After 22 years at the same venue, Pakenham Floorball this week relocates to a new home at Officer Community Hub – a move that is expected to bolster floorball participation levels.
For many local residents floorball is an unknown sport, so it may come as a surprise to learn that floorball has hosted weekly Thursday night competitions at the Pakenham Stadium (Cardinia Life) since 1997.
But with a tightening of court space and a lack of storage facilities at Cardinia Life, the Pakenham Floorball Club committee decided a move to 2 Parker Street, Officer would help continue to grow the sport.
Pakenham Floorball Club president Gavin Staindl said the move would allow floorball to go to ‘the next level’.
“Currently we have several hundred players playing floorball,” Staindl said.
“But because everyone is fighting for court space at Cardinia Life there is very little room for growth.”
“By moving to the Officer Community Hub we can play on multiple courts for the whole Thursday night and continue to bring in more players and teams.
“Floorball in our area is actually getting quite big.
“We have programs for primary school-aged kids, competitions for under-15 and under-19, plus various divisions of mixed competitions as well as a women’s only competition too.”
Despite the exposure of floorball at Cardinia Life for 22 years and consistent programs at schools, Staindl says he still gets the same question “what is floorball?”
“I always tell people it’s like ice-hockey without the ice, skates and physical brutality,” Staindl says.
“However, more and more people are aware of the sport.
“It is really encouraging when you walk down the street and talk to someone about floorball and they say ‘oh, I know what floorball is’.
“More people are finding out about this sport and a small comment like that is enough to make my day.”
Staindl said the move to Officer would also allow the club to run BBQ fundraisers, sell merchandise, display trophies, and securely store goalkeeper gear and floorball sticks – options that weren’t open to the club while at Cardinia Life.
“Cardinia Life has been so good to us for so many years and all the stadium directors have been so helpful,” Staindl said.
“But we can’t wait to finally have a place to call our own.”
The summer floorball season kicks off this week. Anyone wanting more information on this new, inexpensive sport can call Gavin Staindl on 0424 227 134.
