USA Hockey Magazine

PHOTOS BY International Paralympic Committee O F F T HE D R AW O R E T H A N A D E C A D E IN THE MAKING, the first w o m e n 's t o u r n a m e n t sa n c - tioned under the World Para Ice Hockey was a look into the future of the sport. For those sled hockey players who hit the ice in Green Bay, Wis., the ground breaking event was an important step in gaining rec- ognition, attention and funding for women's Para ice hockey. And while Team USA skated off with the title, the tournament will be remembered for so much more than the final results. "The Women's World Challenge is here to stay and it's the first step of many to get to our goal, which is to increase women's par- ticipation in Para ice hockey," said Michelle LaFlamme, World Para Ice Hockey manager. "By growing women's sled hockey, that's really going to show countries that they should put more emphasis into their female athletes. I think that's what this whole weekend was about, was just making sure that we grow and support our female adaptive athletes." There are currently just three countries with full women's sled hockey teams: the U.S., Canada and Great Britain. At the Women's World Challenge, individual athletes repre- senting seven different countries took to the ice as Team World. Many of them had little to no experience with the sport or playing it as part of a team. World Para Ice Hockey was committed to putting on a top tier event to set the standard of what is possible and what the athletes can and should expect. For LaFlamme, the week- end wasn't just about learning on the ice. It was also about teaching coaches, GMs, team personnel and everyone who would work behind the scenes all they will need to know to successfully run their own events. "We've all come to the realization that we may not be at the Paralympics in the future. We may not get to play," said U.S. forward Katie Ladlie, who scored the championship game-winning-goal. "But it's really about growing the sport. We a r e w i l l i n g t o g o t h r o u g h t h e h o o p s a n d g o t h r o u g h t h e s t e p s t o g e t t o t h e Paralympics so that the future generation of female sled hockey players don't have to. They'll get the opportunity that we may not get a chance to have, but I think that itself is so rewarding." P JUNIORS M The First Stride Forward Women's Sled Tournament Offers A Glimpse Into The Future Of The Sport O F F T HE D R AW k The U.S. Women's Sled Hockey Team skated off with the title at the inaugural Women's World Challenge in Green Bay, Wis. SLED HOCKEY k The significance of competing in this historic women's sled hockey tournament was not lost on all the participants of the Women's World Challenge. 18 // NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM

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