She Shoots She Scores: A Complete Guide to Women's Hockey

Janet Money, formerly the sports editor of the Woodstock Daily
Sentinel-Review, is a freelance writer and editor in London, Ontario.

Billed as “the first comprehensive guide to women’s hockey,” this
book indeed has a little bit of everything, including a brief history of
hockey and of women’s involvement in the game; a rundown of the rules,
equipment, and techniques (with a separate chapter on goaltending);
advice on starting female hockey organizations and on getting started in
coaching or officiating; and an overview of the international women’s
hockey scene.

The book is well timed. There have been three world women’s hockey
championships; the game has been accepted as an Olympic sport for the
1998 Winter Games; and enrolment in girls’ hockey leagues is
skyrocketing. The sections on equipment, rules, and technique are well
suited for novice players and coaches, or for parents who wonder what
all the fuss is about.

Throughout the book, Stewart includes profiles of women hockey players,
coaches, and officials, most of them trailblazers in an era when female
hockey was met with strong resistance. There is a brief reference to
controversy over the rule against intentional bodychecking in women’s
hockey (and over the issue of girls playing in separate leagues or with
boys in mixed leagues), but little analysis. Stewart, with
justification, no doubt felt that this was outside the scope of her
book.

This overview of the game would make a great gift for a rookie girl
player.