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42 / SEPTEMBER.OCTOBER.2018 USICERINKS.COM to where they can find proper broomball nets, USA Broomball is glad to steer them in the right direction. Bringing broomball to your rink Whether a facility is looking to attract new customers or expand its offerings, broomball offers ample opportunities to get athletes on the ice. "A rink can certainly contact USA Broomball if they're looking to fill ice time," Denesen said. "I would welcome to rinks look at broomball to fill ice time through open broomball, or just an experience to get people to try it. It's really economical for an ice rink to run a broomball program, just because you don't have to resurface the ice between every game. You really save on energy and consumption for your facility. It's a lot easier on your staff, too." A private facility can also run its own league. USA Broomball can advise on best procedures, including how to prop- erly flood the ice, ice resurfacer strategies and what type of equipment to require. The ebb and flow of a typical rink schedule often includes downtime. Instead of shutting off the lights when the calendar calms down, rinks can choose to host broomball to attract a new wave of customers. "It's an adult sport, so they can get those night hours," Denesen said. "If they have a dead day, broomball is a great way to try and capture some of that empty space that they have, and maybe in the offseason, too. That's a good time after their hockey program ends, if they want to run a spring league and fill some of those gaps. It opens your marketing to a different audience that may still want to recreate and may still want to be around the ice." Though rinks may be hesitant to make the jump, Denesen recommends starting slow. "To start, just dip the toe in the water," he said. "I would start with maybe an exposure night where you just run an open broomball night to try it. "It's a great sport for anybody that wants to play and nobody is left out," Denesen said. " It's a lifelong sport." J COOL FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY! Ideal For Indoor & Outdoor Rinks Check us out: www.icebumpercars.com ICE BUMPER CARS! ICE BUMPER CARS! REAL PROGRAMS Broomball "It was kind of a grassroots effort from one state governing body, a private nonprofit, to kind of organize this. There needed to be some sort of uniformity in the national program. That's how it started. Then it got popular, and so the MSF has maintained USA broomball all this time."