Today we’d like to introduce you to Duluth Motherpuckers
Hi Duluth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The Duluth Motherpuckers is a womens (plus nonbinary folks) hockey team, born four years ago when a handful of women, hockey moms all started gathering, casually, at Glen Avon, Liesa Klyn had played for a team in the suburbs of Illinois, named the Motherpuckers, and when she moved to Duluth, she was shocked we didn’t have a team for beginners to learn women’s ice hockey. So she and these folks started coming together, every Sunday. It wasn’t formalized as a team until the next year. That year (2022) the team gathered about 20-30 people and in 2023 we had 60 registered players. This year, we have expanded to two nights of practice a week, starting once it’s cold enough to flood Glen Avon, and we also have already started Wednesdays at Mars. We have an active board, we fundraise, and we also have several members who help bulld communities around girls and women’s ice hockey in Duluth, These women really rock. “The vision of the Duluth Motherpuckers is to cultivate a love of women’s ice hockey through community engagement and on-ice participation in a safe, welcoming, and fun environment. And the mission of the Duluth Motherpuckers is to foster a safe, community environment to engage, learn, and grow their love of the game of women’s ice hockey. ” But it’s honestly a super wholesome special team.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We grew too fast! We had to make processes and things more official last year because our registration nearly doubled! Our board became more of a board, with committees, and we also grew to two nights a week for practice, which added a layer of complexity to organize coaches and drills, etc. and the logistice of such a fast growth spurt. We lost some folks, who came a few times, and as we were figuring out how to adapt and offer things for two different skill levels, instead of all lumped together, we turned people off. Disorganization can make even hockey not as fun..
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We work hard to create a special safer space for folks to try hockey.
What matters most to you?
Creating a safe place for folks to try hockey, and to create a love and culture for women’s hockey in Duluth that helps more girls start playing, and more folks who have never played before try it out as adults. The first day of practice this year we all went around and introduced ourselves, and why we were there. And so many women in that room said “I was told I wasn’t allowed to play hockey,” because of family or money or because you’re a girl. So it feels so special to hear that sometimes this is the first place that says yes to someone trying hockey. There are not a lot of places like this, which is very open to adult beginners, and geared toward them, and less toward intermediate. (We say, if folks are too good for us, there are some other teams that play at a higher level in Duluth and the cities.)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sites.google.com/view/duluth-motherpuckers/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duluthmotherpuckers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=duluth%20motherpuckers
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV_2rnbvKxo
