Reply To: Floorball: Off ice game used in Scandanavia

Looks like a lot of fun, and a great way to simulate hockey in the off-season. It's amazing how much attraction the game has for kids that have played even just a little.

We had floor hockey games twice a week this spring, about a month after hockey season ended. I wasn't expecting a great turnout since the weather was getting nice and kids would most likely have other things on their minds. We played in a hot indoor gym, used regular hockey sticks and inexpensive Mylec street hockey balls (the old school orange ones) and the kids loved it. Even with all the other things to do that time of year we had 20-25 kids show up on average, and the goalies started bringing their gear to make the game even more realistic. It was a great workout and good fun.

One interesting aspect of the game was that, due to the texture of the gym floor, it was pretty tough to run with the ball and stick handle so players had to be looking for team mates to pass to. I think it forced their decision making process to improve, and the quality of our games got better and better as time went on. The only down side was the stopping and starting was a little tough on the feet and knees (especially for an old guy like me.)

Growing up in Massachusetts we always played street hockey ("road hockey" in Canada, eh) but I had to go to the Internet to find the equipment this time around, leading me to wonder: Do kids still play good old fashioned street/road hockey?