Jamie Nye: Hockey isn’t for everyone if girls are still changing in broom closets

The story of Berkeley Trayhorne in Dalmeny isn’t so much a story of drama between annoyed parents and a hard-headed volunteer board, but one of the adults being unable to be the adults and the sad state of hockey still moving extremely slow to make hockey for everyone.

The story by CBC ends with a quote from the 12-year-old saying “they’re just being kind of stupid” in reference to the adults in the situation.

Yes, they are. They’re questioning the ability of her teammates to treat her with respect and putting a lack of faith that the coach knows his team well enough to make their own rules to allow Berkeley into the locker room.

But what also gripped me about this story is we’re still doing this to girls in hockey? Decades after Hayley Wickenheiser was changing in closets and bathroom stalls at the rink, girls still have to do this?

I understand some rinks are old and have only four locker rooms, but it’s ridiculous communities aren’t doing better for our girls to play the game without having to change in a maintenance closet.

The Saskatchewan Hockey Association needs to step up and make stricter rules to make sure rinks are giving girls a more respectful place to change similar to their male counterparts.