Sports

Rolling Along: Roller Hockey Program Thrives in Peachtree Corners

Published

4 years ago

February 5, 2021

Norcross Roller Hockey’s MS Rink Rats vs. MS Gladiators Game at a January game (Photo by Paul Peterson, Visit his profile for more information, www.flickr.com/people/paulpete)

They’re small by comparison, but scrappy. And quite skilled.

High school team vs. Norcross Roller Hockey coaches (Courtesy NRH)

The Norcross Roller Hockey Program (NRH) at Pinckneyville Park on the Peachtree Corners-Norcross boundary may not gather in the thousands of youths and adults who take part in area football, baseball and recreational soccer programs, but interest is growing, said league officials, even if more than a few local people have no idea the program exists.

What they lack in size, they more than make up for in enthusiasm. The games are like a fluid dance with a hockey stick accompaniment as players move rhythmically up and down the court on their inline skates, constantly in motion, deftly passing (and stealing) the hard plastic puck and taking shots at a hyper-focused goalie.

It’s a tight-knit and supportive bunch that gathers each week at a well-appointed rink that boosters think is likely the finest outdoor roller hockey facility in the Southeast.

“We are in excess of 100 players right now, “said John Hendry, President of the parent Peachtree Booster Club, which also includes a soccer program. “We have been as high as 250 people (in a non-COVID year), so it’s varied between 100 and 250 over the years.”

Norcross Roller Hockey’s MS Rink Rats vs. MS Gladiators Game at a January game
(Photos by Paul Peterson, Visit his profile for more information, www.flickr.com/people/paulpete)

“A lot of it is letting people know we’re here,” he added. Agreeing with that, Mark Ogden said, “It was tough getting the word out. We always found that a lot of people didn’t know about the program. Either they weren’t close to it or we didn’t do a good enough job of publicizing it. You’re always in competition with other sports.” Ogden presided over NRH for nearly a decade and stepped away after his kids aged out of the sport.

A northern game moves south

Ogden gets a huge credit for advancing the program that kicked off in 1975 at the behest of northern transplants who wanted to bring their favorite sport south. Games — originally it was only an adult league — were held in the gym at Peachtree Elementary School, later moving to a concrete slab in Pinckneyville Park after Gwinnett County built it in the early 1990s.

Longtime officials praise Ogden for lobbying the county to construct the current rink around 2006. The $1.6 million project included a sport court surface designed specifically for inline hockey, new dasher boards, quality lighting, an upgraded scoreboard and cooling fans for hot-weather games.

Today the operation is helmed by hockey vice president Nick Sally, who said NRH is still upping its game, having improved its website and increasing its social media presence. He brings a lot of cred, having grown up playing roller hockey and swatting the hard plastic puck in college and semi-pro play later.

Sally’s still hip-deep involved, playing in the adult program as well as coaching. His youngsters are in the youth division, which starts with 4 to 6-year-olds and extends upward to the youth hockey program encompassing categories from 8 and younger to 18 and under.

Skill and character

The kids obviously want to win, but Sally is quick to point out that “we try to make it very family friendly, which fits right into the Peachtree Corners vibe. We have proud parents cheering for the kids, but nobody is yelling and screaming at each other.”

The program puts a strong emphasis on recreation coupled with skill and character development, he and others said.

Three of the players on the Gladiators youth team that lost on a 10-9 shootout that January Saturday nevertheless displayed a pumped and positive vibe. To a person, they signal they’ve developed greatly and are by no means done with that process.

“We put a lot of effort into the game and we may have lost, but we played pretty well,” said Ben Vanden Bos. He said he wants to shift to ice hockey at some point and got interested after seeing his uncle coach a team.

“I think I’ve become a lot more athletic playing roller hockey,” he explained. “It is harder than a lot of different sports. There are more mechanics with shooting and developing strength through skating.”

Teammate Eduardo Avila-Hinton Junior also has his gaze on the ice and said, in addition to developing character and motor skills, he’s been able to connect and make new friends. And he says it’s helped take his mind off teenaged stress (he’s 13) and the overall events of the year when he gets lost in midst of a contest.

And then there are the lessons that are not as apparent on the surface as are the toned muscles and rocket like passing and puck-handling. “It’s taught me to be more humble,” said Timothy Hendry, “and not act arrogant about how I play or how I am with sports. It’s also teamwork.”

Norcross Roller Hockey coach Mike Bergeson (Courtesy NRH)

“It’s a natural progression,” John Hendry, father of Timothy, said of the desire to glide and slide on ice. “As the kids get into the teenage years, a lot of them are moving up to ice. It’s a loss for us but it’s a win for the sport.”

Norcross Roller Hockey coach Jim Asztalos
(Courtesy NRH)

On the plus side

He does point out the roller form of the sport has some distinct advantages over and differences from the iced version — even if they are close cousins.

Body checking is not allowed, and that means fewer injuries. Positions aren’t divided into offensive and defensive ranks, which results in a fluid, rhythmic motion up and down the court, making a game more of an endurance contest and a showcase for teamwork. Players are four to a team with a goalie instead of five.

And, said Hendry, there’s a financial factor. The league costs about $100 for a three-month season.

“I know how expensive other sports can be,” he said, running well into the hundreds of dollars “and this gives them the same benefit at a much lower cost.” It’s also a quick learn, he said. Kids step onto the play surface with no experience and within three weeks, “they’re skating and handling the puck and able to take part in the game.”

Ogden maintains a strong affinity for the game, even though he’s gotten out of active involvement with the league and booster club, and he thinks back to when he got involved. His oldest began playing after a neighboring friend took up the sport, then the other two joined in.

“I just fell in love with it,” he said.

As have literally successive generations. Youngsters playing in the program are following in the footsteps, well, skates of parents and even grandparents who also played.

With other roller hockey rinks having opened in places such as Snellville and Peachtree City and the local kids traveling to play teams there, the future looks busier.

“I see no sign of it going away anytime soon,” said Hendry. “I’ve been involved with this program for ten years and it’s definitely growing.”

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Doing Good

Pickle for Pups Combines Pickleball, Parties and Fun for a Worthy Cause

Published

3 weeks ago

October 1, 2024

Shawne Taylor

The two-day event aims to raise funds for local dog rescue

Show off your pickleball skills, cheer on the players, meet fellow dog lovers and enjoy the beautiful facility and courts at Life Time Health & Fitness Center in Peachtree Corners at the second annual Pickle for Pups fundraising weekend.

large outdoor facility with tennis and pickleball courts — Life Time pickleball courts, courtesy of Pickle for Pups

Whether you’re a tournament-level player or a pickleball beginner, this two-day event offers fun for everyone. With exciting games, drills and open play; a Friday night party; Saturday team tournament; and an online raffle, it’s a great way to meet and mingle with other pickleball enthusiasts while supporting the work done by BarkVille Dog Rescue.

Weekend events

The festivities kick off on Friday, November 15 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. with an evening of food, drinks, live music and pickleball. The Life Time pros will offer clinics and drills, and other courts will be available for open play. Some of the rescue’s adorable, adoptable dogs will even be onsite for the fun.

dog on a leash wearing a halo — photo courtesy of Pickle for Pups

Saturday, November 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will feature the team tournament with two divisions: 3.0/3.5 and 4.0/4.5. Matches will include one men’s line, one women’s line and two mixed lines. The top four teams in each level will advance to the medal round, and medals for the top three teams in each division will be awarded.

Participants can form their own team or ask to be placed on a team at their level.

Team tournament players will receive a boxed lunch, and food will also be available for purchase at the club restaurant.

In addition to tournament play, beginners clinics and drills will be offered from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., and open play will be available for those who can’t commit to the full afternoon but still want to have some pickleball fun.

There will be nine courts available for Friday night and 12 courts for Saturday. All courts are permanent pickleball courts and indoor courts are also available, so the event will be held rain or shine.

Ticket options

The Drinks & Dinks pass includes entrance to the Friday evening party (complete with food, drink, live music and pickleball), as well as entry on Saturday for open play, clinics and drills. Cost: $50.

The Top Dog “Team Up for Rescue” tournament pass is for people playing in the team tournament and includes registration for all of the action on Saturday as well as the Friday night party and an event swag bag. Cost: $75.

Both ticket options allow you to come both days or just one day.

large outdoor pickleball court facility — photo courtesy of Pickle for Pups

The raffle

Pickle for Pups is also holding a raffle featuring amazing prizes, including an all-inclusive trip for two to the Caribbean, a Zane Navratil ProXR paddle and virtual lesson, gift cards to local restaurants and more.

New prizes will be added weekly leading up to the event. Raffle tickets can be purchased online through November 16. The drawing will be held that day at 3:00 p.m.

Ten raffle entries are $25; 140 entries can be purchased for $200. Other entry packages are available for $50 and $100 as well.

The details

Event dates: November 15-16

Location: Life Time Health Club & Fitness Center at 6350 Courtside Dr. NW, Peachtree Corners, GA

For more information or to make a donation, purchase event tickets or buy raffle entries, visit go.rallyup.com/pickleforpups2024.

For more about BarkVille Dog Rescue, visit barkvilledogrescue.org.

Information about Life Time in Peachtree Corners can be found at lifetime.life/locations/ga/peachtree-corners.

Community

Olympian Jasmine Jones Visits Her Local Alma Mater

Published

4 weeks ago

September 25, 2024

Shawne Taylor

Olympic athlete standing with a school mascot

Olympian Jasmine Jones, a standout alumna of Greater Atlanta Christian School (Class of 2020), returned to her alma mater on September 12 to speak to and inspire the next generation of students there.

GAC staff interviewed Jones and also took questions from the students during a Q&A session that included every grade level.

Female Olympic athlete being interviewed onstage — photo courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School

As a member of the U.S. Olympic team and a 12-time Georgia state individual champion during her time at GAC, Jasmine’s visit was a homecoming filled with motivation and reflection. She spoke passionately to the students about the importance of perseverance, goal-setting, and embracing challenges, drawing from her journey from GAC to the University of Southern California and the global stage of the Olympics.

Jones qualified for the Paris Olympics on June 30 and made the U.S. team in women’s 400m hurdles after placing third. She went on to place fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles final at the Paris games.

Female Olympian meeting members of the audience in a school auditorium — photo courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School

Students and staff at GAC cheered Jones on during the Olympics. And they cheered her again as she took to the school’s stage to address the audience. Before and after the event, Jones posed for photos, gave high-fives and took time connect with some of GAC’s enthusiastic students and faculty.

Female Olympian meeting students at her alma mater — photo courtesy of Greater Atlanta Christian School

Her words — and her accomplishments — left a powerful impression on the crowd, reminding everyone of the heights that can be achieved with dedication and faith.

For more about GACS, visit greateratlantachristian.org.

Sports

A Record-Breaking Year for Wesleyan Athletics

Published

5 months ago

June 3, 2024

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

Wesleyan is known for its faith-based academic excellence, but maybe you didn’t know that the school’s athletic prowess is just as impressive.

Girls Cross Country // Images courtesy of Wesleyan

Wesleyan School is known for its faith-based academic excellence, but maybe you didn’t know that the school’s athletic achievements are just as impressive. This year alone, Wesleyan has amassed an astounding nine state championships.

“The Wesleyan School athletic program has been incredibly blessed to enjoy a significant amount of success during the 2023-2024 school year. Winning nine state championships is a credit to our student-athletes, coaches, and parents,” said Chris Cleveland, head of school and assistant coach for the varsity boys basketball team.

Nine state championship titles are the most Wesleyan has ever won in a single school year. But the school’s athletic department is focused on far more besides winning.

“While winning a state championship is a substantial accomplishment that is worthy of celebration, it is not the sole measure by which we measure the success of a season. It is our greatest desire and prayer that the lives of our students will be transformed due to the investment by our coaches and through the relationships they build with their teammates,” added Cleveland.

After the girls and boys lacrosse teams won their state titles earlier this year, Wesleyan now has a state championship in every sport they field.

“We are so proud of our student-athletes, coaches, and our entire athletics program. Regardless of the number of state championships in a given year, our goal is to develop young men and young women of character. When recognition like state titles accompanies that objective, it certainly is a lot of fun and a great honor for our entire community,” commented Lacy Gilbert, director of athletics.

Congratulations to all Wesleyan student-athletes, coaches and faculty for this incredible accomplishment.

List of team titles:

Girls Softball
Girls Cross Country
Boys Swim & Dive
Girls Swim & Dive
Girls Lacrosse
Boys Lacrosse
Girls Tennis
Girls Track & Field
Boys Golf

List of individual titles:

Weezie Moore – Girls Cross Country
Abbey Suits – Dive
Hattie Wasmuth – Swim: 200 Medley
Max Perry – Swim: 50 Free
Ryan Cowart, Jace Neeb, JJ Neeb and Max Perry – Swim: 200 Free Relay
Ansley Chapman, MC Harrison, Vivian Hosier and Hattie Wasmuth – Swim: 200 free relay
Ryan Cowart, JJ Neeb, Max Perry and Connor Worgo – Swim: 400 free relay
Ansley Chapman, Lily Corbitt, Vivian Hosier and Hattie Wasmuth – Swim: 400 free relay
Weezie Moore – Track & Field: 3,200 meters
Kyra Brubaker, Ansley Voss, Eva Murphy and Julie Anne Bush – Track & Field: 4 x 800-meter relay
Anne McSweeney – Track & Field: 800 meters
Ben Vondrak – Track & Field: Wheelchair 800 meters and 200 meters