Drive. Passion. Community.
Those are the principles that lead the coaches who work at the grassroots level to bring hockey to life for thousands of kids in the Central Ohio area.
Without these (often volunteer) positions, Columbus’ burgeoning youth hockey scene – which is notably growing in girls participation by leaps and bounds, with programs starting to make waves on the national scene – wouldn't be able to thrive.
Evidence of that dedication was on full display as the city’s coaching community was well represented at the USA Hockey Level 5 Coaches Symposium, which was held Aug. 14-17 in downtown Columbus.
Current NHL head coaches Mike Sullivan, Dan Muse, Ryan Warsofsky and Jeff Blashill as well as those with Columbus ties like Don Waddell, John Tortorella and Don Granato presented about their experiences in the sport. In addition, coaches and sports leaders from countries like Finland, Sweden and Russia shared their methods and research to give perspective to the attending coaches.
And there were plenty of local coaches from a variety of organizations on hand to learn and get better at their crafts. In particular, six female coaches from across the spectrum of youth hockey – Cindy Bronson (CCYHA and OSU women's club hockey), Catherine Golan (Blue Jackets Hockey League), Emily Moersdorf (CCYHA and Central Ohio Girls Hockey), Hannah Roshon (CBJ Learn to Play and Blue Jackets Hockey League), Lucia Thayer (Columbus Ice Hockey Club) and Leslie Walker (CBJ Learn to Play and Central Ohio Girls Hockey) – attended in their efforts to reach the Level 5 coaching certification.
As more and more girls pour into programs like the Blue Jackets Learn to Play and Get Out And Learn introductory classes, then graduate to the Blue Jackets Hockey League and youth organizations around Central Ohio, that group of longtime coaches is intent on providing top-notch leadership for their players.
“There’s some personal motivation for all of us to take a lead in our community,” Walker said. “We are driven people. We want to ensure hockey is a great experience for the kids and make a difference to our communities. But I think having visibility as being people who drive themselves to be the best coaches we can be gives legitimacy to the different programs that we’re working with."
Indeed, getting Level 5 certification – the highest on the USA Hockey scale – is no easy task. Coaches must attend all sessions at the symposium as well as complete online coaching modules, enroll in continuing education classes and produce a research-based thesis project related to the sport.
At the symposium, the coaches on hand listened to speakers and attended breakout sessions. There was some focus on X’s and O’s, but most of the discussions were on ways to better reach players, aid in their development and be the best version of your coach self each and every day.
“I’m not going to go back to my kids and verbatim put into play something that Mike Sullivan does with the New York Rangers,” Walker said. “But from every session, in my notebook is a note that says how I can adapt and use this information for the kids that we have on the ice on any given day, whether that's a group of 6-year-olds or a team of 19U players.
“Some of the most impactful messages are just that – be the best you can be with the group you have in front of you on a Tuesday night.”
Those are important messages as girls hockey continues to grow in the Columbus area. The number of girls taking part in CBJ programs like Learn to Play, Get Out And Learn and the Blue Jackets Hockey League has skyrocketed over the past decade, and many of those youngsters are now moving up the ranks and filling out girls programs across the city.
During the 2018-19 season, 302 girls age 18 or under were registered to play through USA Hockey in Central Ohio; that number was up to 674 for the 2023-24 season. The majority of those girls were 14 and under, providing a backbone for what should be a very exciting future. There have been such success stories as the AAA Blue Jackets 14U squad winning the Mid-Am district in the program’s third year, as well as the CCHYA 19U team qualifying for nationals in 2024.
To those who have been working at the grassroots level for years, seeing the increase in participation is what their work has been all about.
“I grew up in Toledo, and I was one of three girls in my age group that played hockey,” Roshon said. “There wasn’t girls hockey. I drove an hour away to Ann Arbor to play on a team when I couldn’t play with the guys anymore. Seeing what we have now, all these different teams and so many girls on the ice every day, it’s awesome. It’s a dream come true.”
As the city of Columbus ups its efforts to become a destination for women’s sports across the nation – the Greater Columbus Sports Commission routinely brings high-level college and pro competitions to town, Ohio State boasts multiple sports including that regularly compete for NCAA titles including women's hockey, and the Columbus Fury have started to lay roots in the professional volleyball scene – the rise of girls hockey in the city will only add to the momentum.
Which was one reason why there was such a concerted effort to be represented at the Level 5 Coaching Symposium. Of the 530 attendees to the conference, around 40 were women, highlighted by the six from the Central Ohio area.
“We want Columbus to be a hockey destination,” Walker said. “We want Columbus to be on the map as a hockey town, and I know the Greater Columbus Sports Commission is also working in that direction to help Columbus be the female sports center of the United States. It all comes together because we have a very tight core of very passionate people.
“We’re fortunate to have a community to draw from. There is a lot of hockey interest, but girls hockey and the growing number of opportunities for our girls is still a very well-kept secret. We want to bring it out there for everyone at all ages.”
