Rec Level Jr. Ice Flyers Putting Smiles on Faces Pensacola Association Wants ‘Fun Experience’ For Everyone
By Matt Mackinder I
n the Miami and Tampa Bay areas of Florida, hockey has become an impact sport.
In the Panhandle, well, not so much. It’s getting
there, though, and the Pensacola Jr. Ice Flyers youth organization is a major component of the growth factor. Formed in 1996 and icing a team every season since then with the exception of the 2008-09 sea- son, the Jr. Ice Flyers play a valuable role within the Northwest Florida Hockey League (NFHL), even if getting ice time can be hard to come by. “With the success of the Lightning and Panthers,
hockey is established in Central and South Florida, but up here in the Panhandle, hockey is still in its growing phase,” said Jr. Ice Flyers’ vice-president and coach-in-chief Nick Skelton. “Since we are so isolated (hockey wise) in the Panhandle, it’s very dif- ficult. Here, we have one sheet of ice in about a 90- mile radius with the closest one in Biloxi, Miss., that is in an event center, where we have to work with their scheduling. If we had a dedicated ice facility in the area, ice hockey would be huge and would be established here for many years to come.” The youth program started 15 years ago with the ECHL and Pensacola Ice Pilots, but when the Pilots left in 2008, so did youth hockey. In 2009, when the city announced they were bringing hockey back to the city, a group of parents decided to get together and reform the youth program. The Ice Flyers pro team plays in the Southern
Skelton said the coaches within the Jr. Ice Flyers
organization, all volunteers, are the “best on the Gulf Coast.”
“One great advantage of living in a beach com-
munity is that you have a lot of people from up north who settle down here because of the weather, the laid-back atmosphere and the beaches,” said Skelton. “In that ever-increasing population, there are a lot of people who played hockey growing up. We have for- mer professional players, former college players and guys who have dedicated coaching careers. I couldn’t imagine having an association without them.” Getting the word out is key to having the number
of players increase and those numbers are steadily climbing. Once a player comes aboard, Skelton wants that player to learn what being a Jr. Ice Flyer is all about and to know that wins and losses are but a minor detail in the grand scheme of things. “Since we are recreational league, the most grati-
Pensacola Jr. Ice Flyers forward Tanner Quenneville (left) celebrates with Tino Passarelli after scoring a goal in a Pee Wee game in Huntsville, Ala., last January. Photo/Kara McConaghey
Professional Hockey League (SPHL) and players and coaches occasionally come out to the youth practices to provide lessons, encouragement and even smiles. “Getting the players to help promote hockey in the community is very valuable,” Skelton said. “This season, we are hoping to get some progressive style clinics going on where the players and coaches will work throughout the year with the kids and help them develop even more fully as hockey players.”
fying aspect to all of this is seeing a smile of the kid’s faces,” Skelton said. “We could win a tournament or a championship, and that would be fine, but if the kids aren’t having fun, then something is wrong. “We like to have fun while playing hockey and we
are competitive and want to win, but if those kids don’t have smiles on their faces at the end of the day, something isn’t right and we haven’t done our job. All of this has been possible through the love of hockey and all the people who have stepped up and volunteered their time over the years to make sure youth hockey is fun experience for all the kids here in Pensacola.”
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