Through Generations: Building the Future of Czech Women’s Hockey
Starting this project at the tail end of the season, leading into summer, might not have been the best timing. Initially, I worried that after a strong start covering the PWHL playoffs and the excitement of the Women's World Championship, the offseason would bring nothing but predictions, speculation, and a long summer.
However, I noticed a surge of content from a hockey camp that was being reposted throughout the Czech hockey community and attracting attention on Instagram, especially with several senior National Team members participating as guest coaches and mentors. I knew there had to be something special about this camp, and I wanted to learn more. After a brief connection with their founder, I discovered that the story was even more remarkable than I had anticipated.
Through Generations was born from a shared vision between former national team Asst. Coach Jakub Peslar, his sister, women's national team goalie Klára Peslarová, and former national team captain Alena Mills. The idea first took shape during the plane ride to the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the first Winter Olympics which the Czech women’s team had ever qualified. As they celebrated this milestone, the trio began to ponder the future of women’s hockey in Czechia. This pinnacle of achievement, reaching the Olympics, was incredible. But what next? How does Czech hockey cement its place and ensure those that came after would be just as competitive? They realized then the need to lay the groundwork for a program dedicated to nurturing the next generation of players.
Czech National Team Goaltender Klára Peslarová with TG players.
A few months after their historic debut at the Olympic Games, where the national team won their first-ever bronze at the 2022 Women’s World Championship, Jakub and his team knew it was time to get things in motion. They launched their initiative with a one-week summer training camp in July 2022, welcoming around 30 young girls and involving several national team members as coaches. The excitement and potential was palpable. What initially started as a short, one-week program turned into a larger effort by Peslar to gain a deeper understanding of the hockey landscape in Czechia. After their first successful camp, he embarked on a tour, traveling across Czechia, visiting over 15 cities and towns, conducting training camps, and meeting over 200 young players and numerous coaches. This experience provided him with valuable insights into the reality of girls' hockey in the country and further cemented his desire to offer even more to the girls' hockey community. Through Generations had only hosted one camp, but it was destined for an even larger impact.
Škoda Ice Rink, Prague
The success of the initial camp spurred Jakub to expand Through Generations in early 2023. To achieve this, the first of many challenges was to find a permanent home for the program—a place where he could train, host clinics, and build a community without the constant need to find new venues. Peslar found a solution when he connected with the Škoda Ice Rink, located just southeast of Prague. After explaining the mission of Through Generations, the rink management was sympathetic to their cause, offering reduced ice rental prices and additional resources, giving the program its first real chance to thrive.
Summer 2023 saw Through Generations return for its second summer. What started just a year prior with 30 young girls grew to over 300 participants. This time, the program featured even more top Czech women’s talent, with players like Natálie Mlýnková, Michaela Pejzlová, and recent PWHL Boston 7th overall draft pick Daniela Pejšová joining as guest coaches. The program this time offered multiple sessions and clinics throughout the summer, adding a new layer of credibility. With this influx of girls from around the country coming to Prague, Peslar identified a new challenge: understanding exactly what his program needed to build a successful, sustainable, and impactful girls' hockey program. During his initial tour of programs around the country the year before, he observed that many new girls' programs, often started in the wake of the national team's success, lacked the proper approach and treated girls' hockey the same as boys', expecting similar results but not fully realizing how different the two games were. He emphasized that there needed to be a focus on understanding the athletes personally, and that to be successful, he would need to provide them with the necessary resources, and most importantly, give them the attention they deserved.
Former Czech Women’s National Team Head Coach Tomáš Pacina
Luckily for him, Peslar had a solid foundation upon which to grow. He credits much of the program's vision to Tomáš Pacina, the former National Team Head Coach and a pioneer of women’s hockey in Czechia. Pacina’s innovative coaching style, characterized by up-tempo, high-possession hockey, and his dedication to the sport, laid the foundation for the current generation of Czech hockey stars. He is largely credited with instilling the mentality and culture that now permeates much of the current national team roster. Peslar had the opportunity to work under Pacina and firmly believes that without his mentorship, Through Generations would not exist.
As our conversation began to run out of time, I asked Peslar about the impact of having national team players and well-known personalities involved as coaches. He mentioned that the availability and willingness of these players to participate have been a tremendous boost for the young athletes. Jakub compared their influence to that of Martin Nečas or David Pastrňák returning during the summer to work with boys' teams. He recalled that when Daniela Pejšová initially committed to two weeks of the camp, she was so inspired by the young players that she extended her stay by an additional week. Her dedication and interaction with the girls exemplified the positive impact these role models will have on the next generation. This is precisely the kind of environment he aims to provide for the girls who attend their camps or sessions throughout the year.
With the recent success of their summer programs, Jakub is optimistic about the future of Through Generations. He envisions the program becoming a central hub for women’s hockey development in Czechia. While acknowledging the efforts of the Czech Ice Hockey Association's National Development Programs, such as the Future Olympians initiative, Jakub aims to create a comprehensive environment where players of all ages can grow and thrive, not just as athletes, but ultimately as young adults.
His goal is to develop world-class athletes who are well-prepared for the future, with opportunities to play both domestically and abroad, and he and his team are committed to hiring the best coaches, physiotherapists, and staff to support the athletes' development. When asked about his their accomplishments, Peslar noted that he took the most pride in the success of the recent U18 World Championship team, noting that 18 of the players on the silver medal-winning roster came through the Through Generations program.
Exhibition Match Between Through Generations and the Latvian National Team
The program now plans to host additional camps throughout the season across Czechia (no longer scheduled exclusively during the summer). They aim to have their teams play more games and represent the program internationally, with opportunities to compete in Germany and Austria. There have even been matchups already conducted against U.S. NCAA Division III women’s teams, and friendlies against other national teams such as a recent exhibition against Latvia.
It was clear to me, after having the opportunity to speak with Jakub, that Girls' hockey in Czechia is experiencing significant growth, mirroring trends in other hockey-dominant countries. But it wasn't lost on me that many of the same challenges we face here in North America are shared overseas. Resources, time, commitment, and respect for the girls game are all still aspects of the sport that need to evolve over time. Jakub Peslar and Through Generations are at the forefront of this movement, committed to nurturing the next generation of Czech women’s hockey stars and ensuring a bright future for the sport.
