Hey whoda' thunk road hockey could be the medicine to sooth what ails society?
Newmarket Community Centre 20010 |
ROAD HOCKEY THAT'S WHAT!
Especially March break when you can look through your kitchen window and see/know your kid is safe and active.
That was our idea of "after school programs" when I was a kid growing up in Aurora. In fact we used to use Eaton's catalogues tied to our legs for goalie pads we were so poor. Okay so that didn't happen, but to some it was a reality!
Sometimes we'd play on teams for our street (Dunham vs Sunray anyone!?) or neighbourhood or even town, as I recall a bunch of us walking to Newmarket to play one time. But our neighbourhood (Aurora Heights) had some great players not known to the ice game and we were tough to beat no matter who we played or what age our opponents.
Our cross town rivals were Regency Acres and we'd pull a net across town for it and even George St used to field a good team but we rarely, if ever, lost. One kid as I recall was an amazing road hockey player, the best of us all, and when I asked why he never played ice hockey he'd said it was because he couldn't skate. I'd seen him skate though and thought he wasn't all that bad but had left it at that back then. Years later I now realize he likely couldn't afford to play. His talent would be wasted.
The same guy led our mish-mash neighbourhood team to the local Aurora Community Centre held road hockey tourney where we soundly thrashed the ice league all star team in the finals, a testament to the fact that we could all compete against these so called "all-stars". I remember feeling empowered that day. Confident. Whereas the 'allstars" team had always portrayed an air of smug superiority to the rest of us in their dapper purple team jackets, on this day, it was they who looked away!
Want to relive any of those glory days ? Or come out and watch or play some pick up shinny? Organize a team even or egads challenge another to form and play?
Your participation level is up to you!
Event:
Newmarket Mitsubishi Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road hockey Challenge
Date: Sat March 16 2013 – Contact: TPE@
289-221-0928
Location: Newmarket Community Centre parking lot /
Riverwalk Commons 220 Duncan St
Time: 10:30 am – 5 pm
Knock out obesity, reduce poverty, restart after-school activities.....through road
hockey!?
March break & after school activities combine during the Annual (Newmarket Mitsubishi) Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road
hockey Challenge held this year Sat March 16 2013 at Newmarket's Community Centre and
Riverwalk Commons (½ block from Main St) and
organized in cooperation with the Poverty Action for Change Coalition (
P.A.C.C.) and TPE Productions.
Youths up to
18 years can play in the tourney portion from 10:30 am to 5pm
and are encouraged to form their own street, school, company or club teams
while pick up games for any age will also be held all
day as well. The event affords all kids
(and some adults!) an opportunity to play friendlies together on a level
playing field and boosts confidence and pride. Players and teams are encouraged
to hold street and neighbourhood games the week of March break. Challenge
someone and you can win an award!
Open stage entertainment will be inside the
Community Centre and feature York Region Hip
Hop sensations Khryme Syndicate!
Playing
is free and you may enter a team or come as you are!
Free hot chocolate and nourishment
provided tourney players with hot food also available to the public.
Pre-register
by emailing your team name and contact info to tpeproductions@gmail.com or
Registration is Sat Mar 16 by 10 AM.
www.povertyacc.com/getinvolved
for more or call 289-221-0928.