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Mentors help explain everything from which equipment to buy, how often to sharpen skates and the rules of hockey. "They explain the nuances, but then they also just explain the game," Knorr said. "For example, at the Mite level, why do we do cross-ice versus full-ice? They help explain some of those developmental aspects of learning to play the game of hockey. Some parents have never watched a game them- selves, so this can be very helpful to them." The mentor program has helped new fam- ilies make a smooth transition. "The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive," Knorr said. "They feel like they have somebody they can reach out to and not feel bad about asking what they think are silly questions." For the mentor families, the program is a meaningful way to invest in the association. "I've talked to a couple of the mentor fam- ilies, and they just feel like they're giving back," Knorr said. "When their kids were younger, they didn't know some of the stuff. So they feel like they're giving back to the next generation of hockey families in our association." In the midst of learning the ropes, families also have a chance to develop connections. "Ultimately, it's all about building rela- tionships and having fun," Knorr said. "We know that if we can get kids loving hockey at an early age, then they're probably going to be committed for a while." GROWING THE GAME Waconia Hockey Association partnered with the city to build a rink in 2007-08, but it's already exploring options for yet another sheet of ice. "It's a wonderful facility," Knorr said. "But we're a really fast-growing community, and one of our biggest challenges is that we're navigating ice time for everyone with just one sheet of ice. We do have a task force that's started, and we're exploring options for cre- ative partnerships for another sheet of ice." In the meantime, the association is grate- ful for its outdoor ice rink—built in 2019 in partnership with Waconia Public Schools. "That's really helped us grow the game," Knorr said. "It's a beautiful outdoor rink with boards and glass and outdoor lights. We knew we had to provide something, so that was a major driver for fundraising to get that to happen." That additional ice in the wintertime is enjoyed by many skaters, and especially Waconia's growing girls' program. " We're up to two teams at the 10U and 12U levels, which is great growth for us," Knorr said. "Due to the growth in our association, we now have a Varsity and JV team—and that's just within the last three or four years." Waconia's efforts to grow the girls' game earned it the USA Hockey Female Honors Award, which recognizes hockey associations that are leaders in the growth, development, and promotion of ice hockey for females. That surge at the youth level has also trans- lated into a thriving high school program. "As those girls have gotten older, it's fun to be able to have our own high school program, which is really great for our community," Knorr said. ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE Waconia's association may be small, but it's fueled by passion. "Because we're a small community, we're just very close knit," Knorr said. "There's a strong desire by our association and our families to improve our hockey association competitiveness, while still instilling a life- long love of hockey." Even beyond hockey, Waconia is intention- al about making sure kids are building each other up off the ice, too. The association part- ners with Fortis Academy for its leadership and character development programs. "It's important to us that our kids are learn- ing the value of sportsmanship and playing fair, playing with dignity, being a good team- mate and being respectful to everyone." Waconia's volunteers also work hard to emulate those values. "They are the lifeblood of our organiza- tion," Knorr said. "These are our parents, of course, but we do have many non-parent volunteers, whether it's coaches or just other people that are willing to help out with con- cessions or different things for local games. All of the joy that's happening in the rink—we couldn't do it without a true team of people volunteering to make it happen." O C T O B E R 2 0 2 2 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 09 Waconia's commitment to growing girls' hockey is paying off. The Wildcats will have two 10U and 12U teams this coming season, plus a JV squad to help bolster the varsity program.