Summer in the City will be here before we know it, and Sports in the City is back and better than ever! Organizers are getting ready for the return of Hockey in the City, and are preparing to welcome something new to the festival – adult co-ed beach volleyball!
Jamie Roy is hosting Hockey in the City again this year. He says it’s a popular sport that gets kids active and having fun.
“It’s a 3-on-3 ball hockey tournament on the T.G. Smith arena floor, open to kids from the U7 age group all the way to the U15s. You need a minimum of four players to make up a team, so three players and a goalie. You can have a maximum of seven players if you want, and sub out during the games.”
Typically all the Hockey in the City games happen Saturday morning and the tournament’s done by early afternoon. But this year they’re hoping to change it slightly.
“We’d like to start the tournament on Friday evening and get everybody to play one game. That way registration’s complete and Saturday morning we can flow through the games and playoffs, so everyone can go enjoy the midway Saturday afternoon.”
Fans of Steinbach’s MJHL hockey team will be excited to learn that some current and future Pistons players will be helping out with Hockey in the City as well.
While most of the Pistons live in other provinces, a few are local to the Southeast, and Roy says they ref the games and interact with the kids, which adds to the fun.
“We might even have a little appearance from the Turnbull Cup this year too, so you can maybe get some photos with the trophy!”
Roy reminds those interested that it’s not on skates so you don’t have to be a good skater or a good hockey player – it’s all about having a good time.
Registration’s $10 a person, you get a T-shirt to wear as your team jersey, and there are prizes to be won. (Typically, wristbands for the midway!)
So find some friends and sign up as soon as possible at https://summerinthecity.ca/performers/hockey-in-the-city-registration/
Jo-Anne Dalton is coordinating beach volleyball for Sports in the City. She says this year is particularly exciting, as they get to play on the city’s brand-new beach volleyball court.
“It’ll be beautiful – they put sand into the new outdoor arena at the T.G. Smith Centre. There are at least three courts there, so we'll be playing in that space in brand-new sand!”
Dalton says that’s not the only thing that’s new. This year, they’re inviting adults to play as well.
“We're adding an adult beach co-ed four tournament Friday evening. I coordinate another league in the region for adults playing co-ed beach volleyball, so I know there's a lot of interest. That’s why we decided to open it up for adult registration and see if we can get 18+ volleyball games going at Sports in the City!”
Adult beach volleyball will happen on Friday night, followed by youth beach volleyball on Saturday. Dalton says you’ll need four people on the court at all times, and at least two females on each team to qualify for co-ed.
“It's pretty much just volleyball rules with a few beach variations – no open-handed tips, things like that.”
Youth teams will be divided into grades 6-8, grades 9-10, and grades 11-12.
On the day of the tournament, check-in will begin at 8:00 AM – that’s when players will get their team T-shirts, schedule for the day, and a copy of the rules.
“We’ll be on the courts by 9:00 AM. It’ll be round-robin style, so all teams will play single matches, and move on based on points and scores.”
So get your team together to register for beach volleyball as soon as you can, over at https://summerinthecity.ca/experiences/sports-in-the-city/