Mid Ocean News article on the BBHA and the World Championships 2001

Ball Hockey Players Reach For New Heights By Kyle Hunter, Sports Editor

What started out as a loosely based group of men interested in playing ball hockey has now grown into a more organized sport in Bermuda. And now the Bermuda Ball Hockey Association is reaching for new heights. They will be traveling to Toronto in the summer to take on the best in the world at the World Ball Hockey Championships.

Tom Murray, a spokesman for the Bermuda Ball Hockey Association, said: "The championships will be held from June 7-10. Countries from across the globe, including Canada, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Latvia, Switzerland, and Slovakia will be represented in this event".  While the local players realize their chances of success at the tournament are very slim, Murray said that is a great stepping stone for the BBHA. Even some skeptics within the BBHA couldn't help but be inspired by the challenge. Fifteen players, have announced their commitment to play. In November last year, the BBHA sent a contingency of players to Leominster, Massachusetts, the birthplace of ball hockey, to play in a goodwill match. The objective of the match was to test the skills of the local team against an opponent in an international forum and to learn how the game is played at a competitive level outside of Bermuda. "The local team held its own in a close match, but lost by a score of 6-4 to the home team however, the experience was invaluable. And considering that the local team had to adapt to a large rink surface, rule variations, and near freezing temperatures, we were able to impress our American hosts", said Murray.

Since the trip, Bermuda's profile in the international ball hockey scene has increased. And the organization has received invitations to several tournaments abroad, a logical next step for the team. And it was immediately following the trip to Massachusetts, the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation contacted the BBHA to extend an invitation to the world championships. The game of ball hockey is similar to the rules of ice hockey with a few notable exceptions. Instead of playing the game on an ice surface and with skate blades, ball hockey is played on an outdoor asphalt surface with running shoes. Another variation of the sport is referred to as in-line hockey using roller blades, or in-line skates, instead of running shoes.

Murray said the origins of ball hockey in Bermuda began back in the early 1980's when military servicemen from the United States and Canada played the game at their respective bases. From there, a loyal following of ball hockey enthusiasts continued to play weekly at various locations across Bermuda, either in tennis courts or in parking lots. Today, the BBHA play twice per week (Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 10 a.m.) at the outdoor facility located at the Pembroke Community Centre. In 1998, the growth in membership of the Bermuda Ball Hockey Association reached an all-time high. Today, there are over 40 members of the association who play on a regular basis. The range of skill level varies from former university ice hockey players in North America to players who have never played the game before, said Murray.

The players started organizing a competition and the first BBHA semi-annual tournament, the Robin Hood Cup, was born. To determine the composition of the teams for the tournament, the BBHA held a player draft, whereby the player/coaches selected by the membership, would, in turn, choose their players. The draft event itself, became a widely anticipated event among the membership. The tournament would then be played the following Saturday, in an all-day occasion. Murray said: "The tournament has become a semi-annual event for the BBHA (held in October and April), and to date, four different teams have hoisted the Cup. Following the lead of the National Hockey League, all winning teams receive the honour of having each of their player's names etched on the Robin Hood Cup as a legacy.  And the ball drops on Saturday, April 21st, at the PCC to start the fifth semi-annual tournament, the Robin Hood Cup. The Spring Classic Tournament completes the finish of the organization's winter league. The tournament format will consist of a round robin, followed by semi-final matches to determine the team set up for the championship game finale. The composition of the teams will be determined by a player draft held Monday, April 9, 7 p.m. at the Robin Hood. Captains, elected among the BBHA membership, will select players for their respective teams in a pre-tournament event that follows the same format as player drafts for most professional team sports. For more information, contact: Darren Anderson, BBHA Commissioner, 295-7000.

Despite its growth, the BBHA have opted not to organize a league of teams nor initiate an authority structure to govern its matters. Instead, the members have made a conscious decision to keep the association at a grass roots level and loosely organized. Decisions of the association are made by a simple majority of its members. While the members select a Commissioner as a lead coordinator of the organization's activities, it is mainly an honorary position and title given to the "unsung" member who dedicates their time the most in the interest of the organization.  Otherwise, each and every member does their part to contribute in many different ways including building the goalie nets, purchasing equipment, transporting equipment, organizing tournaments and trips, etc. Even weekly play is approached in the same way. Teams are decided at game time by jersey colours. It makes for a different game each week, keeping the camaraderie among the players and eliminating the politics.

Anyone wanting to join the BBHA or help fund raise for the equipment for the world championships can call Tom Murray at 295-5881, ext. 213.