Middle Village Roller Hockey has taken a big step toward expanding the sport of hockey beyond traditional roller rinks by co-sponsoring a new ball hockey league in Brooklyn.
The league, which started at Kipp Amp Charter School in Crown Heights, is an exciting initiative to increase accessibility to the sport, especially for young people in the area.
MVP Roller Hockey, known for its dedication to growing the sport, partnered with Coach Michael Concepcion, who also teaches math at Kipp Amp. Concepcion’s commitment to his students both in the classroom and on the rink led him to start the ball hockey league as a way to offer more opportunities for his students to engage in sports.
The project received a significant boost thanks to a generous donation from the New York Islanders. The donation included hockey sticks, balls, nets, and jerseys for the league’s participants. In addition to the Islanders’ contribution, MVP Roller Hockey designed and purchased custom jerseys featuring the team’s new logo for all players, ensuring each participant felt part of a cohesive and professional team.
The launch event on Jan. 11, which took place at Kip Amp Charter School, saw league organizer Paul Pogozelski, Concepcion, and other representatives from the New York Islanders participate in an exciting ball drop ceremony. This event marked the official beginning of the ball hockey league, which will run for the next two months. It will give young players the opportunity to develop their skills in a fun and supportive environment.
For MVP Roller Hockey, the partnership is a natural extension of their mission to make hockey accessible to everyone. With this new ball hockey league, they are helping to remove barriers to participation, allowing students who may not have had access to roller hockey equipment to experience the thrill of the game.
To celebrate the league’s launch, MVP Roller Hockey arranged a special event on Sunday, Jan. 12. Several participants from the ball hockey league had the chance to come down and skate with kids from their roller hockey programs. This event served as an excellent opportunity to bridge the two sports and foster a greater sense of unity among the participants.
With the support of dedicated coaches like Concepcion and Pogozelski, and organizations like MVP Roller Hockey and the New York Islanders, the future of hockey across the boroughs looks brighter than ever.
Middle Village Roller Hockey has started spring registration for the 2025 season, which gets underway on March 15. Teams will be drafted at the end of January, and free clinics will open in February.
