On the stick
New Family Y inaugurates in-line skating hockey league
Back
Devin (left) and Jeremy Wright, 6, face off
during an
in-line hockey class. The children practice without skates first, to learn to handle the hockey stick.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
As ice hockey continues to find fans in the Southeast, the Columbia County Family Y took the ice out of the equation.
The Marshall Branch of the Family Y in Evans fielded teams of boys and girls for a youth In-Line Hockey League and Hockey School programs recently.
More than 40 area youth participated in the league. The In-Line Hockey League was open to children ages 7 to 12 and the Hockey School was open to ages 4 to 6.
"Every time we have a clinic we get more and more kids, but I don't think we've been able to get the word out as well as we would have liked," said Avery Villines, branch director of Columbia County's Family Y, during the season.
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The teams' eight-game season starts this weekend, with Saturday morning games at West Acres Baptist Church and Tuesday night games at Abilene Baptist Church.
Tyler Castricone, 7, (left) and A.J. Olive, 9, race around the track as they warm up for in-line hockey practice.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
West Acres has also been home to practices and scrimmages on Saturday mornings that are led by former Augusta Lynx star Scott Morrow.
"Hockey is such a great game. It's been a passion of mine for a long time. If I can help spread the word, then that's what I'm going to do," said Morrow.
Morrow, who also coaches ice hockey at the Augusta Ice Sports Center and owns Old Iron League metal casting shop, volunteered his time to act as a league adviser for the Family Y in an ongoing effort to expand the sport's popularity in youth.
Devin Stephens, 5, gets the hang of the hockey stick during
practice.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"I think it will continue growing," he said. "It's one of those things where once you play you develop a passion for it. Once you see a game and once you're around the sport it's an addiction."