The Kelowna Ball Hockey League (KBHL) has seen explosive growth over the last couple of years and it will be on full display at its youth championships this weekend (July 20-21).
"How do you grow your league from within? You make sure you have a running youth league," explained Whit Penner, VP and KBHL coordinator.
The KBHL started with four men’s teams in 2021-22, but after extensive advertising and spreading the word locally, it now has 11 men's teams, two women's squads and this year added 26 youth teams.
“It's quite a bit of growth," Penner added. “We did a lot of advertising on Sportsnet and went to a lot of (Kelowna) Rockets games and had conversations with parents and kids.”
Penner, who has been involved in ball hockey for over 20 years, attributes the sport's popularity as an alternative to other activities such as soccer, lacrosse and ice hockey. He also notes there are approximately 200,000 people in the Central Okanagan.
“There is no reason why ball hockey shouldn’t be decently sized in this city.”
Age is no barrier either.
"We have three and four-year-olds out there playing ball hockey and 50-something-year-olds going to national tournaments," Penner said.
While attracting youth to the sport is a main focus, Penner added growing the league as a whole is also key
“There is no women’s program for ball hockey here. We went from nothing to two teams and we’re hoping to jump to four teams.”
Penner said this weekend's championships will showcase young talent and community spirit. Teams in various divisions ranging from U5 up to U15/18 will be competing.
“We’re doing a presentation like an NHL All-Star Game. It’s a great way to end the season with a bang and get people to come down and see what ball hockey is all about.”
There will be medals for the players and a replica Stanley Cup.
The tournament is on Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21 at Memorial Arena (1424 Ellis Street). Games will be played between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.
More information about the tournament the KBHL is available on their website.
