Ice hockey creates community in California
Here in Southern California, it is not common to see ice. You are much more likely to find a roller skating rink than an ice skating rink, which is what makes ice hockey players in Southern California all the more dedicated.
Hockey takes a lot of time to learn, as not only do athletes have to skate, they have to skate while being pushed and shoved by their opponents, all while trying to move a small rubber puck into a goal. For some, this aspect would immediately drive them away. However, for athletes such as Cody Davis, senior, center and team captain of the Ventura County Poseidon, a local team that plays at Iceoplex, the difficulty only makes him practice harder. “Hockey’s been my lifestyle for my entire life. I grew up playing it. I’ve been skating since I was two, so I’ve been skating longer than I’ve been walking so hockey has been kind of my passion and my sport,” Davis said.
While California is not well known for its hockey scene, it is still a tight knit community. In fact, Brandon Janes, English teacher,is an ice hockey goalie for a local team and has been playing for years, where he has seen firsthand the dedication and effort players are required to have. “It’s an interesting culture out here in Southern California. Lots of guys start playing roller hockey because roller hockey tends to be more popular out here and they transition to ice. I’ve got to the point as a goalie where I can come out onto the ice and I’m like, that guy came from roller. It’s a different style of play. It’s a different way of looking at the game,” Janes said.
Similarly, David Devemark, senior and left winger for the Ventura County Poseidon, feels that hockey in California is significantly different from hockey in east coast states. “Playing hockey in SoCal is unique. It’s good in some places and terrible in others. I have played in very nice rinks in places like LA or Anaheim as well as some awful rinks a bit more local. It has a large spectrum and I think that’s partly due to California not being a very large hockey state like Michigan or Maine on the East Coast,” Devemark said.
Hockey may not be the most popular sport in California, but it still manages to be one of the most competitive. It is a hard and dangerous sport to learn no matter what state you are in. However, hockey athletes especially in California have to put in even more work and dedication in order to train, and compete. “It’s going to take a lot of work. You can’t learn to skate overnight. It took me two years just skating till I actually started playing hockey. It’s one of the hardest things to do in the world. You’re going on a razor blade on one of the slippery surfaces in the world,” Davis said.
