AUBURNDALE, Fla — If you're familiar with ice hockey, you're halfway home to understanding the game of floorball. It's an indoor sport that closely resembles hockey, but it doesn't require ice, skates, pads, or pucks. It does require a stick similar to a hockey stick, and it utilizes a ball that resembles whiffle ball. It's a widely popular sport in Europe, and it's played in 80 countries across the globe.
This week, the Florida Vikings professional team put on the Peaches Vikings Floorball Camp in Auburndale. Vikings owner and long-time floorball enthusiast Daniel Williamsson grew up playing the sport in his native Sweden.
"You don’t need any protection. It’s very fast-paced. You have a stick and a ball. Basically, you play it as hockey, but it’s made to be safe to play indoors," he explained.
One of Daniel's sons, Luke, plays for the Vikings. He started playing ice hockey as a kid, but when he discovered floorball he decided to stick with both sports.
"I still play ice hockey and floorball at the same time. Honestly, floorball helps me with my stick handling in ice hockey," the 17-year-old explained. "It’s very paced, and it’s exciting to be a part of something new and help grow it as well in the U.S."
Eric Schaefer is a 13-year-old camper who saw a poster advertising floorball. He hit the court, and he never looked back.
I started hockey way before I knew floorball. So when I first went on the court and tried doing floorball, it was like, oh yeah, it’s pretty much the same thing, but I’m running," Eric recalled. "Looking at the older kids and seeing how good they are and getting inspired by them. And the cardio- really intense work, and it’s always really fun."
Now, the opportunities for floorball players in the United States range from recreational to international.
Daniel's other son, Liam, plays for the U.S. National Team in addition to the Vikings.
"We have Florida Vikings, which is our professional-level team. We also go and do tournaments overseas with U-19, U-16. Then we have our local pick-up games every weekend," he explained. "There’s always something for everyone."
Daniel says the key to continuing the momentum of the sports is continuing to host camps and get the word out about a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-host sport. Pepa Juha is a native of the Czech Republic and a professional floorball player. He also coaches at the Auburndale camp. His message to all players is very similar across all sports.
"The first question I ask after every practice is 'Did you have fun?' I think that’s the most essential part," the 24-year-old said. "Have fun, enjoy it. That’s what sport is supposed to be about. Meeting new people, having fun, and be active."
For more information about floorball and the Florida Vikings visit:
www.flvikings.com
