Start watching, stop complaining
Women’s sport is undergoing a remarkable period of growth, ignited by a surge in interest and viewership so let’s watch and celebrate the women’s game for what it is, a recalibration of what sport means — who gets to play and who gets to be watched rather than comparing it to something different.

Hi my name is Nic, and like the bio says, I am entrepreneur, speaker, consultant and UX professional located in beautiful Ottawa, ON., CANADA. In these strange and difficult times, I tell as many people as I can that I am Canadian - and yes, I play men’s league hockey.

I do love my men’s league hockey and for the most part I love ‘locker talk’ — the banter between the boys after the game, sometimes lewd and hilarious, sometimes reflective. Recently with the significant surge in the recognition of women's sports, that banter has turned to women’s sports and I have definitely noticed a theme. I think the way we watch, cheer and feel about women’s sports deserves some unpacking.

In Ottawa, our sporting menu is relatively deep. On the men’s side we have the Black Bears, the Sens, and Redblacks to name a few. And on the women’s side, we have the Charge, and Rapid FC. Over the past year, I have seen each and every professional Ottawa team, men's and women’s play at least once.

The things people say
“It was entertaining” is the most common comment I hear when describing women’s sports and if I’m being completely honest, it always sounds like a cop out to me. Google ‘what people really mean when they say it was entertaining’ and you’ll get ‘amuse, divert, entertain mean to pass or cause to pass the time pleasantly.’ To put it bluntly, it’s entertaining is a way of saying I liked it but I don’t want to say I liked before hearing what you have to say.

Years ago, these same people let me know that the Cleveland baseball team should leave their name as it is. "I mean, is the name really racist? They've had the name forever. It's a tradition and they should just stop complaining about it." My point being, they weren’t shy with their opinions then but now ‘it was entertaining’ is the best they can come up with?

Different doesn’t mean worse (or better)
Yes, there’s a difference between the men’s game and the women’s game — whether it’s basketball, hockey, soccer, or anything else. They’re different, not 'better,' not 'worse,' just different. If you go to an Ottawa Charge game with the sole expectation of comparing it to the Senators or even the 67’s, then what’s the point?

When I watch junior hockey I don’t compare their game to the pros. I enjoy it for what it is and I enjoy the differences between the two. I don’t compare the CFL to the NFL. Why would I? They’re different, they have different rules, a different ball. Comparing the two simply removes the joy of watching the game for what it is.

It’s not a moment, it’s a movement
At my first PWHL game it was clear that the vibe was different (there’s that word again). There was a different energy in the stands — more kids, more youth, more families… more layered. There were as many PWHL Ottawa jerseys as there were ‘WOMEN IN SPORTS ARE HERE TO STAY’ t-shirts and hoodies. Shout-out to Jamie Lee Rattray.

The story of women’s sports is being written in real-time. It’s not just about the scoreboard. It’s about visibility, about fairness, about watching people fight for a space they should have had all along.