When I was a teenager, my high school youth group traveled to White Lake, Wisconsin, for snow camp. We participated in several winter activities while we spent a week in the snow covered hills. One of these activities was broomball, which according to USA Broomball, is a sport that combines the formation and rules of hockey with some soccer strategies. Although playing broomball was common in northern Illinois, the students I’ve talked to at Blackburn College don’t typically know what it is.
Freshman criminal justice major Austin VanAusdall plays the sport once a year with his church, Cross Church Carlinville. His understanding of the sport is that you only wear tennis shoes, and it resembles hockey with a ball and uses a broom in place of a hockey stick. “It’s on ice, so it’s fun, and it takes a lot of balance and patience,” he added. “Plus, there are lots of opportunities to embarrass your friends.”
USA Broomball outlined the basics of the sport. There are typically six players on a team (a goalie, two defense players and three forwards), and the object is to score the most goals. It’s played on a hockey rink, and as VanAusdall stated, players wear shoes with spongy-soles to gain traction on the ice.
Players do utilize a six inch diameter ball, but they don’t actually use brooms to move the ball. Instead, they use a shaft with a molded broom-shaped head. USA Broomball stated, “Historically, players did use real brooms…. The ‘broom’ of today uses a molded head. For those of you who want more of the history, players would dip a corn broom in water, freeze it, then tape the broom solid.”
According to broomball.com, the sport consists of two 18 minute, stop time periods with a two minute break in between the periods. Gameplay involves the three forwards attempting to get the ball past the defense and into the net.
The sport is worth participating in for its accessibility and growing popularity. According to the website for the Belvidere Park District in Belvidere, Ill., broomball is game made for those who enjoy the excitement and fun of hockey but can’t skate. “Whether you are young or old, broomball will sweep you away,” they stated. Broomball is currently played in Canada, the U.S., Scandinavia, Japan, Australia, Germany and Italy.
For those who are interested in the sport, it’s available at the Steinberg Skating Rink (located on 400 Jefferson Drive) in St. Louis. They provide the sticks, balls and helmets, but they ask participants to bring mouthguards. Their website includes pricing for individuals and teams. Students can sign up to play at https://stlouis.sportsmonster.net/sport/Broomball.