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Nothing brings out the children in your neighborhood like a game of hockey in the middle of the street.

The most important consideration in street hockey is to make sure everyone is safe from traffic. Choose a quiet street or cul-de-sac, and set up safety cones on both sides of your playing area. Consider asking everyone to play with tennis shoes instead of in-line skates. You can provide hockey sticks and a puck (look for them at used sporting-goods stores) or brooms and a tennis ball.

Helpful hint: To set the tone of a friendly neighborhood game, purchase an inexpensive, plastic street hockey set with extra plastic sticks. The equipment shows that you’re playing hockey (instead of broom ball) and that you’re in it for fun – not blood.

A few weeks before the big game, send out invitations or post announcements for the neighborhood game. Make sure you include the time (Saturday mornings always work well), place, contact number, and a request for RSVP. You might want to also include a small disclaimer like: “Everyone plays for fun and at their own risk.” Follow up a week before the game with a reminder call or visit.

Set up two goals with cones or nets. Then go over the basic rules, such as what constitutes a goal, where the boundaries are, and so on. Stress that the goal of the game is to have fun rather than body-check your opponent to the ground. Make certain that everyone takes care to avoid running over the smaller children. If you have an especially competitive group of neighbors, you might want to recruit a referee or have two separate games for the adults and children.

Instant Intentions

When it comes to reaching your neighborhood, winning is nothing; the way you play the game is everything. While you play, laugh a lot and work to include everyone. When you have a chance, take a dive for the children so they can feel the thrill of scoring a goal. Remember that the goal of this game is to build relationships and show the love of Christ.

-          From the book, Field Guide to Neighborhood Outreach by Group Publishing, 2007.