Breaking Boundaries: The Rise of Women's Sports at Hebron Academy

By Sage Joyce ’27

People often think men are stronger, faster, or more exciting to watch, which means women athletes don’t get the credit they deserve. But over the years, things have started to change. More people are paying attention, and women are showing up to show how powerful and talented they are. There has been a stigma around women's sports that is now being torn down practice by practice, game by game, season by season. As the years progress, so have the WNBA, PWHL, and NCAA leagues. We've seen it all, starting with the record-breaking attendance at NCAA women’s basketball games, the expanding coverage of the WNBA, and the global success of women’s soccer. Women athletes finally get a chance to make a name for themselves in college, which leads them to the pro leagues.

A sport that is very valuable to the Hebron community is Women’s Hockey. Women’s Hockey is another sport that has seen an upward change in population, as the PWHL has been created. The Professional Women’s Hockey League started nearly two years ago, and it is continuously growing. Every hockey girl dreams of going pro, and that dream can finally be turned into reality for these women. As the PWHL grows, so does the Hebron Women’s Hockey Program.

The Hebron Women's Hockey Program was broken down over COVID, and saw a rough start to the rebuilding process in recent years. The hockey girls that Hebron had after the COVID years did not have many options when it came to playing the sport they loved. They still practiced every day, but with the coed junior varsity team. This caused many injuries throughout the team and limited their athletic abilities, leading them to move to other sports.

In the 2024-2025 season, the Hebron women's hockey team has improved tremendously. Going from the 2023 season, where Hebron only had eleven players, to a full, healthy roster in the 2024 season. Coach Greg Dumais stepped up and took the role of the Girls' Varsity Coach, even though he knew there was not much to work with. He recruited a total of sixteen girls with the very short time he had before the hockey season started. Having this full and healthy roster, the girl's team was ready to take on the season, coming off with three wins in the first four games. They carried this positive energy into the rest of the season, ending with a great season.

As women's sports continue to expand and grow tremendously, so has the Hebron Women's Hockey Team. As we look into the future of women's sports, the goal is to simply be appreciated, and not treated differently because of gender. Achieving gender equality is something that every woman athlete hopes she can do throughout her career. Here at Hebron, through our expansion in our women's athletics programs, we strive every day to achieve gender equality throughout our community. As the Hebron Women's Hockey Program grows, so does the number of people who can do good things throughout our community.