Sports Marketing Special Session: Ice Hockey Consumers: Who Cares about Women Recreational Players? An Abstract

Abstract

Recognizing the many benefits of sport on individuals, communities and society, Canadian Sport Policy endeavors to increase the number and diversity of Canadians participating in sport. Female engagement is of paramount importance as recent reports indicate a concerning drop in women’s sport participation (CAAWS 2016; Canadian Heritage 2012). The sport of hockey is well entrenched in Canadian culture with hundreds of thousands of Canadians actively participating as players, coaches and officials (Hockey Canada 2017). This passion for hockey is spreading worldwide as the International Ice Hockey Federation reports over 1.7 million players (IIHF 2017). Minor hockey, men’s programs and high performance competition have traditionally enjoyed particular fanfare and broad support. The purpose of this research is to bring needed attention and understanding to a passionate group of women recreational players who are steadily growing in the shadows of mainstream hockey and who exert significant marketplace influence. This particular study is part of a progressive research project that was initiated in 2012 with a quantitative inquiry that profiled 781 women recreational hockey players. Output from these efforts revealed a passionate and influential group of hockey consumers with unique needs and considerations. Also discovered through this initial study was the growing skill gap and rising tension brewing among recreational players. In 2016, in-depth player interviews were conducted to better understand this tension and risk of conflict between young competitive- minded players and more mature recreationally-spirited players. The broad age range of participants in women’s recreational hockey coupled with the historical barriers to women’s active involvement in this sport, accentuate the probability of inter-cohort conflict and the need to better understand and manage such risks. This third phase of research reveals the most recent input from over 800 current or past women recreational hockey players in an effort to further profile and segment these evolving sport consumers in terms of influencers, perceived benefits, skill level, competitiveness, cohesiveness and sport commitment. Identified segments include social newbies, keener beginners, intermediates, still superstars and mellow competitors. While findings confirmed some persistent cohort differences, increasing similarities were also revealed with less than anticipated concerns regarding cohort conflicts. Further consideration is needed in addressing older participants’ insecurities, younger players’ quitting risks, and the ongoing management of skill level gaps. Output from this work is intended to influence the design of alternate playing options that will meet the needs, interests, and involvement of various player groups while ensuring a pleasurable and challenging sport experience for all. This learning can also be effectively extended to the management and marketing of other women’s and recreational sports.