HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-09-2015 B1 SawyerLomeli, Monique
Subject: FW: Support of CIP - Santa Rosa Park Hockey Court Resurfacing
COUNCIL MEETING:
ITEM NO,:�
From: Doug Sawyer [ma i Ito: doug.sawyer @me.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2015 10:11 PM
To: E -mail Council Website
Subject: Support of CIP - Santa Rosa Park Hockey Court Resurfacing JUN 0 4 Mb
Dear City Council Members, 1 L 0 C 1 V y 0.1
I would like to voice my support of the CIP resurfacing project of the Hockey court at Santa Rosa park. I am a
YMCA Roller Hockey coach, father of 2 boys in the league as well as an active member of the Roller Hockey
Task Force. As you know, the surface of the rink is showing increased wear due to both normal use and
abnormal use. During the construction period of the new SLO Skate Park, the rink saw an increased level of
skateboard activity including the use of various metal apparatus for tricks. We co- existed with the skateboarders
knowing that they were temporarily displaced but damage was done and wear was accelerated.
The rink surface is chipping away and showing divots in several locations resulting in a slippery surface causing
players to fall and an occasional annoying hop to a hockey puck pass. The other issues I have personally
experienced and observed involve the integrity of the dasher boards (plastic pieces lining the inside top and
bottom of the wall). I have seen players get tripped by screws dangerously protruding from the lower dasher
boards. I removed the bent screw for fear of the damage it would cause to a child's arm or leg in another fall in
the vicinity. The gap between the court surface and the bottom of the wall which can catch a hockey stick blade
and create a number of dangerous situations. One of my YMCA players just this week got javelined by his own
stick as he skated in to pursue a puck at the wall, jabbed with his stick, got his hockey blade stuck in the gap and
he skated is abdomen right into the end of the handle. He spent the next 30 minutes "skating it" off but it hurt.
I've seen this a few times in the past 3 years. The more common scenario and better of the two frankly is to
break your stick in the gap while skating in to pursue a puck resulting in the need to buy another stick or blade.
My last recommendation is for the City to take preventative measures and install nets above the chain -link fence
behind the ends of the rink to protect unsuspecting pedestrians from getting hit by errant pucks that deflect off
the goal or another stick. When this happens and we all cringe and hope that nobody gets hit. There is more
foot - traffic behind the ends of the rink now that the SLO Skate Park is open.
The rink is special place for me, my kids, and those involved in the roller hockey program. All the volunteer
coaches and Roller Hockey Task Force have witnessed the magic that the sport can inspire within a child and
it's future is dependent upon the existence of a safe and maintained facility. Thank you for your support and
continued upkeep of your investment in this property.
Best,
Doug Sawyer
Roller Hockey Task Force Member