Between a packed academic term, finishing atop the Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) regular season standings, and just trying to make it by as a student, you couldn’t blame athletes on the Axewomen club hockey team for not adding more to their plates. But after experiencing firsthand how important it is to break down barriers for kids to access sports, these student athletes are eager to help youth in their community get into the game.

Since 2021, Acadia students from Axewomen hockey have been volunteering their time to coach kids in Canning Recreation’s Skating Club program, which teaches the fundamentals of being on the ice. And in 2024 they helped develop the IceBreakers program, which digs deeper into hockey skill development.

“To think that these players would come out to a cold rink on a Saturday evening to run a program for kids in the valley. It’s amazing,” says Dr. Johannes Wheeldon (Law & Society and IceBreakers Head Coach). “There are many other places they could be. We are lucky to have young people like this in our community.”

“They were super keen to come onboard and help us out,” says Jennie Sawler, Director of Canning Recreation. “They’ve been running the program for us very successfully!”

Accessing fun

If you’ve ever thought about signing up for hockey, you may have balked at the significant barriers to entry—both in terms of cash and commitment. While some kids want to be the next NHL great, a lot of them want to get involved in sport just for the love of the game.

Enter the Canning Skating Club and IceBreakers programs. “The intention is to provide an alternative to more formal—and more expensive—skating programs that may not be accessible to families,” says Jennie. “When designing the program, we equated it to going to meet up with your friends to play pond hockey. It’s not meant to be competitive, but fun, child-led and child-focused.”

And they bring an element of fun to it—teaching the kids through games rather than drills—that makes it possible for all kids to succeed, no matter what level of experience they come in with.

Caroline Steeves (Axewomen Hockey & fourth year, Kinesiology), who has been volunteering with Canning Rec since 2021, says that a moment from Skating Club that stuck with her was watching a young girl who had stepped onto the ice for the very first time and couldn’t stand up without holding onto something.

“She kept falling, but she never gave up,” Caroline recalls. “Week after week, she kept trying, always smiling and determined to get better. We would practice by doing dance moves, practicing big pushes, making animal noises, and holding hands to support each other. By the end of the program, she wasn’t just standing on ice she was skating full laps around the rink with so much joy and confidence. Seeing that transformation was incredible and reminded me why I love coaching.”

“Strong women leaders in sport”

While the young boys who enter the program have plenty of role models (looking at you, pride of Nova Scotia, Sydney Crosby), that’s not the case for girls who dream of lacing up and hitting the ice.

While the financial and commitment pieces are undoubtedly significant, an important part of access is representation, something that has been historically—and is still—deeply lacking in sport. “Professional athletics are highly focused on male athletes, and this focus can often lower young girls’ expectations of what their passion can lead them to,” explains Kelly Legge (Axewomen Hockey & third year, Sociology and Women’s Studies). “But strong women leaders in sport pave the way for future generations, proving to young athletes that they belong, that they have a voice, and they too can break barriers.”

Dahlia Dawe (Axewomen Hockey & second year, Kinesiology) recalls that the only time she saw women play hockey when she was younger was once every four years at the winter Olympics. Meanwhile, “the NHL provided top male players with recognition and opportunities that women were often denied.”

With recent calls for increased recognition of women in sport, and the creation of the PWHL, Dahlia says “seeing women finally being represented and taken seriously in professional hockey has inspired me to help build the dreams of young girls in my community. I want them to know they can reach for the stars, encouraging them to continue playing the sport they love, and now, have a future in hockey.”

For Kelly, it was “essential” for her to see women in sports when she was growing up, “especially in a rural area where there were few female representations. It proves that women can do anything men can do.”

Caroline, who is Co-President of Acadia Women’s Hockey says, “seeing women in leadership roles within sport has given me the confidence to step into leadership positions myself. Watching female leaders pave the way has reinforced my belief that I, too, can make an impact both on and off the ice.”

And now, these athletes are becoming part of an important legacy inspiring future generations of women in sport. For Dahlia, leading by example and breaking down gender barriers in hockey has been “incredibly fulfilling.”

The experience has taught Kelly that “a leader passes down their knowledge to the next generation.”

Similarly, Caroline says “Teaching kids how to skate gave me confidence and enjoyment, as I learned how to communicate effectively, provide encouragement, and create a positive learning environment. It taught me the importance of leading by example, fostering teamwork, and supporting my teammates both on and off the ice. Through these experiences, I have grown into a more confident and capable leader.”

The experience of working with the kids through Canning Rec has become an essential ingredient for the volunteers' time at Acadia.

“Although this was my first year volunteering,” says Kelly, “I am so grateful to have been involved in the hockey learning process for the kids. I cannot wait to come back next season and hopefully continue being part of this amazing program.”

Caroline has loved seeing the kids she teaches come out to her home games full of excitement and equipped with handmade signs cheering the Axewomen on to victory. “The canning community is amazing to be a part of, and I am so thankful the opportunity to teach skating came to me 4 years ago,” she says. “Seeing the kids in and out of the rink and being engaged within the community has truly made my time at Acadia feel like home.”