Hockey rink is given another chance

WEST BURBANK — The fate of Foy Park Roller Hockey Rink has taken a 180-degree turn since city officials this spring decided to close the hockey program and repurpose the facility to help close a yawning city budget gap.

The plan angered players and their parents, prompting the City Council to pledge $30,000 to keep the program running for 90 days while officials explored bringing in an outside operator.

“Roller hockey in Burbank was days away from going away,” said Jonathan Bernath, an avid pick-up player. “For whatever reason, what really happened is the city let the program fall through the cracks. We were in need of a leader.”

The city this week reached an agreement with Community Sports Foundation to operate and manage the facility through February 2011.

About 30 players last week turned out for a pick-up game, enough to rotate lines while keeping two men as permanent goalkeepers.

It was also the first opportunity for many players to react to the city’s renovation of the facility, which included a restored rink, new paint and boards. “I haven’t ever seen morale at that rink so high,” Bernath said. “We were complaining that the only downside in this is we weren’t getting enough playing time. There were too many of us.”

Their skills will be closely monitored by Frank Dalessandro, the man behind Community Sports Foundation who plans to reinstitute leagues with evenly matched teams in hopes of keeping interest high.

He said the rink would open to children Nov. 7 for California Hockey Day, a statewide event sponsored by OneGoal, USA Hockey and several National Hockey League teams. Dalessandro plans to provide uniforms and equipment to children free of charge, eliminating one of the sport’s biggest barriers.

Dalessandro said he also plans to enlist the help of the Burbank Unified School District to establish school teams and an annual scholarship.

Adult play is scheduled to kick off Dec. 5 with an iron man tournament composed of smaller five-man teams, he said.

Under the agreement, which is expected to save the city about $70,000 in its first year, Community Sports Foundation will pay the city 10% of its net monthly operating income and $2,000 each quarter to a capital improvement fund, said Marisa Garcia, deputy director of recreation services for the city’s Park, Recreation and Community Services Department.

The pact is closely modeled after the public-private partnership between the city and Burbank Community YMCA, which lasted from 1997 to 2004.

The rink has not hosted league play in five years due to lack of interest, Garcia said. Last year it averaged just one youth and six adult visitors per day, according to city records.

The parks department, after trying to market the program through USA Hockey, proposed eliminating roller hockey as part of a 5% cut to its $18.2-million budget. It stood to save $8,500 in materials, supplies and services and up to $60,000 on staffing, depending on the work shifts.

While the program likely won’t be a big revenue generator, it also won’t cost much, Garcia said.

“We’ve gotten word from the mayor and councilmen that they want the program to succeed,” Bernath said. “It went from a terrible situation to one big family out there.”

For more information, visit www.burbankrollerhockey.com.