Hermitage seeks funding to build dek hockey rink at athletic complex

Jun. 5—HERMITAGE — When it comes to getting children involved in hockey, local options are limited — but a state grant could help bring a new dek hockey facility to Hermitage.

A variation of ball hockey, dek hockey is played on foot with an orange ball on a surface called "sport court," which can help reduce injuries when playing. Although there are no local rinks for dek hockey, city officials plan to eventually install one at the Hermitage Athletic Complex.

To help fund the project, the Hermitage board of commissioners unanimously voted to apply for a $250,000 grant through the Greenways, Trails, and Recreation program at the commissioners' latest meeting on May 25.

The program is administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development's Commonwealth Finance Authority, according to city documents.

If approved, the grant would cover 85 percent of the project's costs, with city funds covering the remaining 15 percent. Those local funds would be available in 2023, and would be allocated toward the project in the 2023 budget.

Hermitage Director of Planning and Development Jeremy Coxe said the project first got started when resident Brandon Weimerskir approached city officials, along with a few other local organizations, about getting a dek hockey rink.

Weimerskir said he originally graduated from Sharon High School in 2006 and attended college in Pittsburgh, giving him a chance to experience ice hockey. Although he did not have a chance to play the sport as a child, Weimerskir said he quickly became a fan of the sport as a young adult.

Eventually Weimerskir married and the couple decided to move back to the area in recent years after the birth of their second child, settling in Hermitage. However, Weimerskir said there was still a "hole" in the area as far as hockey programs were concerned.

"I think the closest rink if you live in the Sharon, Sharpsville or Hermitage area is about 30 minutes away in Neshannock," Weimerskir said.

While the distance could be a challenge for adults, even more factors make it "almost impossible" for children looking to enter the sport.

If a child wanted to play on a team, their parents may instead encourage them to play sports such as baseball or soccer, which would be more accessible and more affordable. Otherwise, parents would have to reach out to Neshannock-area schools about possible openings on their hockey teams.

"If you're 14 and you've never played hockey before a day in your life, then your options are almost zero," Weimerskir said.

If the grant application is successful and the dek hockey rink moves forward, Weimerskir said the project could provide a new opportunity to introduce children to the sport, while also giving a chance for local residents from multiple area municipalities to create programs at the facility.

And when not in use for a game or league, the facility's location at the Hermitage Athletic Complex would allow it to be open free to the public.

The court surface, a holed resin-material sometimes called "waffle boarding," sits on a concrete pad and allows for drainage when it rains. However, the city could also purchase a liner that would fill the rink with water and subsequently freeze, creating an ad hoc ice rink in winter.

But aside from dek hockey, the court's surface could allow it to be used for other sports such as lacrosse or roller hockey, Weimerskir said.

"It's something that could attract young families to live here in Hermitage, since it would add to the city's other amenities that encourage an active lifestyle," Weimerskir said.

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