Mulberry Park in Forney is now home to a brand-new outdoor dek hockey rink. Open to the public, the recently completed “sport court” features a space customized to play dek hockey and is adjacent to the tennis courts at Mulberry Park. The rink is open from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm daily, and a limited number of sticks and balls are available for public use.
The City of Forney is hosting a free Dek Hockey Skills Clinic and Demo on Saturday, January 9. Running from 9:00 am to noon, this youth skills camp will feature skills and drills from the DFW Marksmen of DFW Street Hockey and will also provide valuable information for parents interested in coaching or refereeing. All youth participants will leave with a new knowledge of the game, and those who sign up to participate in Forney’s first ever Dek Hockey League this spring will also take home a dek hockey stick and ball. Boys and girls interested in attending the clinic need to register online through the City of Forney’s Parks & Events website, found at www. forneytx.gov/DekHockey. Participants are required to wear running shoes and bring their own water to the event.
Similar to ball hockey or street hockey, dek hockey is played on foot, so no skating required! The object of the game is similar, as teams of three players each use plastic hockey sticks to hit a ball into the opposingteam’s goal. A no-contact game focused on making fitness fun, dek hockey is a great option for all ages.
Dek hockey was first played in 1974 in Leominster, Massachusetts, where the first three dek hockey surfaces were created. Raymond W. Leclerc developed these first three rinks, dubbed the Leominster DekHockey Centre, and was also instrumental in creating the ball used for the game, the G-Force hard ball. Dek hockey is played 3-on-3 and requires good sportsmanship, unlike its counterpart ice hockey which is known for its oftentimes aggressive fighting during the games.
The Forney Dek Hockey League will begin playing games next month. Registration is ongoing for three different divisions – Pee Wee for ages 5 and 6, Penguin for ages 7 and 8, and Beaver for ages 9 and 10. Signups will remain open through late January. All necessary equipment, with the exception of running shoes, has been generously provided for this inaugural season by JAC Management, the sponsor for the league. Players in the Forney Dek Hockey League will play three 13-minute periods per game in an 8-game season. Teams will consist of 7 to 10 players, with 3 players on the court at a time. There will be one team practice and one game per week. For more information about the league or to sign up, visit www.forneytx.gov/DekHockey.
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