Pick Up Hockey Testimonials

Building a positive, fun, and supportive community is one of our greatest goals!

Check out what some of our pick up hockey families have to say about the FREE and FUN hockey meetups at the park!

“We’ve been using that dek since Lee could walk, which he did with a hockey stick in hand.”

– Mahresia Wanner, New Hanover Township

*New Hanover Township Resident Lee Wanner, age 2, enjoys hockey with his family at New Hanover Community Park.*

An Incredible Family Bonding Experience

“Hockey has been an incredible bonding family experience! We have a large blended family, and it can be difficult to enroll every single child in their preferred sport due to fees and equipment needed. Since joining hockey, my kids have something to look forward to every week, are learning to work as a team and can enjoy a sport with their parents with minimal equipment needed. It’s something we absolutely love each and every week. “

– Sara Drissel, Colebrookdale, PA

“These Moments Made a World of Difference”

“Hockey started out as a way for my son Joey to make friends. He was in kindergarten when covid shut the world down, and as a family, we decided to enroll in cyber school. While we truly loved our time in cyber school, we found it a little tough to make friends within our area. This is where Hockey came in! We decided to look into joining a sport in Fall 2022 and came across PALs Dek Hockey – it was affordable and didn’t overwhelm our weekly schedule. My son, Joey, joined knowing absolutely nothing about the sport! We had practice once a week and games on the weekend.

While he was slowly learning the ways of the game, Joey’s confidence was struggling. A couple of parents invited us to join them at the Dek in New Hanover Community Park for “extra practice,” and these moments made a world of difference for Joey! Not only did he build his playing skills, his social skills grew, and his confidence began to explode! The league we play with runs seasonally.

The dek at New Hanover is open year round and FREE! Kate Van Druff has invited us to every pick-up game she organizes and now has a huge group of parents that are meeting multiple times during the week! Joey would only attend and play when he saw familiar faces in the beginning, but now he grabs his stick and runs onto the dek without checking to see if he knows anyone!

One last thing that has truly touched my heart is to see the genuine care these parents have for their kids! Not only are the parents playing, but they’re coaching the kids as they run alongside them! And maybe I’m biased, but hearing the encouragement and coaching coming from the moms on the dek is just a-whole-nother level of heartwarming! We are so grateful we took a chance and jumped into the Hockey world!”

– Amanda Couch

“He used to play at the New Hanover Park growing up…“

To Whom this may concern,

My husband has been a huge hockey fan since he was little. He used to play at the New Hanover Park growing up his whole childhood. Going to see the park where these kids play, broke his heart. I took my son who is trying to learn the game and every-time he hit the ball, it rolled under the fence the other side. Running on the pavement, he tripped over a big crack by rink door. The park is beautiful but it needs to be cleaned up. I want to take my family to New Hanover park to learn hockey and have my kids grow up playing there. The conditions the hockey rink currently in makes it hazardous for the kids to play. It’s hard to play hockey when you have to stop the game to get out of the rink to get the ball because it rolled under the fence. Or you hit the puck hard and it stops on the big hole in the pavement. Philly is a big hockey town! The Flyers sell out almost every night. Please fix our hockey rink so we can provide the community with the opportunity to learn and play this great game.

Thanks!

Team Building and Teamwork

To me, The New Hanover Community Park is a fun place where I sometimes go to play Dek Hockey with my family and friends. I really like playing there because it’s a safe place, there’s enough parking and there are other recreational activities available for those who may not wish to get involved. Like most in the community, I would like to see the Dek fixed because an operable Dek would offer an opportunity for local families to have a space to practice and play, working on some of the skills needed to not only play but those that are transferable to real life applications.

The sport requires hand-eye coordination, communication, passing and receiving, ball control, off ball movement, individual and team defense. In corporate language, we call that “team building,” and “teamwork”. These qualities are essential for not only my children’s generations, but for many generations to come. Repairing the Dek can help with all of those critical developmental skills.

In addition, repairing the Dek will offer a safer environment that will keep our children active and healthy instead of spending hours on a computer, tablet, cell phones, or video game consoles. To our family and friends throughout the Tri-County regions, repairing the Dek at New Hanover Community Park means friendship, laughter, relationships, connecting with others, learning, growing and what more can be said other than community.

With Kind Regards,
A Hockey parent!

Subject: Advocating for the Continuation of Pickup Hockey at New Hanover Park

Dear Park Administration Team,

I am writing to express my strong support for the pickup hockey sessions currently taking place at New Hanover Park. As a local resident and a passionate advocate for outdoor activities for children, I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact these sessions have had on the community.

New Hanover Park provides a valuable space for kids to engage in physical activity, develop social skills, and build friendships in a safe environment. The pickup hockey games have proven to be a popular and inclusive activity, bringing together children from different backgrounds and fostering a sense of camaraderie among participants.

It is heartwarming to see kids come together at the park, some of whom may not have known each other before, to play and interact in a meaningful way. By keeping the pickup hockey sessions at New Hanover Park, we are not only promoting physical well-being and outdoor play but also nurturing a sense of community and togetherness among the young residents of our neighborhood.

I strongly believe that it is essential to continue offering this opportunity for children to play and be active outdoors at no cost. The park holds a special place in the hearts of many families, and the pickup hockey games have become a cherished tradition that should be preserved and supported.

I urge you to consider the immense benefits that the pickup hockey sessions bring to our community and to support their continuation at New Hanover Park. Together, we can ensure that our children have access to a welcoming and enriching environment where they can learn, grow, and have fun.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Harry Cusick