Floorball

AMHA MEMORIES

A weekend to remember

Every year teams enter into tournaments early as they are a hot commodity and we had our eye on a mountain getaway. We entered the Kimberley tournament before Tiering Round, it being a tier 5 tournament, where we’d started our Tiering Round. In the end we slotted in T3.

After much deliberation with the coaching staff and the tournament co-ordinator, we decided to continue on with our plans to head west and take part in the tournament.

The parents and kids alike took this weekend with a grain of salt. We didn’t know what we were heading into competition wise, but we did know one thing, we were going to make the most out of this time together and grow as a team. From skiing, mini sticks, sledding and pool time, there was plenty fun to be had for all!

Like human nature, you always try and do your best, and although winning is always fun, winning isn’t everything. As it turned out, we ended up moving through the round robin with players trying out new positions and working on the elements of hockey that makes a team successful; communication, support, respecting the game and its participants, and so on.

As we reached the final on that Sunday morning, we as a team decided it would be best if we would forgo the gold medal final and allow two teams of equal calibre to compete for the medals.

Our players and parents took the news very well. We explained to our team that they have just brightened the day of 17 kids and allowed them to play for the gold.

Once we returned to Airdrie each player received a token of appreciation and a letter of recognition for their hard work, dedication and sportsmanship.

It’s hard not to get wrapped up in all the excitement of winning; however, we all felt we won that weekend; cruising the slopes, wiping out on the sled hill, a few frosty pints in the hot tub, hanging with friends and even sneaking in a few hockey games! That’s what it’s all about.

Floor hockey refers to a type of indoor hockey sport that derives from various hockey codes. This includes, but is not limited to, floorball, field hockey, ball hockey and roller hockey.

Why Floorball? Isn't it just Floor Hockey?

HISTORY

The game of floorball was invented in Gothenburg, Sweden, in the early 1970s and was played for fun in schools. As the sport began to grow in popularity, formal rules were developed and floorball clubs were formed.

THE IFF

The International Floorball Federation (IFF) was founded in 1986 and was created mainly by people who couldn’t skate well enough to play ice hockey. However, floorball serves as an excellent complementary sport to ice hockey as it allows for the development of many similar skills. As of 2009, floorball is now played in almost 80 countries around the world, with 55 countries that are recognized members of the IFF.

FLOORBALL CANADA

Floorball Canada has been a member of the IFF since 2001.

FLOORBALL FACTS

· Floorball uses a special lightweight stick and ball, as well as rules of play that promote less aggression than floor hockey.

· Floorball does not require that you have skills relating to hockey to compete.

· Floorball requires stick play to be under waist-level height.

· The sport does not allow body checking.

· It follows rules of play that are similar in nature to soccer whereby strategies of using the full gym to move the ball to create scoring opportunities is encouraged.

· Floorball goalies are on their knees and have protected creases to prevent players from entering into their net area.

· Goalies do not have a stick and can handle the ball in ways that resemble a soccer goalie.

For more information on floorball, visit Hockey Canada’s website: www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/hockey-programs/ schools/floorball/what-is-floorball WHY FLOORBALL?