On Tuesday, Sept. 5, the Flint Inner City Youth Hockey Program will be breaking in Flint’s first and only outdoor ball hockey court.
Anyone wishing to join in the celebration can come to the newly installed court in Mott Park across from its clubhouse (2401 Nolen Dr., Flint MI 48504) from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Held in conjunction with Friends of Mott Park Game Night, 30-40 children are already expected to participate, with some trying ball hockey for the first time.
The Flint Inner City Youth Hockey Program – created and led by local hockey leader Rico Phillips – will host a free clinic during the Opening Night festivities. Phillips, who won the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award in 2019 for his dedication to growing hockey in the Flint area, will be demonstrating proper techniques for holding and using a hockey stick before the participants play games.
Organized and led by John Guynn, the neighborhood services director for Genesee County Habitat for Humanity, a ball hockey court roughly half the size of a standard ice rink will now be available for use by the public. The court has sport court as its foundation, which is a specialized surface that increases balance and grip for players, which also being more forgiving on a body if one were to fall. Boards have also been constructed to keep the ball in play, while there are official regulation nets and lines painted on the surface to create a game-like feel for participants.
A special storage box is also loaded with street hockey sticks and hockey balls so that anyone can play – regardless of age, skill level or resources.
Guynn spearheaded the fundraising project necessary for the construction of the ball hockey court, securing a $45,000 grant from Genesee County Habitat for Humanity and the City of Flint. Perani’s Hockey World, Kettering University, United Way of Genesee County, Keep Genesee County Beautiful and Friends of Mott Park also assisted.
