Kristin Watts didn’t catch the ice hockey bug until her son’s second season.
During that season, Ian Watts’ team did not have a good regular season, but made a deep run in the subsequent tournament. That’s when Watts became really connected to the team. She, alongside other players’ family members, created signs and got together inside and outside the arena to support the team, and a camaraderie was born.
“It was so emotional,” Watts says.
Ian, who’s now 14 years old, has been playing hockey since he was 7, and his younger brother, Connor, 10, is following in his big brother’s footsteps. Watts’ husband, Christopher Watts, played the sport growing up and now coaches the Pickerington Prowlers’ under-14 club, which started in 2020.
Being a hockey family in the Pickerington area, however, is not easy. The family often commutes to the OhioHealth Chiller’s Easton facility for hockey practice because there are not many ice rinks in central Ohio.
There are eight ice rinks in the central Ohio area, and before the Chiller added a new sheet of ice at an existing facility last year, none had been added for more than 20 years, Watts says.
In comparison, Cleveland, which lacks an NHL team, has more than 50 ice rinks, she adds.
Central Ohio has one of the largest adult ice hockey leagues in the country, and many of its teams play at midnight because of the small number of facilities, Watts says.
For hockey families in Pickerington, the situation is more acute because central Ohio ice rinks are located north of Interstate 70, Watts says.
This creates barriers for more children to get acquainted with the sport and reduces the likelihood of finding the next Wayne Gretzky in towns such as Lancaster, Watts says.
“I want any kid to have that opportunity,” she says.
In 2018, Watts helped start and run the Center Ice Foundation of Central Ohio to bring an ice rink facility to Pickerington. Watts says Pickerington is an ideal place for an ice rink because of the city’s strong sports culture and a hidden popularity for the sport.
A few years ago, for instance, the city offered about eight sessions of street hockey during the summer and the program sold out within an hour, Watts says.
In June 2019, the nonprofit organization gained some momentum after Pickerington City Council approved the donation of eight acres to build an ice rink if the organization can raise $8 million within two years. The project is otherwise funded entirely by donations.
Watts’ group has raised thousands of dollars and is actively seeking to attract large individual donors to reach that goal.
The group, however, had to adjust its fundraising ventures because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, it canceled its Kentucky Derby gala in the spring, but replaced it with a virtual 5K. It hosted another virtual race in October.
In May, the group hosted a virtual hockey video game tournament to help keep the hockey world connected in spite of an inability to gather on the ice. The event attracted 300 players from England, Canada and states spanning from California to New York.
“This year has been super weird,” Watts says. “We’re continuing to look for ways to be relevant to every hockey family in central Ohio.”
She hopes the facility will have two-and-half sheets of ice and house some other sports amenities. With an ice rink, Pickerington schools could have an ice hockey team that’s sanctioned by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
The school district now has the Pickerington Prowlers ice hockey club, which includes other school districts such as Reynoldsburg and Canal Winchester, that competes in the Ohio Scholastic Hockey League. Students who play for the team, however, can’t earn a varsity letter despite maintaining a high GPA and competing in club tournament games.
A completed facility could benefit Pickerington’s local economy because hockey families could spend their dollars at nearby eateries and shopping areas.
For instance, Watts often does her shopping at Easton during her son’s practices and the family often eats in that area after practice is over. Those dollars could instead be spent right here in Pickerington.
Additionally, a potential Pickerington ice rink could attract tournaments and out of town families. In September, Watts and her family went to one of her son’s tournaments in Virginia that brought in nearly 500 athletes.
“Our goal for the ice rink is for it to be a destination,” Watts says.
For more information about the Center Ice Foundation of Central Ohio go to www.centericefoundationoh.org or email info@centericefoundationoh.org.
Winter Activities
Winter is here and, weather and pandemic permitting, Pickerington offers a variety of options to enjoy the outdoors for the season.
Area residents know Sycamore Creek Park, for instance, is a great place for sledding.
Sledding hills are located on Hereford Drive behind the Pickerington Senior Center.
In the past, the City of Pickerington has hosted an outdoor ice skating rink at Victory Park, but residents can also drive to Buckeye Lake State Park, where ice boating, cross country skiing and ice fishing are offered, too.
Brandon Klein is the editor. Feedback welcome at bklein@cityscenemediagroup.com.
