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Backyard ice rink hosts tournament in Media, Pa.
FOX 29's Marcus Espinoza has the latest on the backyard ice rink tournament.
MEDIA, Pa. - Ice hockey has been around for hundreds of years. It started off in the backyards and ponds of everyday folks.
Larry Morroni of Media, PA, has a mission to keep that backyard pond hockey feeling alive. He’s doing it by hosting a two on two hockey tournament in his front yard. Out of a rink he made himself.
"It’s sort of an on-going challenge to get the land level and get the right elements and everything has to come together just right to have it come together," said Morroni.
It’s been a tradition now for five years strong.
"It’s mostly friends that I’ve grown up with over the past 40 years. Just having a little bit of backyard fun," said Morroni.
Gered Thack is a lifelong friend of Larry’s and he says make no mistake, this is pond hockey through-and-through, just miniaturized.
"Yeah you have to hit it one of the two slots. So it’s condensed which is nice because you gotta keep the puck on the ice because nobody really has pads," said Thack.
He says there’s something extra special about playing hockey outside.
"Especially outside. In Canada they call it Shinny…wanna go shinny? We all grew up playing on ponds, it just brings you back to your childhood and it’s fun. I skate on the rink twice a week but there’s nothing like being on outside on rink or pond."
Morroni says we can’t lose sight of why we play sports in the first place. To bond with others, compete with all your might, and most of all, have fun.
"Guys that are here love the game, there’s a lot of pressure around youth sports today, especially in the hockey world. For us, this is just about the love of the sport and getting together with fathers and sons and families having a good time," said Morroni.
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