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‘Cowboy Don’ providing opportunities with Jr. Bolts in Daytona Beach By Matt Mackinder
I
t all started rather innocently when Don Clark was coaching a roller hockey team called the Colts. Cangelosi was thrilled initially, but then responded
with a question. During the season, he donned a cowboy hat to go
with the team’s logo scheme. He only figured he’d wear the hat for that one season, but it has since become his trademark as he’s now known as “Cow- boy Don.” But Clark is more than a hat on the bench. He’s single-handedly grown the Florida Jr. Bolts organiza- tion based out of the Daytona Ice Arena in Daytona Beach from one Pee Wee A team a year ago (then called the Volusia Jr. Bolts) to four teams this season – Squirt, Pee Wee A, Pee Wee AA and Bantam. “I was on the roller hockey side for a long time,” explained Clark. “When I coached the Colts, the kids really took to the hat and five national roller hockey championships later, here we are. I still wear the hat, too.”
Prior to last season, Clark became interested in
getting involved in the ice hockey side of things. How he started his own team was actually pretty simple. “I took one of my roller teams and put them on
the ice,” said Clark. “Then I got four or five other kids and put them on the team and we skated a full season of Pee Wee A hockey last season. And we won the SAHOF championship. How’s that for a first season?” Still, Clark struggles to take all of the credit for do- ing something he feels anyone could have done that
has a passion for youth hockey. “Many, many miracles have happened to be able to put this organization together,” said Clark. “All the parents got on the bandwagon and have created a very positive push for the program not only at the rink, but all around town. I liken how fast we’ve grown to someone who grabs a surfboard and just goes surfing. It just happened so quickly. “This organization, I just can’t say enough good things about it. Everyone is on board with our phi- losophy and we’re all on the same page. The first month of this season, things kind of went haywire, but we resolved everything in a very positive manner and got untracked.” Clark currently coaches two teams – the Mission
Mafia ’99 roller hockey team and the Jr. Bolts Pee Wee AA contingent. He’s a rare breed of coach in that he guides both roller and ice teams during the same season.
And he’s a top-notch recruiter. Clark is always look-
ing at ways to bring new talent to the Jr. Bolts and feels the four teams the organization has this season can match up with any team in the state. “One thing I noticed last year is that we’d go play a team and the other team would think we weren’t any good because we were new, whatever,” said Clark. “Then we would beat them 7-0 and that other team would just look at us and say ‘Wow!’” Opportunity and quality coaching is what a Jr.
Bolts player will get playing in Daytona Beach, said Clark.
“There are definitely a lot of opportunities with our organization,” said Clark. “We only spend about 25-30
The Volusia Jr. Bolts (now Florida Jr. Bolts) Pee Wee A team celebrates its SAHOF championship last spring. Head coach Don Clark (in the cowboy hat) has grown the Jr. Bolts organization to one team last season to four this year.
RUBBERHOCKEY.com 5
hours a month on the ice, so we’re creative with our ice time. We do all of the off-ice training, chalk talk, things like that.
“Our main goal, and it’s not wins and losses or championships, is all about improving the kids that play here and teaching them how to play the game the right way. We don’t go through the motions and winning isn’t our emphasis.” Clark also said that he hopes the Jr. Bolts can
climb to six teams next year and eventually, a junior team can call Daytona Ice Arena home.
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