By Rob Ross and photo by Amy Burbine
Ball hockey is quickly becoming the hip thing to do in London. And while there are various options for players in the Forest City, the London Ball Hockey Association (LBHA) is gaining steam as a favourite for many players in the area.
One reason the LBHA is a great option for ball hockey players is because it allows them to play indoors, where weather is not a factor. Meanwhile, the LBHA consistently updates its website to reflect current standings and statistics, and the price? It’s not so bad, either.
That is particularly why Amy Burbine, and a few of her former ringette teammates, decided to check out the LBHA. Burbine says her team enjoys the LBHA because they play weekly games that are always competitive and any concerns they’ve had have been taken care of in a timely manner.
Burbine’s team, the Maidens of Mayhem, is a group of ladies from all sorts of backgrounds. Some players have hockey or ringette experience, while some play other competitive sports. Others had never played hockey before joining the team. It’s been an enjoyable season for the Maidens of Mayhem, according to Burbine, as the team has worked hard, learned the game, and had a lot of fun along the way.
The LBHA has what is called a ‘tier system.’ The higher the tier, the better the teams and the higher the level of competition. The Maidens of Mayhem compete in the second tier, which is meant for beginners as well as players with a moderate level of hockey experience. The team has been very impressed with the tier.
“Our team ranges in age from 16 to 60, so this tier is a great way to learn the game but still be competitive at the same time,” said Burbine. “I would recommend the LBHA to anyone looking to get out for some exercise and some ball hockey. They run a great league.”
The LMBHL will be sending squads to this year’s provincial championships in the following divisions: Tyke, Novice, Atom, and Peewee. Tyke and Novice events are being held in Kitchener the weekend of July 5-7. The Atom and Peewee Provincial are being hosted by London on the July 12-14 weekend at the Stronach, Kinsmen and Argyle arenas. Schedules for both events are available at www.lmbha.com.
“The LMBHA would like to take this time to thank all the players for their hard work and excellent representation of our league and our city and a special thanks to all the coaching staffs and parents for their endless support and invested time throughout the season,” said LMBHA coordinator Dick Price.
Fall/winter adult
LBHA Fall/Winter registration begins August 16th and space is extremely limited so register your team as soon as possible. All games are at the North London Optimist Community Centre. To register a team, or as an individual,
contact Dick Price at: 519-777-4519 or pricedick@hotmail.com.
