Welcome to Women's Hockey Outreach Association of Houston
Welcome to Women's Outreach Association of Houston! We are dedicated to empowering women in the hockey community and beyond by providing resources, support, and opportunities for growth. Our organization is committed to making a difference in the lives of women! Join us in our journey to create a brighter future for women in Houston.
You have me curious.
I have never played hockey so why should I play?
Empowerment: Hockey isn't just a sport; it's a symbol of strength, resilience, and empowerment. By learning hockey, you're embracing your inner warrior and breaking barriers on and off the ice.
Physical Fitness: Get ready to lace up your skates and hit the ice! Hockey is a full-body workout that enhances cardiovascular health, improves agility, and boosts endurance. Say goodbye to dull gym routines and hello to an adrenaline-pumping workout like no other!
Teamwork: Hockey is all about teamwork. As you glide across the ice, you'll learn to communicate effectively, support your teammates, and celebrate victories together. Joining a hockey team means gaining a second family and forging lifelong friendships.
Travel Opportunities: Through hockey, you will have the opportunity to travel with your teammates to tournaments all over the world!
Confidence Boost: There's nothing quite like the feeling of scoring a goal or making a game-changing play. Step onto the rink with pride and unleash your inner champion!
Inclusivity: Hockey is for everyone! Whether you're a seasoned athlete or a complete beginner, there's a place for you in the hockey community. Embrace diversity, celebrate your uniqueness, and join us as we champion equality in sports.
WHOAH Board Members:
Fran Shuman, President
Claudia Brown, Vice President
Malinda Selever, Vice President
Mackenzie Aden, Secretary & Treasurer
Olga Waln, Director
Kari Gibson, Director
Kelly Stover, Director
About the Board:
Fran Shuman:
Fran started playing hockey in 2014 at the age of 43, and ultimately married her beer league sweetheart in 2018. She loves hockey for the camaraderie, teamwork, and physical activity. Fran wants to grow women's hockey to empower more women to enjoy the same experiences. While a tenacious forward who scores goals once in a while, Fran is often rushing to the ice because she's spent more time in the locker room talking than getting ready to play.
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Claudia Brown:
Claudia grew up in San Francisco jealous of her Michigan cousins who played hockey. She was inspired to give it a try at age 28 while living in Chicago after watching the '98 Olympics. She quickly jumped from floor hockey to roller hockey to ice hockey, falling more in love with the sport at each step and wondering what she had done with her life up until then. Her favorite parts of the game are killing penalties and irritating the opposing goaltender. She is very excited about the opportunities for the growth of women’s hockey in Houston.
Malinda Selever:
Malinda is the first female Ice Hockey Player who was born in the country of Peru. She began playing in 1998 and just one year later, was selected to play in the 1999 Rocky Mountain Region USA Hockey National Championship. Malinda then worked for the Houston Aeros from 1999, the year they won the Turner Cup-IHL, to 2003 when they won the Calder Cup in the AHL. While she was with the Houston Aeros, she suggested an intermission show that is still used all around the NHL today. When she met Jacques Lemaire, she asked “did you ever play Hockey? And then proceeded to ask him about some hockey dekes she was working on, not knowing who he was”.
She told Gordie Howe that some thought she was too rough on the ice. He turned to her and gave her a fake punch and said “you can’t teach that, keep it up”. Her love of Hockey has brought her to WHOAH because she wants to give back to the game that has given her so much.
Mackenzie Aden:
Mackenzie's hockey career began in 2013 at the age of 14, after a failed stint as a fencer. She never scores, but always cheers loudly and enthusiastically from the bench. Her signature move is panicking and hitting the puck to the other team. You can find her lurking in the rafters of Capital One Arena with Slapshot from October to April.
Olga Waln:
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Kari Gibson:
Kelly Stover:
Just over 20 years ago, Kelly first hit the ice and was immediately hooked. She may not have known how to skate or any of the rules, but she quickly progressed from forward to defense to her ultimate calling: Goal Tender! On the ice (and sometimes off it), Kelly goes by "Rhino." Like Rhino the hamster from the movie Bolt, Kelly's unwavering enthusiasm, fearlessness, loyalty, and (dare we say it?) comic relief makes Rhino her perfect nickname. Off ice, you can find Rhino cheering for the Bruins. On ice, you can find Rhino protecting her net by happily manifesting the requisite fortitude to withstand constant, high-velocity rubber projectiles.
WHOAH Featured in the DMV Newsletter:
WHOAH: Women’s Hockey Grows in Texas
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DMV Women’s Hockey recently received an email from Fran and the Women’s Hockey Outreach Association of Houston (WHOAH). Read more about how WHOAH is growing the game in Texas.
“My daughter, Mackenzie, lives in DC and plays in the women's league at The Gardens in Laurel, MD. I also skate with the Clusterpucks. Most of the Clusterpucks players are from the DMV area. Together, the Clusterpucks have traveled to Croatia, Las Vegas, and Iceland to play in tournaments, just to name a few. I live in Houston, Texas and, until recently, the only ice hockey available here was co-ed. I found that a lot of women didn't want to play co-ed because they thought the guys were too rough or they were too small…. So, after I played with Mackenzie, I came back to Houston and was lamenting that there was no women-only hockey here. One of the guys who had two co-ed drop-in spots on Saturday mornings said he would let me use one of the spots once a month if I could fill it with women. And that's where it started. I texted, emailed, and called all the women I knew to try to fill the ice slot. The first skate was in September 2023, and we had 16 women with 2 women goalies. By February 2024, we had 14 skaters per side, and some months we have a waitlist.
After seeing that the interest was there, we increased the women-only drop-in skates to twice a month. Given the interest and number of new women skaters we were recruiting, we (me and a board of six other women) decided to form a Texas Nonprofit Corporation/Federal 501(c)(3) called Women's Hockey Outreach Association of Houston. As noted above, WHOAH's purpose is to recruit new women hockey players and grow the game of women's hockey in Houston through drop-ins, clinics, tournaments, and -- hopefully -- one day, a league of our own!
In May, WHOAH had its first tournament team in the Oil Kings Memorial Day shootout and the ladies had an absolute blast! WHOAH would love to travel to tournaments across the country to meet new skaters and keep growing women's hockey.”
Founded in November 2024, WHOAH is a Texas non-profit corporation and a federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. WHOAH’s founding purpose is to foster amateur hockey competition in Houston among women of all skill levels, specifically through the development and support of women’s hockey programs including drop-in skates, leagues, and tournaments. WHOAH further aims to foster the physical, mental, and social development of women through participation in hockey by providing educational and training programs and clinics to enhance skills and promote teamwork. Finally, WHOAH aims to recruit adult women hockey players and grow women’s hockey by conducting community outreach and hosting on and off-ice social recruiting events.
If you or anyone you know is interested in trying hockey in Texas or the Houston area or supporting their cause, please visit their website. We love to see the women’s game grow!
(DMV is a women's hockey organization in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Pretty cool, huh?! See snippet below.)
