(Central Sport/Supplied)

By Ian Gustafson

Popular demand

‘She Plays’ panel returns this Sunday for girls in sport

Oct 15, 2025 | 2:24 PM

Back by popular demand, the ‘She Plays’ event put on by Central Sport will return this weekend.

On Sunday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m. at the Margaret Parsons Theatre at Red Deer Polytechnic, a panel that consists of a trio of influential women in sport will share their stories and experiences.

CEO of Central Sport, Trevor Thomas, said the event is targeted towards central Alberta girls aged 10 and up, as well as parents, coaches, and anyone who works with females in sport.

Those in attendance will learn about the processes, the importance, and the lifelong benefits of girls in sports.

“The feedback we had from our March event was that we need to have this more often, so we went back and said let’s try to commit to having this twice a year,” he said. “This way, we can maybe target some different sports.”

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The first event was held on May 31, where the girls heard from Canadian Olympian Catriona Le May Doan, Stettler-born college and pro hockey player Jesse Jack, and Dr. Lauren Sulz, a professor and youth health advocate at the University of Alberta.

Thomas added that the feedback received was that it was an amazing opportunity to have available for girls in the community.

“There haven’t been a lot of events that specifically target girls in sport and the importance of staying in sport,” he said. “Also, the importance of getting those lifelong benefits for girls in sport, because there are studies that show girls who are in sport become the next generation of leaders in their industry or whatever they go into.”

Making her return to the panel is Dr. Lauren Sulz. She’ll be joined by the mother and daughter duo of Shawna and Maddison Pearman from Ponoka.

Shawna, mother of Maddison, was once a competitive speed skater and softball player, who now coaches locally.

Meanwhile, Maddison is a member of the Canadian long track speed skating team who has won various medals on the international stage. She also represented her country at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and will compete in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

“Having that dynamic, whether you’re the kid coming in and understanding that relationship with the parent or if you’re the parent understanding the relationship of raising a female who’s gone through to compete in a high-level sport,” Thomas added.

Those who are hoping to attend can register for free on centralsport.ca.