Photo Credit: Susanna Pershern
The Waterford Recreation and Parks Department in Connecticut was looking for a new and inventive sport. As the program coordinator, I had discovered an activity that combined building lung capacity with my favorite sport—swimming. After seeing a video on Underwater Hockey, I implemented the program, which only required an ability to swim or snorkel. There was no discrimination based on age, ability, size, or gender.
Minimal Start-Up Costs
The department’s maintenance men got to work making goals out of PVC piping, drilling small holes in them, and filling the piping with good-sized pebbles so it would sink and remain at the bottom of the pool. The staff also made curved sticks approximately 12 inches long, drilled a hole in the handle, and put stretchy string (leftover wristbands) through them so they would remain on the wrist and would not fly away if a player was hit. The department then purchased a few 3-pound lead pucks with rubber around them. Total cost to start was approximately $40.
Counting Off
Players had to bring their own masks, fins, and snorkels; good gloves (especially garden gloves) were also needed. Games were played the width of the pool (3 feet to 6 feet in depth) with six members on each team and three others to sub in and out. With the puck placed in the middle of the pool, a count-off prompted teams to charge the puck. One member moved the puck along the bottom of the pool while teammates swam above and then dove down when the player ran out of air or had the puck stolen. While teams came up with plays, the execution of these plays didn’t always work.