The Deku Hockey program kicks off at Greater Latrobe Parks & Recreation's new Deku Hockey Rink at Region Keener Park for a thrilling and exciting spring puck drop.
As the temperature rises, so does the competitor Cowan on the rink. GLPR offers a variety of hockey clinics and leagues for both adults and youth, whether you're a beginner or just want to hone your skills.
First, GLPR will host a free deck hockey clinic for girls and women on March 16 in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Penguins' “Her Day Hockey” event. The clinic will be led by former Latrobe Deku hockey player Serena Slusarczyk. She will be conducting skills and training clinics and will also be sharing her story, starting with playing Deku hockey here in Latrobe, playing with the AAA Pens Elite Women's Team and D1 Ice Hockey at Robert Morris University.
The clinic will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. and is open to girls ages 7 and up to adults, and all participants will be automatically entered into the “Her Day Hockey” raffle and free equipment raffle.
GLPR's Deku hockey program is led by Sam Brink.
Brink said his hope for this season is that enough kids sign up so they can “play a real season, have their own team, their own coach, play against each other, have a little “It's about having the opportunity to compete.”
“This is a great opportunity to spread the national message that 'hockey is for everyone' to our local communities,” Brink said.
Later this month, Jacob Hollick will return to Latrobe and host a free clinic at the rink on March 29th from 6:30pm to 8pm. Holik shares his unique hockey story of starting his hockey career with the local deck and reaching the highest level of competition in his hockey with Team USA Ball.
The clinic is open to ages 7 to 12, and all registrants are automatically entered into a free equipment drawing. Space is limited to the first 30 people, so please apply early.
Not sure if deck hockey is for you? GLPR will be holding its annual “Free Deck Day” on March 20th, allowing kids to play without having to purchase equipment or pay a fee first. give the opportunity to try out the sport for free. However, if possible, children are encouraged to bring their own equipment.
“Our free clinic initiative underscores our commitment to promoting health, wellness and community engagement through exciting sports,” Brink said.
The free clinic will help grow GLPR's hockey audience and contribute to the first full season of Deku hockey in the new rink. The new season begins the week of April 9th for all age groups from 4-year-olds to his 16-year-olds.
Because GLPR wants to make Deku Hockey accessible to everyone, registration is only $50 for a full season.
To provide a program for all ages, Pickup Deku Hockey will be held on Wednesday nights starting March 27 for ages 17 and up.
Following last fall's highly successful pilot season, GLPR launches its first full season for adults (18+), opening April 7th. The league offers him 10 weeks of regular season games and playoffs. All players will also receive new jerseys.
Registration for all programs can be done online at latroberrecreation.org. The deadline for adult programs is March 28th and for youth programs April 1st. Brink has a number of volunteer coaches, but he said he has room to hire more coaches. If you are interested in coaching or have any other questions about the Deku hockey program, please contact sam@latroberecreation.org.
Brink said it's exciting for adults and children to play in the newly constructed rink. The new link project was made possible with funding from a number of sources, including Richard King's Mellon Foundation, the McFeely Rogers Foundation, Robindale Energy, several local families, and other donors through the Latrobe Foundation .
More information about the new rink is shared on the Greater Latrobe Dek Hockey page on Facebook.
