Rink

■ A real program for others in the industry to consider following. room hockey, or "Broomball," started in the resort town of Waterville Valley in the 1970s – played outside, under the lights, on two "flooded" tennis courts where diverse groups of youthful men and women (mostly Valley employees) discovered another winter sport they could add to the mix of winter fun. Thirty years later, it has evolved into a highly competitive league which challenges even the most elite athletes. Broomball is not curling! Broomball was imported from Canada and is, funda- mentally, hockey played on ice with special (broomball) shoes, sticks shaped like brooms, and a ball made for the purpose. In a game of broomball there are two teams, each consisting of six players: a goaltender and five others. The object of the game is to score more goals than your opponent. For those who loved the sport of hockey but never learned to skate – broomball was a natural. Broomball is alive and well throughout the U.S.A. In nearby Berlin, NH, there is an annual 24- hour invitational broomball tournament with teams from the greater New England area and Canada. There is (apparently) a "World Broomball Championship." Check out broomball.com for information about the sport, equipment, etc. During the early years, the "word" about Waterville Valley Broomball spread to the surrounding towns of Campton- Thornton and as far as Plymouth. After a few years of informal "pickup" play, a league was formed in 1980 that included teams both in and outside Waterville Valley. Sponsors paid modest fees to the WV Town Recreation Department for maintaining the ice and purchasing the necessary equipment. Players used worn sneakers, deemed to be the most effective footwear until the discovery of broomball shoes a few years later. With the construction of the Waterville Valley Ice Arena in 1985 the sport moved indoors, providing a beauti- ful new modern hockey-style venue. The ice arena provides equipment, including rental broomball shoes for the partici- pants. In the early days the standard hockey goal was used; now an official broomball goal is the rule. The sport remains co-ed, with a minimum of two women required on the ice. Waterville is perhaps the only "organized" coed broomball league in the U.S. real programs 30 Years of Broomball History in the Resort Village of Waterville Valley, New Hampshire by DAVE GEIGER From time to time, fun "pickup" games (both pre-season and during the summer months) are scheduled—a great way to experience the sport! 54 R INK MAGAZ INE may/June 2009 STARrinks.com Having a Blast With Broomball B Broomball can be marketed as an alternative team sport on ice. WATERVILLE VALLEY ICE ARENA

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