The St. Michael-Albertville Area Youth Hockey Association may have to wait until next February for a new sheet of ice, but the association’s girls’ program isn’t waiting for anyone to expand.

The St. Michael-Albertville area will decide on the proposed ice arena expansion, among other things, in a voter referendum, scheduled for February 2017.

The second ice sheet has become a must-need for the growing community, while the North Wright County girls’ hockey program has become a model for growth across all levels in the State of Hockey.

“Two years ago, we really made a strong push to grow the game, especially when it comes to the girls’ program,” Matt Weimer, the North Wright County girls’ travel coordinator said in a recent interview. "We had approximately 30 girls down at the Mite level and when we renewed the 'Grow the Game' initiatives the association had, we went from 30 to 60 players, and this season we had 80 girls involved in the Mite program.”

Weimer detailed that these Grow the Game initiatives included lowering the cost of playing, getting more involved with the area schools and forging a relationship with the girls’ high school program.

“It gives (the girls) a goal to hit,” STMA board president Josh Opiola said of the bond between the high school team and the youth levels. “It also puts something in the back of (the youth players’) heads that when they get to high school, they get to come back and become role models for the younger kids,” Opiola said. 

Both Weimer and Opiola said that the association would welcome newly graduated high school and college players to join the youth ranks as coaches, especially those players who suited up for the 2013 Class 2A State Tournament North Wright County team.

“It would be fantastic if we could get those girls to come back and coach and the youth level,” Weimer said.

“We do recruit, very hard, these women who are just out of high school or college to get involved with the association,” Opiola added.

Weimer also added that the male coaches in the association would gladly hand over the reigns to their potential female counterparts.

“The male coaches I know would step aside and let a female coach take those kids, and the (players) would absolutely love it,” Weimer said, adding that his daughters (ages 9 and 12) have never had a female coach at any level in any sport.

While Opiola and Weimer look to the future of the girls’ program, both say that they take a substantial amount of pride in what their top level girls have accomplished this season.

Those accomplishments include both the 15UA and 15UB North Wright County teams earning state tournament berths, with the 15UAs finishing fourth.

Those deep postseason runs are examples of tangible success, as well as a direct result of careful planning and impeccable execution by the St. Michael-Albertville Youth Hockey Association and the North Wright County program.

“To have two (15 and under) teams going to the state tournament is tremendous,” Opiola said. “It’s tremendous for us whether getting wins or getting knocked out early. We still got them there, and that’s more than a lot of associations can say.”