A key builder of female hockey in Olds was honoured at the midget A female provincial championship banquet on March 10.
At the Pomeroy Inn & Suites, a special recognition was paid to Mary Wilson, who was the female hockey coordinator in Olds during the early 2000s.
"There are people before you who've built female hockey in our country … you can think of people like that who've blazed a trail so you can be involved in sport," said Doug Wagstaff, the tournament host committee's co-chair, introducing Wilson.
There was a time when Olds Minor Hockey did not have girls-only teams for players younger than peewee. Players those ages would either have to join teams with boys or with older girls.
Wilson said there were about seven girls playing novice hockey on boys teams. She started the push for a novice girls team by joining them together. Female hockey enrolment rose as girls saw that they could play on a team with other girls.
For her contribution, Wilson was gifted a Grizzlys hockey jersey with her name on it and a commemorative clock. As well, a plaque honouring her will be hung in the Sportsplex.
"It's very humbling. A big part of it, you think of all the people. I didn't do it alone. There's a lot of really great parents that I worked with. I just happened to be the coordinator, but we had a great group of people who helped me and made the program better," Wilson said.
"I think some young girls find it less intimidating to be teammates with girls than be teammates with boys, even if you're playing against boys. Now there are enough girls that you can play in an all-girls league."
Jackie Taylor, tournament co-chair, said the clock symbolizes Wilson's time, effort and dedication. It is also engraved.
"Those are our words of appreciation and we'll always remember what she's done for female hockey in Olds," Taylor said.
"Mary was tenacious in believing in female hockey. And recruiting from all areas, which is why today we have players from the Carstairs area, we've had players from the Trochu area, we've had players from the Innisfail area."
This tournament brought about 200 female hockey players to town, filling the entire banquet room. Wilson looked on with satisfaction.
"You feel like you had a small part in helping this along the way. I think it's great. The sport's really grown from when we started."
"I didn't do it alone. There's a lot of really great parents that I worked with. I just happened to be the coordinator."MARY WILSON
