Roller hockey gives kids an alternative to ice

Roller hockey has proven to be a valuable tool in teaching kids about the sport of hockey and at New Port Richey's Sportszone2, some talented players are getting their start.

In Florida, ice rinks are few and far between, so roller hockey is a valuable substitute for getting people involved in the game.

"I think the best thing that roller gives us is the value it brings," Sportszone Scorpions coach Ralph Sowder said. "It's a great training tool for ice hockey and its something that kids can stick with if they want because there are scholarships for roller hockey now."

There are two different types of youth roller hockey. One is a team composed of kids from around the state that plays nationally — the Florida 1998 team — and the other involves the everyday teams that the kids play and practice with. The Sportszone Scorpions is the team that calls the New Port Richey rink home and recently won a national tournament at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

"The work the kids have put in shows when they're playing together," Sowder said. "Then tend to play well together on the floor because they've been together for a few years now and it's paid off because now they've won a few things and they're recognized nationally."

Sportszone2 uses a program called "Learn to Play" that gives kids a jump-start on skills they need and works them up gradually. Over a few years, they're applying those stick and skating skills in games on the big stage.

The success of the 1998s, a team comprising 10-year-olds from around the state, brings attention to Sportszone2 around the roller hockey community, but not so much on the local level.

"I don't think the team gets as much recognition locally because of the location of Sportszone," Sowder said. "But in other places like California or Missouri, people know where Sportszone2 is because they've seen the boys play in national tournaments."

Ice hockey isn't a far cry from roller hockey and the kids have now started playing on ice as well. Their ice hockey season runs from September to February and provides the kids the opportunity to play on a different surface. So far this season, the team is undefeated. Coach Carl Napoli has been with the Scorpions for five years and has seen the benefits roller play can provide.

"It's our first season doing ice hockey and you can see it because a lot of our kids have trouble skating on ice," Napoli said. "But the knowledge is there. All the kids are in the right places and they know how to play because they have a good base knowledge of the game from playing roller hockey."

Both Sowder and Napoli attribute the success of the Scorpions to the parents more than anything. According to the 51-year-old Sowder, parents have to be good about nourishing the kids' interest.

Napoli agreed.

"Some of the drills we have them doing can get pretty mundane, but it's important for them to grow as hockey players," Napoli said. "It helps if the parents are committed to it because to be competitive it takes a lot of time and hard work."

On the other end of the spectrum, the parents appreciate the knowledge coaches provide and don't feel keeping the kids interested is a big challenge. Dawn Nichols' son, Reed, 10 and daughter, Madison, 8, have both learned from playing on Sowder's teams.

"His coaching style is great because he's such a good teacher and he pushes the kids like they need to be pushed," Nichols said. "We asked the kids if they wanted to try something else and they said no. My son wants to go on and earn a scholarship for roller hockey one day."

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