BY NADINE ARMSTRONG

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

Ball hockey, a sport once relegated to warm weather and community sidestreets, is making a comeback indoors. And those who played the game as youngsters have rediscovered their love of the sport in Windsor.

Local enthusiasts converged in December to host the first-ever Ball Hockey Tournament at the Windsor Recreation Centre.

For the past two years, aficionados have played at the Centre every Tuesday evening and several participated in tournaments throughout Metro Halifax. This year, players decided to bring the action home in what was coined the “Chester Road Sickness Tournament”, held Dec. 21.

Although the weekly games are informal and players usually 'throw sticks' to pick teams, ‘Sickness’ organizer Troy Chandler says they take the sport as seriously as any ice hockey season.

“Different people turn out to play every time,” he said. “But there's always enough here for a good game.”

There are generally over a dozen between the ages of 19 and 45 that show up those evenings. “When we play,” he said, “it's just the same as ice hockey. We play just as hard.” Only in much warmer conditions, he added.

The tournament involved four teams with one calling itself team number five as a lark for the occasion and the other the official Chester Road Sickness Team.

The challengers that night were the Road Hammers and Scotia Titans, both veteran city teams. The Hammers took home the 'cup', but the event was about more than who won. It was a return to childhood ambitions.

“It's definitely making a comeback,” Chandler said of ball hockey and its prominence as an organized sport.

Player Joey March said it's a chance to 'find the beast inside'. “It's a small town, so what else is there to do this time of year?” he asked. “This is a great alternative for indoor activity and a ton of fun.”

In fact March claims it’s a better workout than ice hockey. “You've got to run a lot more because you can't rely on blades for stride,” he said. “It's much better exercise than you'd think.”

Even in mid-December, players will don shorts and T-shirts rather than the typical bulky ice hockey gear and it’s good to know there are female players, too.

“Any one who wants to play can come,” March said.

The group would love to host more tournaments in the future and increase its membership. Anyone interested in taking part can turn up at the center Tuesday evenings and get in on the action.