Adult broomball league takes to the ice in Kalispell
Mark Freidline, recreation superintendent with Kalispell Parks & Recreation, comes from a Midwest community with a thriving broomball culture.
Broomball — a hybrid of hockey and soccer played without skates on ice — is the most popular intramural sport at Miami University of Ohio, where Freidline was a recreation programmer for many years. Miami University club teams won national broomball championships in 2016 and 2017 and the school even offers broomball as a two-credit physical education class.
“I thought it would be fun to bring broomball to the city of Kalispell and this community,” Freidline said. “We have a great facility at Woodland Ice Center.”
Kalispell’s first-ever adult broomball league, running Feb. 3 to March 3, is starting out small, with room for six teams. The 30-minute games will be played between 2 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday afternoons on the Woodland Park rink.
Signups are going on now for co-rec teams. All players must be 16 years and older, and each team must always have at least one male and female on the ice. Freidline said he will try to create a team if there are enough people signing up solo.
The objective of broomball is to shoot the ball past a goalkeeper into the net, using a stick with a molded broom-shaped head. Freidline said games are higher scoring than is typical of hockey or soccer, partly because there are fewer restrictions during play — the game won’t be stopped by offsides or icing calls.
The ball is fairly soft and substantially bigger than a hockey puck, so less eye-hand coordination is required to play than in hockey. Like soccer, players can kick the ball, though they can’t score with their feet.
Freidline played broomball when he was in Ohio. Even though players aren’t skating, navigating the ice presents its own learning curve, he said.
“It’s like walking before you can run,” he said. “You get more comfortable on the ice as you feel it out. As you progress you can slide a little more. The more comfortable you get, the more aggressive and risk-taking you can be.”
The Kalispell league requires helmets, and knee and elbow pads are also recommended. Players should wear a sports shoe with a good grip; Freidline said there are dedicated broomball shoes for the serious player.
Broomball can be as competitive as a player wants to make it, Freidline said, but for him it’s more about the camaraderie.
“This is a way for a group of individuals to get out and have fun,” Freidline said. “They can be physical and enjoy the outdoors once a week on a Sunday. It’s a low commitment level.”
Kalispell Brewing Co. has donated money for the purchase of equipment and Bias Brewing is sponsoring prizes for the league. Players 21 and older are also invited for a free drink at Bias Brewing after their games.
For more information or to sign up, call Freidline at 758-7717 or visit: https://www.kalispell.com/DocumentCenter/View/2040/Broomball-2019?bidId=