THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9410210355
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY DOVE WIMBISH, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 154 lines
A FLUORESCENT ORANGE BALL crashed off a chain-link fence. Before it had time to hit the ground, a throng of teenage boys darted after it, half on skates, the rest on foot, each with a different kind of hockey stick and mismatched pads fastened by knotted shoestrings and rusty buckles.
``Hey, make sure Jamie isn't standing there being lonely. Stick with him!'' bellowed Anthony Edens, 15, of Chesapeake. ``Not so hard, Jeremy! That almost went over the fence!''
``So go get it!'' retorted Jeremy Illy, 15, of Virginia Beach.
Some of the boys had tough-guy names like ``Skull-crusher'' and ``Terminator'' hand-painted on the backs of their white T-shirts. Others had bright yellow-and-black penguin logos.
``Take that!'' Illy yelled, swinging his stick with all his might.
Whack! The ball went flying again.
While the Chesapeake Waves and the Virginia Beach Penguins battled it out in a four-square cage on the playground of Salem Elementary School in Virginia Beach, two other teams, the Ducks and the Raptors (formerly Slashers, formerly Hawks) waited their turn to play.
The action was part of an impromptu street hockey league, ragged and unorganized by adult standards, but a great source of pride to its young members.
The league's schedule is informal, usually drawn up between classes at school: ``Hey, man, how about a game at 2?'' ``No, I can't make it. Is 3 OK?'' ``Cool.''
The equipment is makeshift: a net made of wooden planks draped with a sheet; a few mix-and-match shin guards or face masks; skates if you have 'em, tennis shoes if you don't.
The playing field is where you find it: A neighborhood cul-de-sac, an outdoor basketball court, a schoolyard four-square cage.
The code of conduct is developed as the need arises: ``Hey, don't be throwin' Jake's stuff around! Only Jake can throw Jake's stuff around.''
IT'S A LEAGUE OF KIDS, by kids and for kids. Except for providing transportation for boys and equipment, adults are not involved. And that's the way the boys like it.
``We've been together about two years,'' said Edens, a member of the Chesapeake team called the Waves. ``I used to live in Virginia Beach. All the Penguins are from my old neighborhood. When I moved to Chesapeake, I got a bunch of kids together. Now my dad brings us here to play them or whoever. And there's other teams in Chesapeake, too.''
Ten-year-old Nathan Hilton is a recent addition to the Waves. The game against the Raptors was his first.
``It's fun, cool, sweaty, hot, but I'm going to play again, though,'' said Hilton. ``I don't want to stay at home and do nothing all day. It's a waste of a Saturday.''
The rules of the league are simple: No penalties, no fights, no cussing. Each team brings one net and fields six players. Unless the ball goes over the fence, it's in play. If a kid gets tired, he simply skates off to the sidelines, takes a break, and jumps back in when he's ready.
``You know what I like about hockey?'' asked Illy. ``If you don't want to play, you don't have to. It's not like a commitment; it's half a commitment.''
``I hated football,'' he said. ``You had to be on time or you'd get bitched at, you had to be at every game or you'd get bitched at, and you had to put up with other kids' crap or you'd get bitched at. Here, there aren't a bunch of adults out there getting you uptight.
``And, anyways, we're not out to get Olympic gold or nothing. We just want to have some fun - legally.''
STREET HOCKEY HAS BEEN a favorite pastime of kids in the North for years, but it was seldom played in Hampton Roads until the Hampton Roads Admirals built up a following here.
Most of the teams practice right in the streets of their neighborhoods. The boys don't worry if cars are parked at the curbs; they just play around them. It's part of the goalie's responsibility to move the net out of the way when an occasional car passes through.
The boys first got the idea of holding games on a four-square court, a fenced-in playing area found at some schools, about three years ago. Now it's their favorite place to play. There are no cars to worry about and the fence keeps the ball contained, so they don't have to spend so much time running it down.
Norman Doyle, the father of one of the boys who plays for the Raptors, enjoys watching the games from the sidelines.
``When they first started, they were the only ones out here,'' said Doyle. ``Now there are teams all over. I just show up to help if they need it and just let them have fun. If everyone leaves here today happy, it was a successful day of street hockey.''
Gary Haist, a driver for the Waves, agreed.
``It's good to see them out there, active and having fun,'' said Haist.
IN THE BEGINNING the first team to score 14 points was the winner, but the games were running too long to suit the boys. Now most games are limited to seven points.
Since there are no age or size limits, the players come in all sizes. And it's not always the bigger guys who have the advantage.
Stephen Shepard, a Virginia Beach Duck, can attest to that.
``I use skates, and being short helps me get around the big guys,'' he boasted. ``I think the shorter the stick is, the more higher you can make the ball go,'' said the 8-year-old.
Meanwhile, the game between the Waves and the Penguins continued.
``Good save, Caesar!'' screamed Jacob Drabent of Virginia Beach. The goalie, Caesar Lopez, 16, wearing a baseball mitt on one hand and a driving glove on the other, dropped to the pavement after preventing a goal. Then he jumped to his feet, adjusted the football shoulder pads under his shirt, and dragged his team's net back into place.
``Watch out, dude!'' Drabent yelled.
Lopez dived again. This time, he was too slow. The ball whizzed past his ear, slammed into the net by Mike Davis, 15, of Chesapeake, pushing the score to game point.
The Waves won, 7-5. According to custom, they had the right to another game. But they agreed to turn the cage over to the Ducks, who had been waiting on the sidelines.
``Let's give the other guys a chance,'' someone said.
As the Ducks took to the field, they realized they didn't have enough boys for a full team. No problem. Improvising is part of the game.
There was a flurry of recruiting among the other teams and, in the end, two Penguins, two Waves and two Ducks took to the court against the Raptors, formerly Slashers, formerly Hawks.
The rest of the Waves lined the sidelines to watch the next game, while the other Penguins piled their nets atop one mother's Saturn and loaded it up with gear. When the job was done, they all jumped on their bikes and took off.
``Hey, where are you going? Who's going to unload this stuff?'' the mom yelled out the window, as the boys disappeared in a cloud of dust.
``Swimming! Down at the lake!'' yelled Jeremy, pedaling off.
``But you don't have suits!''
Jeremy laughed. ``Who needs suits?'' ILLUSTRATION: Cover and inside photos by PETER D. SUNDBERG
[Color on the Cover]
Jay Jay Costa sits in the shade of a makeshift hockey net on the
playground of Salem Elementary School while he waits his turn to
play.
Players wait their turn for the next game of street hockey. There
are no age or size limits, so players come in all sizes.
Brian Eves, left, tries to score, while goalie Barak Hendricks gets
some defensive assistance from Norman Doyle, right.
Chesapeake Waves goalie Jeremy Showers snatches the ball before it
hits the net.
AT A GLANCE
If you want to find out more about getting involved in street
hockey or want to sponsor a team, call Andrew Haist of Chesapeake at
482-4806 or Jeremy Illy of Virginia Beach at 471-5184.
by CNB