Field hockey first began in Calgary as women and men playing together in a mixed league in 1958. In 1962, the Calgary Ladies Field Hockey Club, as it was then called, was struck and by that fall, the bylaws had been adopted. The games were played at Stanley Park on a pitch rented from the city. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, the Calgary ladies club set their sights on the communities and schools.
CLFHA High School Tournaments
In 1970, the first Calgary Ladies sponsored high school girls' tournament ran and continues to run on the first and second weekends in May (weather permitting). The tournament has grown from 8 schools and one division to 16 senior girls teams and 16 junior girls teams (the event usually has a waiting list). Over the last decade, in addition to sponsoring the high school girls' tournaments, many members from Calgary Ladies volunteer time to coach teams at local high school and/or also umpire at the CSHSAA league games.
CLFHA ... Then and Now ...
In the early days of hockey in Calgary, the communities were sighted as a possible way to promote the sport. In 1970, two communities were playing and in 1972, two more joined. By the fall of 1973, there were three divisions playing out of the communities. The girls played for their schools and then ladies league. The Calgary Ladies league did and do not have an age restriction and the teams had players ranging from 13 - 60 playing together. The community program continued until about 1982.
The Calgary Ladies league continued to expand slowly, going from four teams to about ten in two divisions by 1974. This continues to be fairly static until about 1970 when there was renewed enthusiasm among some key volunteers. These ladies worked hard at recruiting and trying to set up a league or programs for junior players under the umbrella of the Calgary Ladies Field Hockey Association (CLFHA) as it is known today. Since 1990, there has been a north and south Calgary running program for girls and boys, aged nine to fourteen. From this, additional programs have been implemented to address the needs of other age groups, such as high school girls (ages fourteen to nineteen) and new adult beginners (age sixteen and up). As part of a grassroots movement, the CLFHA teamed up with the Field Hockey Association of Calgary (FHAC - men's league) in 2004 to hire a part-time employee, Calgary Junior Programmer (CJP), whose main focus was to coordinate, develop, and promote junior programs (U12 and U16 boys and girls leagues in the spring, U18 girls league in the fall). The goal was to introduce younger athletes to the sport with the hope that a growing number would eventually become active members of their respective organizations.
Sine the 1990's, the CLFHA leagues has grown to 22 outdoor teams playing in three divisions. There is also renewed enthusiasm for more growth with the possibility of additional facilities becoming available. For indoor enthusiasts, the league continues to thrive and grow in Calgary. The number of teams has grown to 23 teams playing in three divisions, with the limitation on growth being the limited amount of gym time and space available. With the weather in the prairies being a contributing factor, the indoor game has become a key part of hockey in Calgary.
