A Minnesota female hockey coach was suddenly replaced by a less experienced male coach—right in front of her daughter. Sadly, this isn’t an isolated story. In this episode of Two Women Who Give a Puck, Sarah and Tera break down the key takeaways and actionable steps to fight gender bias and create a more positive hockey culture for girls and women.

🔥 What you’ll get:

- Real talk on gender bias in youth hockey

- How boards and associations can do better

- Tangible tips for female coaches to advocate for themselves

- Ways parents and allies can support change

These actionable insights aren’t just for coaches—they’re for anyone who wants to make hockey fairer, more supportive, and empowering.

💡 Listen, share, and help us build a hockey community where everyone belongs!

Listen to the original story here:

EP 17 - Unbenched: The Untold Reality of Female Coaches in Minnesota Hockey

YouTube - https://youtu.be/re6BiOVC0as

Podbean - https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-3zcuk-19dabd3

In today’s episode of Two Women Who Give a Puck, we share a powerful, true, anonymously submitted story from a Minnesota female hockey coach whose world was turned upside down overnight. After years of playing, coaching, developing players, and building a positive culture, she discovered—without warning—that she had been removed from her head coaching role and replaced by a man with no hockey playing experience. No explanation. No conversation. No accountability.

What happened next reveals a painful truth about female coaches in youth hockey: mistrust, dismissal, and unfair replacement are not rare—they are part of a wider pattern happening quietly across associations, even in the “State of Hockey.”

In this emotional episode, we explore:

🏒 The impact of losing a coaching role without reason

🏒 The message these decisions send to young female athletes

🏒 Why female coaches must constantly prove competence

🏒 How associations can make better, more equitable decisions

🏒 What support, advocacy, and community can look like

🏒 How YOU can help change the culture for girls and women in hockey

This story is raw, real, and deeply important. It’s a reminder that female coaches belong in hockey, their voices matter, and their presence changes the game for the better.

If you’re a coach, parent, board member, or anyone who cares about the future of girls’ hockey—this is a must-listen.

🔗 Share this episode with someone in your hockey community.

📩 Have a story? Want to stay anonymous? Email us at: twowomenwhogiveapuck@gmail.com

🌐 Learn more: TwoWomenWhoGiveAPuck.com

#TwoWomenWhoGiveaPuck,#GenderBiasInSports,#WomenWhoCoach,#GirlsHockey,#SportsAdvocacy,#SilentStruggles,#WhatThePuck,#FemaleCoach,#WomenInSports,#StateOfHockey,#SupportFemaleCoaches

In today’s episode, Sarah and Tera sit down with Diane Smith, a former collegiate hockey referee, to explore an often overlooked but critical part of the sport: officiating. Diane shares her journey into hockey, the moment she fell in love with the game, and how seeing one female ref changed the entire trajectory of her future.

Together, we dive into:

🏒 What it’s really like to be a female official

🏒 Why new referees quit — and how we can help change that

🏒 How coaches, parents, and players contribute to a safe and positive environment

🏒 The emotional and physical challenges of the job

🏒 Why representation in officiating matters more than ever

🏒 What Diane hopes her legacy will be in the world of hockey

Whether you're a parent, coach, player, or someone who simply loves the game, this conversation will deepen your appreciation for the refs who keep hockey safe, fair, and fun — and inspire more girls and women to pick up a whistle.

💬 Key Takeaways

- Seeing one female ref opened a door for Diane — and she hopes to do the same for others.

- Officiating builds leadership, confidence, communication, and quick-decision skills.

- Keeping refs in the game requires support from everyone — coaches, parents, and players.

- Representation matters: young girls need to see women in roles they might never have imagined.

- At its core, hockey should always be fun, safe, and inclusive.

🤝 Join the Movement If you loved this conversation, hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. And remember:

We belong in hockey — and we deserve to be part of the greatest game in the world. Don’t forget to invite someone else in.

In this inspiring episode of Two Women Who Give a Puck, hosts Sarah and Tera sit down with Kimmi and Kelly — two women who began their hockey journeys as adult players and are now taking on coaching roles.

They discuss what drew them to hockey, how they found confidence in a new sport, and what it means to step into leadership as women in a male-dominated arena. Together, they explore:

• The value of female coaches in youth hockey

• Overcoming impostor syndrome and self-doubt

• Creating safe, supportive, and empowering team environments

• Advocating for inclusion and balance in sports and family life

Whether you’re a player, parent, or coach, this episode celebrates the strength of women who choose to lead, mentor, and uplift others in hockey — proving that representation truly changes the game.

✨ Follow and subscribe for more real stories of women shaping the future of hockey — on and off the ice.

On this episode Tera and Sarah interview another one of their Buzzer Beater players, Haley Mathison.

Haley grew up LOVING hockey, but it wasn’t in the cards for her to play organized hockey in her youth. Instead, she practiced solo on frozen lakes and city rinks, dreaming of one day playing organized hockey.

She achieved her dream after attending a WHAM 101 clinic solo. Even though she started on her own, she quickly and easily formed a team with fellow clinic participants.

With this team she found a deep sense of camaraderie and support among teammates, leading to lasting friendships and a strong sense of community.

Haley’s story shows how trying something new, even on your own, can lead to personal growth, leadership opportunities, and unexpected joy.

Her and her teammates’ friends, kids, and families are inspired by seeing moms and women play hockey, breaking stereotypes and building legacy.

Haley hopes her legacy is one of being coachable, athletic, supportive, and a leader. Her hope is to be a role model for others entering the sport.

She has already inspired so many around her to try hockey and she believes that women belong in hockey. And that it is the greatest game in the world!

Whether you're seeking friendship, fitness, or fun— she believes there’s a place for you on the ice.

Tera and Sarah sit down with one of their Buzzer Beater players, Moriah Gilbertson.

In this episode, Moriah shares her deeply personal and inspiring journey into hockey. She initially said “No” when a friend asked her to try a women’s 101 hockey clinic with her. However, she was convinced to switch that “No” to “Yes” and that decision led to immense transformation.

She developed a fixed mindset from her dance background, which made her resistant to trying new things, especially sports. Hockey helped her develop a growth mindset, which she now models for her daughters.

After suffering severe health issues during pregnancy, including months of immobility, hockey became a symbol of physical recovery and empowerment. She now feels strong, capable, and proud to be active with her family.

Moriah wants her legacy to be one of strength, resilience, and openness to new experiences, both within her family and the broader hockey community.

Moriah’s story is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to try something new.

Hockey has given her joy, strength, and a sense of belonging. AND she wants to make sure all women, of all ages and abilities, realize that hockey is TRULY for EVERYONE. Even someone like her who had no prior experience and physical health struggles to overcome.

Tera and Sarah sit down with Dan Miller, youth hockey coach, girls varsity hockey head coach, youth hockey coaching director, USHL scout, AAA coach, High Performance Hockey coach…… OMG, that’s A LOT!!

Dan shares with us his unique hockey experience. He started later in life (according to MN standards!) at the age of 10, played high school hockey, Junior B, Junior A and then ended his career after suffering a broken leg while playing D1 hockey in Madison.

This injury didn’t keep him from hockey long, shortly after leaving the Madison program, he started his coaching journey.

His main mission as a coach is to make it about the kids by building relationships with each player and helping them to transform into better athletes AND (maybe more importantly) better people.

He sees the girl hockey players he is currently coaching as athletes and treats them as such. Pushing them to do more off-ice than they have before and helping them understand what it takes to become strong.

He also encourages parents, players (male and female), and spectators to see all female athletes and coaches as capable. And has helped to create a supportive environment within Rogers youth hockey for attracting, supporting and retaining female coaches. Rogers youth hockey is currently ABOVE the national (7%) and MN (8.6%) average for percentage of female coaches (9%)!!

Sarah and Tera and joined by Vanessa Fuchs and Lizzy Ristano from WeCOACH.

WeCOACH is a one-of-a-kind nonprofit membership organization dedicated to recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches in all sports and levels through year-round professional growth & leadership development programs.

In this episode we talk about all things female coaches, from identifying who you are as a coach, creating a supportive community around you, asking for help and the importance of having females in coaching.

For more on WeCOACH, check out all of the great programs they have created at WeCOACH

Especially check out the Youth and High School Women Coaches Academy happening August 15th - https://wecoachsports.org/programs-events/hs-academy/