Programs
Alphabet Sports Collective creates programs that expand how queer and trans people can participate in and around hockey. Whether you’re stepping onto the ice for the first time, returning to a sport you once left, looking for community around the game, or helping create change within it, there is a place for you here.
FIND YOUR PLACE
More ways into hockey. More ways to belong. You don't have to play hockey to be part of hockey.
Hockey can be a place to play, connect, lead, cheer, learn and find community. Our programs are designed around different relationships with the game.
RELATIONSHIPS
-
Play
Get moving, try something new, build skills or find your way back to the ice.
-
Connect
Meet queer and trans people who share an interest in sport, hockey and community.
-
Grow
Build confidence, skills, relationships and opportunities to participate.
-
Lead
Share your experience, support others and help shape a more inclusive hockey culture.
Our Programs
-
01 One Shift At A Time
Bringing inclusive hockey experiences directly to communities.
Our national community activation program brings together movement, hockey, storytelling, education and connection.
Working alongside local organizations, leagues, tournaments and community leaders, each stop is designed around the community hosting us.
A One Shift At A Time experience might include a Pride Skate, beginner hockey, adaptive sport, workshops, storytelling, tournament activations, fan experiences and opportunities to connect with local queer and trans communities.
For: Players · Fans · Hockey-Curious · Coaches · Officials · Volunteers · Community Leaders
Bring One Shift At A Time to Your Community
-
02 ASC Community
The community continues beyond the rink.
ASC connects queer and trans people across Canada through our national online community.
Members can meet people who play, lead and cheer; participate in virtual and in-person programming; share experiences; discover opportunities; and stay connected between events.
Community programming includes:
First Shift Orientation
A welcoming introduction for new members. Pucks & Pages
Books, stories and conversations about hockey and community. Watch Parties
Experience the game together. Share Our Story
Community-led storytelling and conversation. Meet-Ups
Virtual and in-person opportunities to connect, build belonging and community.Explore the Community
-
03 COMMUNITY & PRIDE PROGRAMMING
Meeting communities where they are.
Not every path into hockey starts at a rink. ASC works with Pride organizations, schools, tournaments, community organizations, hockey partners and professional sport organizations to create welcoming opportunities to move, participate and connect.
Our community programming can include:
Pride Skates
Free and welcoming opportunities to get on the ice. Sports Zones
Interactive spaces connecting community, movement and sport. Tournament Activations
Community-building alongside queer hockey tournaments. Schools & Community Education
Conversations and activities exploring inclusion, sport and belonging. Pride & Community Events
Taking hockey into spaces where queer and trans communities already gather. Professional Hockey Partnerships
Creating greater visibility and connection around the game.See us in the community
-
04 Coming Soon – Next Shift
You don’t have to know how to play to take your next shift.
The Next Shift creates supported pathways into movement and hockey for queer and trans people who may not see themselves reflected in traditional sport spaces.
Through progressive movement experiences, qualified instruction, peer support and community connection, participants can build skills and confidence at their own pace.
It’s for people trying hockey for the first time, coming back after time away, or simply wondering whether there might be a place for them in the game.
START → TRY → LEARN → CONNECT → KEEP GOING
For more information about this program please contact:
Sean Addis sean@alphabetsportscollective.com
Our Playbook for Change
-
Membership
Building community and creating lasting connections.
-
Meetups
Creating opportunities to gather, move, play and experience hockey together.
-
Mentorship
Building confidence, skills, relationships and leadership.
-
Mobilization
Sharing stories, knowledge and experiences that can help change hockey culture.
DISCOVER → PARTICIPATE → CONNECT → BELONG → LEAD
BUILT WITH COMMUNITY
We don’t just bring programs to communities. We build them with communities.
Local knowledge matters.
ASC works with leagues, tournaments, schools, Pride organizations, community groups, volunteers and other partners to understand what each community needs.
That can mean adapting activities for accessibility, reducing financial barriers, providing equipment, creating beginner-friendly experiences, bringing programming outside major urban centres, or designing opportunities specifically for communities that have historically faced barriers within sport.
The goal isn’t to create one version of hockey that works for everyone.
It’s to create more ways for people to find their place in it.
