I've spent 15 years as a hockey mom watching my daughter chase her dreams. Seeing the women's Olympic team skip the White House visit left me conflicted.

"My daughter held the medal while standing next to her idol, Megan Keller. I snapped a photo of the moment, which felt exciting and bigger than us. These moments mattered to my daughter as a young hockey player, and they mattered to me as a hockey mom. They were inspiring, validated her choice to play hockey, and kept us both motivated when others acted surprised that she played hockey or even voiced that it was a sport girls shouldn't - or couldn't - play."

"I've thought about these moments a lot over the last week, since the US women's hockey team declined an invitation to the White House, citing scheduling conflicts. Part of me wished they would go, mostly to inspire young girls playing hockey. Part of me understood why they said no, but my feelings aren't that simple."

"Even at my daughter's level, boys and girls are treated differently. In 2024, my daughter's team made it all the way to the Michigan Girls' High School Hockey Division 2 state championship game. It was played at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, which is home to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, an elite development pipeline for boys."

A hockey parent reflects on her daughter's 15-year journey in the sport and the inequities girls' hockey faces. The daughter has had inspiring encounters with US women's national team players, including meeting her idol Megan Keller at an Olympic gold medal event. These moments validated the daughter's choice to play hockey despite societal skepticism about girls in the sport. Recently, the US women's hockey team declined a White House invitation, creating internal conflict for the parent who values both the visibility such appearances provide to young female athletes and the team's right to take a stand against disrespect. Even at the high school level, girls' and boys' hockey teams receive different treatment and resources.

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