For nine months out of the year hockey fans across Central Missouri flock to Jefferson City.
The Washington Park Ice Arena is the only place to play ice hockey in Central Missouri.
So what do the die-hards do in the off season?
Young and old, they migrate 45 miles north to Hallsville, Mo. The Whitney Briggs Memorial Hockey Arena is the only outside rink of its kind in Mid-Missouri and includes bleachers and a press box.
The rink comes to life on Sunday afternoons with players of all ages.
Coach of the F2 Twisters youth league, Bill Bott , caught the roller hockey bug when he lived in the state of California. Now he travels with his family from Jefferson City to Hallsville for summer games.
Like many of these players the Botts play ice hockey in Jefferson City the rest of the year.
The roller hickey league is not just reserved for the guys, hockey mom Paige Adkins started on skates well before her three boys took up the sport.
"Growing up I speed skated and girls at the time weren't allowed to play hockey," remembers Adkins. Now when she's not watching her sons play, she's on the rink with an adult team.
In fact , the rink itself is named after a female player who loved the sport. In June of 2005, one of the very first Twister's hockey players, and founder, Whitney Briggs, was killed in a car accident. The leagues web site says Whitney was the winning goalie in the 03 championship game for Hallsville Market and Deli and voted the leagues most valuable goalie in 03.
Her father john Briggs remains an active organizer of the league and play-by-play announcer.
The finals for Twisters Hockey are June 18-19 during the Hallsville Heritage Days celebration. Then, many of these players have just a one month break before changing their travel route to Jefferson City and trading in their wheels for ice skates.
Hockey is one sport where parents and players put many miles on their car traveling to games and practices. These players say high gas prices have not changed their activities.
Have you changed the sports your kids play because of the cost of travel? Leave us a comment or sound off on our KRCG Mid-Missouri Facebook page.
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