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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – If your kid’s goal is to try a new sport, it’s game on at Waymer Park in Huntersville.
Saturday mornings, they are fired up to play street hockey as they fire away with sticks in hand.
“We’re going to have fun; we’re going to get some good exercise,” coach James Hotchner tells them.
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The Charlotte Street Hockey League hosts youth summer pickup games to rally interest. The free sessions started in May and continue until the end of July. To participate, you have to sign up in advance.
They start with the 4-9 age group.
“Is it like herding cats?” I asked.
“That is a very good description,” Hotchner said with a laugh.
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“Don’t wait, go get it,” he tells them.
“Go to the goal!” he said later.
In street hockey, there’s no ice, no skating, and no puck either. They play on their feet in an area of the park also used for basketball and tennis, keeping their eyes on a ball instead of a puck.
“The equipment that we do require, we have extra of,” says league CEO Bobby Arkus. “So much easier than ice hockey or roller hockey, where you’ve got this high barrier to entry.”
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On Saturdays, youth players 10 to 15 get their turn next.
Summer pickup is a chance to try the sport before buying any equipment.
“For new families, if they’re not sure if their kids are even interested in doing it, we have a lot of gear that they can use, and we loan out for the day,” says Amy Toliver, the CSHL youth hockey commissioner.
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From here, there’s no telling where street hockey might take you.
James Forbes plays for the Queen City Realm of the National Ball Hockey League. He also represents the US in international competition.
In June, the U.S. men’s and women’s national team both won Gold medals in Czechia.
“I think it’s going to go to the Olympics,” Forbes told Queen City News. “Just stick with it; we’ve got to get more kids in the program to grow it to the next level.”
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For many, the steps to the next level start right here.
“It’s great competition, it is great exercise, and it scratches that itch. A lot of us, there’s not an ice rink on this side of town,” Hotchner says.
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