After a few months of supporting friends playing in the Madison Gay Hockey Association and earning the nickname “hockey mom” because he always had snacks and an extra blanket, Matthew Spang-Marshall decided it was time to try playing himself.
He took to the skating, was a work in progress with everything else and fell in love with hockey.
It was the first time he’d ever participated in a team sport, and Spang-Marshall was immediately drawn in by the camaraderie and community of playing with other LGBTQ+ members. After he moved away from Wisconsin,he continued to play hockey in each new place he lived.
There was no league in Phoenix when he arrived, and the pandemic made it difficult for Spang-Marshall to connect with interested players or find more information. However, in 2021 he saw a post in a hockey player group asking if anyone in Arizona was interested in partnering with the Coyotes for an LGBTQ+ league. He replied and “kind of ran with it,” he said, and the Arizona Legacy Pride Hockey Association (ALPHA) was born.
“I remember what it felt like to play hockey in a queer group when I started,” Spang-Marshall said. “Sports did something for me that nothing else has done. I know what it made me feel like and now I get to bring that to others.”
The Coyotes have run adult learn-to-play programs, known as Growlers, where they offer discounted equipment and instruction. The program has since expanded to have Pride Growlers sessions specifically for LGBTQ+ community members. At those sessions, Spang-Marshall and other ALPHA players help coach the new skaters and invite them to join the league.
A lifelong hockey player, the opportunity to be able to coach was a particular draw for Thea Maeve, who is trans and felt like she would experience adverse reactions from parents if she tried to get involved in youth coaching.
“This gave me an avenue to coach new players and teach them how to play hockey, while not having to be scared about what other people will think about me,” Maeve said. “And so that’s been nice. This is my second year of coaching clinics and I’m learning how to deconstruct all my skills and teach it to them. That’s been really interesting and fun to do.”
The partnership and connection to the Coyotes has been important and beneficial, said Spang-Marshall. He never wants ALPHA to be dependent on the NHL organization, but he’s grateful for the support they’ve provided from the beginning, from president Xavier Gutierrez down to dozens of community involvement employees working behind the scenes.
ALPHA has more than doubled in size since partnering with the Coyotes’ Pride Growlers program and Spang-Marshall said numerous Coyotes staff members have been involved in fundraising and coaching for the league.
“I just have big ups for the Coyotes in the community involvement that they have,” Spang-Marshall said. “I truly believe that they are a community NHL team. They have been great cheerleaders for us, and they made us feel like we have a home in hockey. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them.”
