneer Arena in Castlegar. It's always tougher sitting in the dressing room when you're down by a couple goals. Ouch! The boys have not cornered the market on falling flat on your butt in an attempt to make a play. There was a lot of butt-slides earlier on in the season, but they are getting less frequent as the girls learn better skating skills. y lated There is nothing like leading the hockey fast break out of your own end. Nicole Archambault does her best imitation of Guy Lafleur as she flies down the wing for a shot on goal. Amber Solinsky, who captained the team in their game against Kaslo on Sunday, attempts to stop a Kaslo player from catching up. 4 Coach Bob Archambault gives Amanda Barre a sermon on fraternizing with the enemy during the second intermission. Melissa Amos and Amelia Gracey (centre) are also eyeing thé Kasio player in their midst who is wiping her eyebrow beside Amanda.