There are a number of barriers players, coaches, and others involved with organized hockey face when trying to address racial discrimination in hockey. In this panel, we will highlight some of those barriers, as well as highlight possible ways to break down those barriers.
Moezine Hasham
Hockey 4 Youth Foundation, Hockey4Youth
Moezine Hasham is the Founder and Executive Director of the Hockey 4 Youth Foundation. He started the charity as a way to foster social inclusion for newcomer and high priority youth through free ice hockey and off-ice learning (T.E.A.C.H. program). Since 2015, Hockey 4 Youth Foundation has worked with 500+ girls and boys (in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal) who represent 32 countries of origin including: Syria, Vietnam, Jamaica, Brazil, Ethiopia and India. Moezine started playing hockey at the age of 6 when a neighbour gave him hockey equipment and encouraged his newcomer, South Asian parents, to enroll him into the sport. Moezine played hockey in Vancouver and through his time at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. Moezine now calls Toronto home where he lives with his wife, Dr. Monika Amlani. While he loves Toronto, he remains fiercely loyal to his hometown Canucks!
Erica Ayala
Firebird Media, NYC-based podcaster & sportswriter specializing in women's hockey, Sports Writer
Erica L. Ayala is a New York-based multimedia sports journalist. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and more. She also serves as an analyst and rinkside reporter for the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and is the creator of the YouTube series Social Justice in Women’s Sports.
Before becoming a full-time journalist, Erica spent 13 years in the nonprofit sector as a youth leadership development professional at the Children’s Defense Fund. She most recently worked at Westchester Children’s Association. In 2017, New York Nonprofit Media named Erica to their 3rd annual Top 40 under 40 Rising Stars list.
Erica received her B.A. in Political Science, with a minor in African-American Studies from Elon University. She is an Elon Softball letter winner and a 2006 Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar. In 2015, her alma mater honoured her at the Top Ten under 10 Alumni Awards ceremony. Erica completed her Master of Public Administration degree at the NYU Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service in 2016.