Feminism

Starting From the Bottom

/ Jake Solomons / Leave a comment

As some may have heard, aside from my last post, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League is coming to an end. There was no money left in the piggy bank so the 150+ players are out of a job. But of course – with death comes rebirth.

The NWHL is trying their best to adopt this large number of players into their league. However, they don’t realize that expanding teams can help facilitate their need for putting these players somewhere.

The grassroots campaign “NWHL to Seattle” actually launched this morning. In hopes to begin extensive talks with the league to outsource a team to Seattle, Washington. The first west coast team in the league.

The startup organization’s site is obviously very new, not even a day old. They are already selling merchandise to promote this expansion to the Great Northwest. From their mission statement and general purpose, this organization has pretty big plans for the soon-to-be team in Seattle.

Stevens Tysland, who is a former US Olympian, is the spokesperson for “NWHL to Seattle,” plans to have the NWHL all star game in their inaugural season. Very ambitious for a team that doesn’t exist. But I like it.


“We believe Seattle can become a hub for training hockey players — both women and men. The professional players will serve as role models for up-and-coming players and the new world-class facilities will provide more access and opportunity to develop future college, professional, and Olympic athletes. Fostering a hockey hub in Seattle will keep talent in the Pacific Northwest and enable players to stay in the area to continue their professional careers, both on and off the ice.”

-Kelly Tysland

As this campaign moves forward, I hope that more cities will realize that ice hockey is a community sport and should be shared by many. Seattle is a great sports town, but it shouldn’t stop there. Getting involved with progressing this expansion is important because the players that lost their job playing in Canada need a place to play. Your help actually matters!

So tell me, what can you do to get involved? Where would you like to see the most elite women hockey players in the world play? Everyone can do their part, don’t let this women’s revolution die.

League Closing, Everything Must Go

/ Jake Solomons / Leave a comment

Professional sports is a funny business. Of course like any other business, making money by any means necessary is the main priority. But when there’s no money left and you can’t pay your players…you close up shop.

The Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) announced last week that the organization will be disbanding in May. For many people who don’t watch hockey, this may seem like no big deal. Avid hockey fans however are outraged and rightfully so.

Kacey Bellamy (left), Hilary Knight (center), Alex Rigsby (right)
Credit: Chris Young

Honestly the CWHL served as the home to more recognizable names than the NWHL does. Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin and a few others now have to look for a new place to play.

“We will pursue any and all opportunities to ensure the best players in Canada have a place to play” – NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan

This abrupt ending of the hockey league is the center of some controversy simply because of how quickly the news sprung on the players and general public. Both were surprised honestly. Also, it creates a sense of regression in the development of women’s sports. It’s very interesting because the CWHL expanded to China with two teams. International sponsors and brands could have easily supported this league but who knows.

There is now only 1 professional women’s hockey league in North America. I mean, even though it didn’t really work out financially for the CWHL, being established for 12 years is something to be proud of I suppose. But it doesn’t justify the fact that about 150 players are now out of a job. A job that can’t even help these players make ends meet on a maximum $10,000 yearly salary.

For a sport that is gaining momentum and popularity in the eyes of the media and fans alike, I would really like to see what the NWHL can do to step up and welcome these now “free agents” into the league.

Embrace the Hate, Love Yourself

/ Jake Solomons / Leave a comment

In today’s world, there seems to be some sort of social outlier that doesn’t really go away. Sexism and stereotyping have become a common occurrence in the world of sports.

“People are surprised we play hockey. They’ll say: ‘Oh, I thought you’d be bigger.’ Or ‘You look really petite, and you have all your teeth.'”

-Monique Lamoureux-Morando

Normalizing the stereotype that women are petite or too feminine to play hockey is just a way of saying they don’t belong. It needs to end.

Women hockey players walk this fine line having to be masculine/feminine, which gets sometimes misconstrued with being homosexual and people assuming their sexuality. Depending on how players present themselves physically.

The nature of ice hockey is more masculine, I suppose. But that doesn’t give anyone the right to label someone by saying, “She’s definitely a lesbian; look how she dresses like a tomboy.” Or I’ve heard people say, “On a team full of girls, one of them is bound to be gay.” SO WHAT?! You’re only making yourself look bad at that point by saying that.

U.S. Women’s Hockey Team during the ESPN Body Issue photo shoot, in 2017.

Team USA Women’s team took to ESPN magazine to display their unity against this societal norm of being ‘too girly’ and ideal body image. Their message is simple: “Embrace it.”

“Own it. Be proud of yourself and who you are.”

-Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson

I think it’s become more mainstream. Today’s society is very persistent with trying to minimize the dark cloud that is the sexuality stereotype hanging over women’s sports. I think the change is great. As a whole, we need to understand that it’s not okay to degrade and undermine these women’s talent and physical attributes because they “don’t belong in a man’s game.” Grow up.

If you don’t notice a problem directly, go sit in a hockey rink for a few hours. I can almost guarantee there will be a women’s game and a men’s game played. Keep your ears open to hear the different comments spectators make between the two games.

If you hear a derogatory phrase, for either gender, I encourage you to call that person out. They say, “Spread the word, to end the word.” Screw that. How about: “Confront the word, to end the word.”

Heart of a Spartan

/ Jake Solomons / Leave a comment

Playing sports at the professional level is very impressive. For most people it’s hard to get to that top tier of athleticism, especially if you’re a woman. Before you can call yourself a professional hockey player, you have to climb the ladder of playing at the youth, high school, and collegiate level first.

My sister, Zoe Solomons, is a varsity forward on the Lady Spartan’s hockey team at St. Mary’s High School in Lynn, MA. Playing in her third season, she has grown accustomed to the pressure of being a girl playing a “male-dominated” sport.

I spoke to her along with one of her teammates, Marina DiBiasio, to get a better perspective on being a high school athlete and the surrounding stereotypes of female hockey players.

Zoe Solomons (white) in the attacking zone

Do you Find it Necessary to Work Harder To Overshadow the Boys And To Prove Your Ability As A Girl?

Solomons: “Personally, when playing, I try to perform better than the boys so I can show that girls can actually play a sport like hockey. A lot of the boys think the girls suck, so when they come to the games, I want them to be shocked at how well we can play.”

When Someone Says Women Aren’t As Strong As Men, What Is It About These Types Of Comments That Registers With You?

Dibiasio: “I’m a very competitive person. When someone says you do ‘_______ like a girl,’ it becomes a motivating factor to show that I can do something as well, if not better than them.”

Marina DiBiasio on a breakaway vs. Peabody.
Credit: ItemLive

What Does a Normal Game Day Consist Of? Do Students Gravitate Towards The Boys Team Over The Girls?

Solomons: “Most students definitely gravitate towards the boys team. More people like watching [them] because they think the girls are boring to watch since we can’t hit each other. They have a huge fan section, while we’re over here playing without one.”

With That Said, How Do You Feel About The Rules Against Being Able To Hit?

Solomons: I personally don’t mind it. I think if we could hit each other, it would definitely cause more injuries. It makes it easier to play without worrying about who’s coming up behind you, or when you have to stand up for a teammate who’s been cheapshotted.”

DiBiasio: “I feel like the physicality should be higher. I mean, we still lean on the boards a little bit, but we don’t get away with the physical style of play that the boys do. If a girl plays in a boy’s league, with players stronger than her, it’s definitely a safety concern. But if you have all girls in the same league, then there’s a level playing field. So why not us?”

  • Zoe focusing on the puck
  • Blindsided by a defenseman
  • Not a comfy spot

From an inside perspective, it’s very interesting to understand that as players mature, the awareness of gender inequality becomes more apparent. Just like any other team, these girls work extremely hard to consistently put a product on the ice that’s more valuable than the boys. The girls finished the season with a 16-2-2 record. But for some reason, it just isn’t good enough…

It’s easy to critique a sport that you don’t play or don’t really care to watch, especially if it’s women’s. I personally don’t like basketball, but I’d let my kids play. However, when your daughter asks if she can play a masculine sport like ice hockey, do you support her? Or do you say “girls don’t play hockey, you can do figure skating instead?” Think about that.

Opening Face-off

/ Jake Solomons / 1 Comment

Women’s ice hockey is sport that has gained momentum in terms of popularity among young girls and adults alike. The problem however, lies within the fact that the media doesn’t do enough to promote the sport and creates a stereotype that women don’t deserve enough air time because women are not as masculine or athletic as men. Within the landscape of ice hockey as a whole, women are primarily recognized during the Olympics. Within the 4-year gap between events, how are they represented in the media? I plan to explore this dilemma further in understanding why women aren’t given their fair share of publicity.

I think it’s important for my readers to get a sense of how the world of sports is evolving and how women are using their voice to stand up and say: “we deserve a chance.” Throughout my publication(s), I want the audience to see through different perspectives, how the media is portraying women’s ice hockey both positively and negatively. I would like to discuss how different men’s ice hockey is from women’s and how the limitations for the women suggest physical inferiority. By using these negative or oppressive stereotypical examples, I believe they will help readers understand how we can turn these issues into solutions.

Throughout this publication, I’m not trying to argue who is better at playing hockey. I think it’s hard to differentiate and compare talent when some people don’t even know that professional women’s hockey exists. Within the realm of gender inequality in ice hockey, I want to limit the focus of weaknesses that women have because my main goal is to build on the fact that these athletes play an elite level and deserve to be seen as equal.

Exploring different aspects and headlines that display gender inequality in women’s ice hockey. For example, I would like to discuss the comparison of salaries between professional female players and NHL players. A lot of the imbalance in who gets paid more is due to airtime and actual visual presence on TV. NHL games are televised on a daily basis which cultivates sponsors and generates revenue, whereas the NWHL gets little to no recognition resulting in far less capital. I want to talk about how the lack of media recognition, outside of the Olympics, hurts women and their sport because they’re seen as less interesting than men.

Outside of the sport of ice hockey, I’ve become a firm believer in the idea that women deserve the same rights and opportunities that men have. I’ve been inspired to explore this issue within the world of ice hockey because my sister is a female hockey player. She feeds off of people’s criticism that girls are too frail or unathletic to play hockey. When my sister was little, she wanted to learn how to skate and be like the boys. She had to join the boys youth teams because there were no girls teams around. This is inspiring to me because I want to help uncover this “hidden” sport and use my source of inspiration as a role model for other little girls to defy gender norms.

As I continue with this publication, I would ideally want my audience to target young women who feel like there isn’t a chance for them to play a sport that they are interested in. I think this topic can bring to light the issues that derogate this the athletes who play this sport and the women who are ambassadors for this sport whom I will talk about as well, can act as a beacon of hope for aspiring female hockey players. I think my audience could also extend to parents and adults who believe women hockey players deserve the same opportunities as men or “athletic feminists”.

Women’s ice hockey is a growing sport in the world but just how much of it do we know? A lot of the unfamiliarity comes from the idea that media does not cover enough of women’s sports in general and specifically ice hockey, due to it’s masculine and physical nature. I believe it’s crucial for sports fans to understand this injustice that women are being overlooked because they aren’t as talented and can’t generate revenue or ratings outside of the Olympics. By addressing the problem that women are not treated or seen as equal to the men in this sport both physically and journalistically, we can inspire change and spread awareness to the fact that women are just as talented as male hockey players and deserve the same amount of attention and respect.