Programs

• (Spring - play March to early June, sign-up January & February) 
• (Fall - play September to November, sign-up July & August)

Ages: 6-18 years old, boys and girls

Cost: $75 registration fee

Practices: one night a week, varies by team

Games: Saturdays and Sundays 

Location: West Pottsgrove Elementary School, 25 Grosstown Road (in Stowe)

The 2020 spring age breakdown is listed below. Players may choose to play up a level.

• Teenage - 9/1/2001 to 8/31/2005 birthdays - natural 9th-12th graders
• Cadet - 9/1/2005 to 8/31/2008 birthdays - natural 6th-8th graders
• Beaver - 9/1/2008 to 8/31/2011 birthdays - natural 3rd-5th graders
• Penguin - 9/1/2011 to 8/31/2013 birthdays or younger - natural 1st-2nd graders

Pottstown Area PAL Dek Hockey is a variation of ice hockey in which players run on sneakers instead of skates.  It is played on blacktop, using a ball instead of a puck. Operating continuously since 1996, Pottstown Area PAL Dek Hockey is the largest intramural dek hockey program in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Players are placed on competitively-balanced teams and we attempt to vary the coaches your child will take instruction from season to season.  All players are eligible to play in an older age division or pay an additional $25 to play in two age divisions (their natural division and the next division up). At registration, players have the option of opting to try the position of goaltender on a full-time or part-time basis. The league has equipment and jerseys available for these purposes which must stay within the rink shed.

Older levels have games in the morning, going in descending age order to the youngest level in the afternoon. Games generally take an hour. All teams play a slate of at least 10 regular season games, and all qualify for the double-elimination playoff tournament of series which follows. Seasons end with a parent-kid game with pizza included.

Parents can request during registration to not have practice on certain nights due to personal conflicts. Siblings in the same division are placed on the same team. No other requests are guaranteed.

Players brand new to the league will be contacted about a low-key evaluation session prior to the season, and shortly after that, all players are notified of their team and schedule.

Ages: 4-6 years old, boys and girls, 9/1/2013 to 6/30/2016 birthdays

Cost: $55 registration fee

Times: Two weeknights (rotating Mon/Tues/Wed/Thur)

Location: New Hanover Township Community Park, 2766 Gail Drive (off Route 663 and Kleman Road)

Instructional facilitator: Steve Rowe, head coach of Alvernia men's team and USA Hockey Level 5 certified coach

For children in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten, Pottstown Area PAL holds an instructional program rather than competitive league play, at New Hanover Community Park. Hour-long sessions are held two nights a week, resulting in a scheduled 15 sessions by the end of the program.

There is no weekend commitment, and there are no games. The sessions feature drills, groups, and scrimmages under the instruction of multiple on-rink coaches. The focus of this instructional program is to teach basic skills and to get acclimated to the sport and physical activity within a controlled group atmosphere.

More experienced five-year-olds, or those turning six, have the option of playing up in the regular league at the parent’s determination. All new players in the instructional program receive their first one-piece stick from PAL, free of charge.

Contact (for all questions) - Ian Lawrence, Program Director, ICL447@aol.com, 484-942-9493

Seth Lawrence, PAL Executive Director, pottstownpaldirector@gmail.com, 610-327-0527

Dek Hockey Facebook Group (for hockey news/photos) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/paldekhockey

PAL Facebook Page (for organizational updates) - https://www.facebook.com/pottstownpal

Dek Hockey Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paldekhockey/

PAL Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pottstownpal

Blogspot (for hockey file links) - http://paldekhockey.blogspot.com

The cost of registration only partially covers the expenses of administration, insurances, training equipment, facility rental, facility maintenance & care, and restrooms among other necessities. Fundraising is necessary to keep families’ participation costs down.

The required equipment to participate includes: (1) a helmet with cage, (2) gloves, (3) elbow pads, and (4) leg pads that cover the knee and shin. These four pieces of equipment are able to be rent for a season from PAL. There is a $5 or $10 fee for each item ($25 for all), and you can select the option during registration. Sizing and pickup happens shortly before practices begin, and you will receive an email notification.

All players must possess their own stick, either a one-piece composite or a two-piece with a wood shaft and plastic blade. Players receive a Pottstown Area PAL Dek Hockey team shirt to use for the season and keep afterward.

Pottstown Area PAL has a partnership with Schuylkill Valley Sports at Coventry Mall, and parents can mention PAL to receive a 10% discount.

Many kids end up preferring the speed and teamwork of hockey to other activities, if only they get a chance to be exposed to it.  League games take 30 timed minutes, and players change on and off the rink after every two minutes or so. All players are guaranteed equitable playing time, insofar as this is possible. And while all sports carry the risk of injury, dek hockey is a closely regulated sport. Two trained referees are on hand to call penalties to keep games safe. Checking is not allowed in dek hockey.

To inquire more about the sport, our house rules are here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13jjEFbEoEXZvjg8UaF2pqo4cN-BZE65QsuDKW33xRyI/edit?usp=sharing

...and the American Street Hockey Rulebook is here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f6Isn4gGNttH1DIS4DIlO3IqaXfkle3ibzP2kdaktxE/edit?usp=sharing