Vanguard's Dillon Barton Represents Florida at 2022 World Skate Roller Games
Ten US teenagers will take center stage at World Roller Games on Oct. 23 in Argentina. Only one of them will represent Florida.
Vanguard's Dillon Barton will play with USA across his chest as he protects the net from the best junior national teams worldwide.
A senior varsity swimmer and soccer player who started playing rink hockey five years ago. Dillon gone from novice forward to the best goalie under 19 years old in the states.
Dillon's rink hockey journey started at Skate Away South as a 12-year-old middle schooler. He was one of the youngest to answer rink hockey greats Jeff Rabold and Johnny Mennenga's call to bring the sport back to Ocala.
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"I had just got my first pair of skates prior to that," Dillon said.
Dillon went to the rink for years with his friends on Friday and Saturday nights. But transitioning to the sport wasn't easy.
"I would hear the word hockey and be like "Ok, I know what that is". It wasn't a foreign concept, but it wasn't something I was familiar with," said Dillon.
Rabold brought out the sticks and round balls they'd used in the game on the first day of tryouts. The kids had to play keep away with Rabold and Mennenga, two roller hockey greats that have played since 1969. Dillon fell a couple of times that night.
He played his first tournament a few months after tryouts. The Ocala Hockey Club sent a team to Lincoln, Nebraska, for their first national championship. Dillon played forward.
"We were green. We didn't know much about the sport," said Dillon. "That showed us that if we want to go somewhere with this, we have to put in some work. We were playing against people who had been playing together for years, and we were a bunch of kids that just met in a sport we just learned about."
As he continued to play, his mom, Stacy Barton, suggested he should take skating lessons.
"That definitely sped up the learning curve towards the skating part of the game," said Dillon.
It paid off. Not only could Dillon dodge the little kids who flew around the rink on their triangular Skate Mates with ease, he had better control during his games.
Switching positions
A year later, a team out of Cumberland, Maryland, contacted Rabold in need of help. They needed a goalie for nationals. Rabold sent a text to Dillon and a teammate asking if they'd like to try out for the position. The teammate said no, and Dillon said yes.
"I got a set of goalie pads that were sitting in the back of the rink. Put those on, and just kind of started practicing from there," said Barton.
By the time they got to Spokane, a 15-year-old Dillon felt he was up to the task. Against world class teams, he was fairing pretty well. It wasn't smooth going the entire tournament, but bumps are to be expected in your first time in the cage.
"There are generations of players that are there, so they've been playing a really long time. Dillon had some people that had been playing for a long time and some players that hadn't been playing for a long time," Dillon's dad Robert Barton said.
His team finished second in the under-19 division. Robert was surprised by how well his son picked up the position. He had just held his own against some of the best players in the nation.
During the championship run, he slowed the best shooter in his age group. Martine Avelo, averaged 5 points a game during Nationals. In the two meetings against Dillon, he scored two goals.
"When I saw how well I was holding up against them. I thought to myself, 'I'm at the national championships. Where else can I go?'" said Dillon.
Spokane was Dillon's second national championship. It was also the first time he played goalie at this level.
Three years later
"He's gotten better every year. He's gone to a couple training camps with some international goalie coaches," said Rabold.
Dillon is fearless in the cage. A few weeks ago, he broke his face mask. "He doesn't have a problem at all with sticking his head in front of a shot. A lot of goalies want to try to block everything with the pads. Dillon's had his opportunity to not make any crazy hard, stretchy moves by just blocking it with his helmet."
From day one Dillon, played the goalie more aggressively. Instead of waiting to be shot at, he attacked the ball.
"The transition was pretty immediate. He got in the cage and did a great job," said Rabold. "Plus, we have some really good coaches as well because we have Johnny Mennenga. He's played goalie for me for 40 years. And still considered one of the best goalies in not only his age division but what we call in the US the bronze division."
There are three levels of rink hockey in the United States. The world class or gold division all the best players in the country under 40. The silver is for those who have aged out of the gold division or aren't as competitive anymore. Then there's the bronze division or coed division. Barton's coach Johnny Mennenga, 67, excels in both the silver and bronze division at the last few national championships.
Because of Barton's natural athleticism, he just needed to learn the details of the position. Bill Brackett had the pleasure of working with Dillon. Bracket, a former college and semi-pro catcher, taught Dillon much of glove positioning.
Barton's balance and flexibility help him in the cage. Coach Rabold attributes both of those things to his experience in other sports.
"He has strong legs, and that comes from soccer. He has good balance whether he's on both skates or one skate and is extremely flexible" Rabold said. "Dillon is an athlete. He plays soccer, he swims. He's not what I would call a natural, but he is an athlete. He's hard working. He works on his craft, dedicates himself, listens, learns, and has excelled."
He's also had to defend the net against his coaches' sons. Patrick Mennenga is one of the most talented hitters in the country. When he was younger, they'd have him demonstrate his shooting skills at training camps. Rabold's son Jarrod is an alternate on the men's world team this year. Barton's used both as training partners.
The selection process
During the 2021 National Championship in Cedar Rapids USA Roller Sports (USARS) announced they'll have tryouts not national teams. After a third place finish he headed to the other side of the rink.
"There were a few people I knew there that were pretty up far up in terms of skill that I wasn't at yet. I was pretty nervous seeing all the people that were going for the same spot that I was," said Dillon Barton.
Unbeknownst to Dillon, there was already a buzz after his play in the tournament. He was recognized as one of the best goalies of the event.
“Being involved with this sport for 50 years, I had already had conversations with the coaches and some of the people that run the selection committee. They all wanted to know how he came along so fast,” Rabold said.
Following the tryout, they announced who was selected. First, the women's team, then the men's, and finally Dillon's division, the juniors.
Dillon stood next to guys he'd met throughout his years in the sport. One by one, their names were called.
"I was happy for them," Dillon said with a smile.
The goalies were the last to be called. A coach walked up to Dillon with a packet that said USA roller sports. He was selected for the national team.
Dillon's parents were on the other side of the rink. He kept the packet behind his back as he approached his parents. When Stacy asked how it went, he handed her the USARS packet.
"I think there were a few tears," Stacy recalls. "We were happy knowing how he felt for going out on a limb and trying out for the team if you make it great. If you don't keep practicing hard and try out next time."
"I was really happy for him. I was happy he got selected," said Robert Barton, Dillon's dad. "I was confident. I felt he had a really good shot at it. I was happy to see it come true for him."
Dillon was excited about the selection too. On the way back to the hotel they stayed at, he called everyone who helped him make it this far. Mennenga and Brackett received calls where Dillon thanked them for all the hard work they put into him.
"It was good to let them know they didn't waste their time," said Dillon.
His teammates from Ocala were ecstatic. They were happy someone from Florida would represent them in Argentina.
After national team selections came practice and chemistry building. With the team being spread out around the country, they've had to pack a lot of training into a short window. One weekend Dillon met the team in Cumberland, Maryland. While staying at a friend from the junior national team's house he practiced for 16 of the 48 hours he spent in town.
"That was good to kind of get some team building in and understand how we'd all work with each other," said Dillon Barton.
The roller rink hockey community is tight-knit. The junior national team members have played against each other since they were kids. They've built relationships with each other over the years.
The jump from floor player to becoming one of the best goalies in the country stunned everyone. Barton started as the backup goalie for the team but will go to Argentina as a starter on the under-19 team.
Bound for Argentina
This is Dillon's first time going out of the country since his elementary school days. A trip he doesn't remember very well.
Dillon doesn't have to worry too much about school on his ten day business trip. He only needs two more credits to graduate, and USARS excuses you from all school and work when representing the country in international events.
"If he was not an A, B student, he probably wouldn't be going, but he's pretty good at school," said Stacy.
Dillon's already had discussions with Vanguard officials about his international roller hockey debut. They were just as happy as his parents were.
For the first time in Dillon’s roller hockey career, his family won’t be in the stands. Robert, his dad, will be there, but his mom, Stacy will miss her son playing in his first international event.
She’ll catch every game via a live stream on the USARS website.
The U.S. team won’t have the experience the international teams will. It’ll only make Dillon a better player. Not only will he play against some of the world’s best youth players, he’ll have a front row seat to watch the world’s best in the senior division.
"That made me a little nervous at first. This is their livelihood and I'm just some kid that play for fun," said Dillon.
Dillon's team doesn't expect to be the best in Argentina. Their roster has players two and three years younger than their competition. This is a big step for Team USA but the team has the right mindset going into the event.
"Like Dillon's coaches said, "You may not win the gold, but you'll have a golden experience". For these kids at their age, you just ask for them to go and do their best and enjoy it," Stacy said.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Vanguard swimmer heads to Argentina for World Roller Games 2022
