The Greater Toronto Hockey League joined organizations from across the sport community at HER Sports Fest from May 22-24, helping celebrate, promote, and support girls and women in sport.
Held at The Hangar Sports & Events Centre at Downsview Park in Toronto, HER Sports Fest brought together athletes, families, sport organizations, local businesses, and community members for a three-day festival designed to grow the space for girls and women to play.
The festival featured four key areas: the Try It Zone, a multi-sport demo area encouraging participants to try something new; the Find It Zone, a marketplace highlighting local organizations and vendors; the Learn It Zone, featuring stage activities and “chalk talks” that went beyond the game; and Amp It, a space to connect, celebrate, play, and share stories.
As part of the Try It Zone, the GTHL brought its Try Hockey activation to the festival, giving participants the opportunity to pick up a stick, try the sport, and learn some of the fundamentals of the game. Through hands-on instruction, participants were introduced to basic hockey skills, including stick-handling, passing, and shooting.
The activation provided a welcoming, beginner-friendly environment for girls and women to experience hockey, ask questions, and build confidence while engaging with the game in a fun and accessible way.
HER Sports Fest’s Try It Zone featured a wide range of sport organizations, creating opportunities for participants to explore new activities and connect with pathways to continued participation. For the GTHL, the event served as another opportunity to help introduce hockey to new players while supporting the broader growth of girls’ and women’s sport across the community.
