News Release
New
Street Hockey Rink Opening In Hernando
HERNANDO - Boys and girls grab some skates and a stick because plans are being made to build a new street hockey airnasium at the Hernando Civic Center, which will be part of a $250,000 investment for the park.
Robin Costa with the Maddox Foundation in Hernando met with Memphis RiverKings Don Parsons and Hernando Youth Baseball Commissioner Danny Phillips last night to discuss plans for the new "airnasium," which will be an open-air, bordered arena surrounding a concrete slab to accommodate street hockey matches.
The idea for the skating facility was sparked when Linda Rice, assistant principal at Hernando Middle School, called Costa about the need to have some place in DeSoto County for kids to skate and hone their hockey skills.
Costa said that she is hoping to move on the project quickly enough to start hosting street hockey camps at the new rink by June 15. She said the Maddox Foundation will provide the seed money to get the $100,000 hockey rink off the ground.
"That park was really designed for a broader range of activities, and it's a great tool for the community and in a great location," Costa said. "There's just a limited number of things for our youth to do in DeSoto County during the summer, and this will be a perfect opportunity to give them a safe and healthy environment to spend their time."
Parsons said that the camps will be offered to different age groups throughout the summer, featuring instruction and coaching by several of the RiverKings' players, and Costa said she hopes that a Junior RiverKings street hockey league will be started as an after school program next fall.
"It's all about the kids and to keep them involved and off the streets," Parsons said. "We shouldn't have any problem filling the camps up whatsoever, and we should draw from a lot of different places."
Costa said that they are still working on the specifics and finalization of the plan, and Parsons will be providing the designs for the new rink.
The park is owned by the Hernando Lion's Club, Rotary Club and Saddle Club, and Phillips said that he expects every club to support the project, though all three clubs must approve of the facility.
"These clubs are willing to support anything that promotes positive activities for our youth," Phillips said.
Along with the street hockey rink, plans are also being discussed to build a two-story community center at the Hernando Civic Center, full with concession stands, restrooms, storage rooms and a conference room upstairs.
"This facility will be able to provide a place for all clubs to meet, as well as for coaches meetings during baseball tournaments," Phillips said.
Costa said that the Maddox Foundation is willing to provide a challenge grant for the community center, which would match every dollar raised by the community, but she said plans have to be finished on the community center.
