New rink brings hockey to Edwards' Airman's Campus

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  • By By 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Hockey in the High Desert - it's an idea whose time has come.

Edwards' Airman's Campus has been fitted with a full-size, fully lit regulation hockey rink all ready to rumble.

While the rink is ready for immediate use - with all the equipment necessary to outfit players for street hockey - Rosburg Fitness Center staff members are now taking sign-ups for anyone who wants to play in either a street hockey or roller hockey league on base this winter.

As soon as they get enough signatures, they'll set up a recreational league and play will begin at the newly constructed rink next to the Joshua Tree Dining Facility.

And just in time.

With half the Rosburg basketball court taken up by free weights for about six months while the center is renovated and a new workout facility is constructed next door, hockey provides the base another outlet for competitive activity this winter.

"This will be a great addition to the programs we currently have here, especially with the renovations we have going on at the center," said Steven Lowe, sports manager at the Rosburg Fitness Center, 95th Force Support Squadron.

Staff members at the center encourage anyone who's interested in playing either street hockey or roller hockey to sign up at the front desk at the Rosburg Fitness Center.

"We'll take about six weeks where we'll have a sign-up sheet here at the front counter in the fitness center and ask people to sign up for either street hockey or roller hockey. And then at the end of the year we'll take a look at customer demand. And then when we think we've got enough names on that list to offer a program, then I'll set up recreational teams, set up league play, playoffs and everything that goes with it," Lowe said.

Just like they did for soccer.

The soccer program began with a six-week sign-up period. When the fitness staff felt they had enough names on the list they developed a simple recreational league.

From there interest in soccer has grown.

"Soccer's gone to the next level. Because of the success of soccer we're going to make it a unit-level program this year. And I think the same would be a good initiative for hockey, where we start it off as a recreational program, get people involved, get them playing out there and then potentially look at making it an intramural program, a unit-level driven program for the future," Lowe said.

But it all depends on people signing up to play.

Those interested can sign up for either type of hockey and what happens next depends on overall interest.

"The signup sheet will have a box - street hockey or roller hockey - and they can choose whether they will participate in either league," said Richard Hoffa, operations manager at the fitness center, 95th FSS. "Obviously if we have 50 sign-ups and 45 want street hockey and five want roller, then we'll start with street and try to progress from there," he said.

Street hockey has the advantage of requiring less equipment and participants don't need to learn to rollerblade or to buy rollerblades to play. But the fitness staff members say they will work to establish a program the base will support - both if there's enough participation.

The hockey rink is colocated with the outdoor basketball court and the beach volleyball courts and they share the same lights for night play. There is hockey equipment in a shed just outside the rink - three dozen good quality hockey sticks, top quality full goalie protective equipment and street hockey balls. A key to the shed may be checked out at the front counter in the Rosburg Fitness Center.

The center will get more equipment as participation grows and progresses.

Rosburg staff members are not only ready to set up hockey leagues for the base. They're also interested in participating.

"I grew up playing street hockey. That was quite a few years ago, but it's a lot of fun. When we get a league set up that's one thing I want to do for sure. I want to be out there playing," Hoffa said.