Growing the Game in the Mountains of Washington State

WINTHROP, WA – Over Labor Day weekend, USA Ball Hockey and new partner Emerald City Ball Hockey united in the mountains of Washington state to bring a free ball hockey clinic to local children and their families!

Located in Winthrop, Washington, the Winthrop rink offers stunning views and a state-of-the-art facility for ball hockey and many other sports for locals of all ages. Sal Ippolito, founder of Emerald City Ball Hockey, has been traveling to schools all over Greater Seattle in recent years to host after school programs introducing young children to the sport. This weekend, he brought his skills and drills out of the city limits to a community with a rapidly growing population of ball hockey players. Kids ages 5-11 came Saturday morning with their hockey sticks and a good attitude, and were guided through several skill-building drills by Coach Sal and USABH Coach Mike Albright. From passing to stick handling to shooting, the young athletes got a well-rounded experience of ball hockey before competing in a friendly scrimmage that ended in a 4-4 tie. Some of the participants are young ice hockey players, while others were picking up a stick for the first time! There was something for everyone to learn at the end of the morning, and nobody left without a smile on their face.

USA Ball Hockey has more Grow the Game Days planned for the remainder of 2025, including a session on Long Island in October! Signups for the free clinic can be found here, as well as information about other upcoming clinics and past events. If your community is interested in hosting a free Grow the Game Day clinic with USA Ball Hockey, please email info@usaballhockey.com to get in contact with us!