It’s a special year for the Grand River Mustangs girls hockey organization.
This season marks its 10th anniversary and to celebrate, all of their rep and local league teams will be playing a home game during “Grand River Mustang Day” at the Fergus Sportsplex on Oct. 4.
An outdoor barbecue will be available along with the opportunity to test drive a new Ford vehicle as part of the Ford Drive for Your Community event. For every test drive, the Mustangs will receive $20.
Coach and former board member Bryan Nixon says it’s amazing how much the league has grown since 2005, starting with around 30 members and two teams and now having close to 300 players.
While a number of factors have influenced the Mustangs’ success, Nixon says it’s the team spirit and sense of companionship that keeps players returning year after year.
“It’s a great community of people and players. A lot of events you just kind of get dropped off and start the (game) right away, whereas here there’s an atmosphere in the change room that lets them socialize, that lets them bond together as a team,” he says.
“The Mustangs are a very big part of the community.”
Previously, girls wishing to play hockey joined boys’ teams, but Nixon says having their own league has encouraged more female youths to come out.
“The opportunity for girls to play in their own league I think is what drove it the most,” he says. “It gave them a chance to bond and enjoy a sport together.”
Nixon says the recent addition of a Tyke program has also had a significant impact on the skill level of players by familiarizing them with the game at an early age.
“The strength of the teams continues to grow as our Tyke program players start to move up in age,” said Nixon.
“The ones that have been on the ice a long time, you can truly see the skill and development they’ve gained over the years.”
Players are also given the opportunity to travel to other communities and develop skills that allow them to move up in the sport.
“As they develop, there’s opportunities to play rep in the Mustang organization and there’s some players who have left our organization to play higher level hockey in other organizations that offer AA,” said Nixon.
Ultimately the club’s success comes from a love of hockey, explained Nixon, and the community wanting to share that passion with younger generations.
“I think for a lot of the coaches it’s just the opportunity to be involved and impact and improve the lives of youth and the organization – to give them an opportunity to teach and learn the game of hockey which is truly a great Canadian sport,” he said.
For more information on Mustang Day or the league, visit www.mustanggirlshockey.ca.
