By Leland Crouse
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July 1993 a group of Ada youngsters created a neat summer pastime playing “rollerblade hockey.” It all started initially with just a few neighborhood kids in the north end of town playing street hockey. They soon found that it was a lot more fun and a lot faster wearing rollerblades.
“A couple of us have been playing hockey for several years,” explains Joel Hauenstein age 11 and a member of the Strikers team. “We got some other kids interested and formed teams.”
Some of the kids had rollerblades and some just played in their street shoes. First there were just pickup games played on the smooth, new surface of W. Highland St. Kids from 6 to 12 are on the teams. One by one, they are acquiring the popular rollerblades.
As the summer progressed, the games became more structured. The boys and girls, with very little adult help, organized teams – the All-Stars, the Street Warriors and the Strikers. They also made team T-shirts, and set up playing rules. Ten year old Jared Simon’s dad, Denny Simon, improvised some goal nets, using PVC pipe and fish netting.
PICTURED BELOW: Front from left, Todd Shadley, Jeff Barnes, Ryan Ulrey (goalie for the Street Warriors), Peter Previte Jr (goalie for the Strikers, Joseph Previte (stick boy for Strikers), Shaun Hood, Isaac Anderson.
Back row from left, Jay Henry, Jeff Williams, Mike Crouch, Nate Ulrey, Jamie Simon, Alex McKee, Albert Previte, Joel Hauenstein and John Henry.
Missing from the action were Jared Simon Tony Lyle, Britton DeVier, Quinn Pifer, Jacob Conleym, Chad Musser, Jesse Hubbell, Jeremy Downing and Tommy Jones. The players range from age 6 to 12.
