I know a place that is kept at around 40 to 50 degrees in. the. summer. Yep, you guessed it--LA Kings Icetown in Riverside (10540 Magnoila Ave).
You are certainly welcome to join us for our weekly practices this summer. If you want to try a sled or just beat the heat inside the refrigerat--uh--ice rink and watch, we'd love to have you. Our practices are on Tuesdays from 7:40 to 8:40. Athletes (new or returning) should plan to get there by 7:20 so they can get their gear on and be ready to hit the ice when our time slot comes up. We do have some sleds for people to borrow and some hockey gear, so you only have to bring yourself wearing closed-toed shoes (tennis shoes are good) and long pants. We have both a kids' team and an adults' team and they practice at the same time, sharing the ice. It doesn't matter how old you are; we can accommodate you (though kids have to be at least 5 years old to join the team).
If you are getting on the ice, remember that you will be working, so dress in layers. You will have elbow pads, gloves, and a helmet on (we have some gear for you to borrow, depending, of course, on what size you need). When you get there, check in with the box office and ask if we are on rink A (the ice sheet in the front) or rink B (the ice sheet farther back). You can introduce yourself to Todd or Christie Jenkins, Bud Swope, and/or coaches Andrew Hodge (head coach and generally coaches adult's team) or Jim Edelbrock (generally coaches the children's team). Any of those people will get you started so you can get out on the ice with the team.
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| Photos above: Athletes from recent practices show off their skills and/or pose for the camera. |
On Sunday, June 23, from 3:30-6:45, we are having our annual Sled Hockey Clinic that is open to the public. Since we are now an official Paralympic Sport Club, our clinic is considered a "Paralympic Experience." USA Hockey is very generously sending us some sleds to borrow, and we will have lots of beginners out on the ice. Some of our athletes will be teaching people how to play sled hockey, running people through some simple drills, and organizing some cross-ice sled hockey games. We welcome kids and adults of all ability levels to come try it out. Sled hockey is an adaptive form of ice hockey for people with physical disabilities, but the sled is an equalizing piece of equipment. It doesn't matter if you are physically disabled or not; you can play sled hockey. One caveat is that we will fit people with physical disabilities in sleds first. In past years, we have not had any problems getting everyone out on the ice, disabled or not. Parents with physical disabilities could get on the ice with their kids. Kids with physical disabilities could get on the ice with their siblings. I cannot predict how many people will show up to our clinic this year, but if past years are any indication, we should have no problem getting everyone who wants to try it out on the ice. Ice time starts at 3:45, but the earlier you get there, the more ice time you'll have.
Please spread the word. I have made two fliers for this event. One is a full page (8 1/2 X 11) and in full color. This is one that can be printed out and posted, or printed and given to a special friend. You can also send this electronically by attaching it to an e-mail or posting it on social media.
The other flyer is smaller and can fit two-to-a-page. It is meant to be printed/photocopied in black and white. This is one you can make tons of copies of and pepper the world with the copies. Leave a stack at your physical therapist's and doctor's office. Leave some at your gym. Leave some at your school. Go around the neighborhood and knock on doors. Pass them out at a sporting event. Keep some in your car and give one to everyone you see in a store, including employees. You get the idea. The QR code on the JPEG versions of the flyers posted below might not work (I had to make a copy of a screenshot to get the JPEG, so it does lack a bit in quality), but the QR sends people to the video at the very top of this page, in case you're wondering. We also have a PDF of each of the flyers, and they are a little better quality. If you are printing a bunch or attaching either or both flyers to e-mail, please e-mail us here and ask for the PDF version so you can have a better quality. Also, the QR code definitely works on the PDF version.
