WINTER SPORTS: Iced & ready to go

Hockey sessions under way every Wednesday

The Fiesta Rancho Ice Arena welcomes those over the age of 50 to play hockey with others in their age cohort every Wednesday.

Rob Pauline, manager of the ice arena, said there is usually a decent turn out. The arena has been offering the senior hockey sessions for about three years.

"Hockey has really taken off," Pauline said. "We usually have about 20 guys. This week, we had 22 guys total show up."

Pauline said the amity between the players is awing.

"The majority of the time, there is unbelievable camaraderie between the guys," Pauline said. "After they play, they even go eat together in the coffee shop. It's like one of their routines."

Frank Smaka, who retired from the Metropolitan Police Department after 32 years, said the teams can still play fairly well.

"It's good companionship," Smaka said. "But we could still give another men's team a good game. We have a lot of talent out here. It keeps us young. We hustle."

Colin Campbell, a native of Scotland, has been playing hockey for most of his life.

"It's my cheap therapy," Campbell said. "It helps me keep my sanity, and it gets me out of the house for a while."

Pauline estimated that the average age of the hockey players is about 60 to 65, however, the majority of those asked their ages chose responses such as 115, 160, and others along those lines enjoying themselves and freely poking fun of themselves and their teammates.

Paul Lampi, one of the owners of Kilroy's Restaurant and Bar, regularly shows up at the rink on Wednesdays.

"It's a great group of guys," Lampi said. "Most of us probably come out because we love the sport, for fun and for the exercise. Out here we all feel like we're little kids. We plan our weeks around this."

Gord Ray, a native Las Vegan, also touted the health benefits of the weekly games.

"It does help to keep you in shape," Ray said. "And then it just becomes an obsession."

The game didn't appear amateur with the men on the ice, but they all insisted nobody takes the games too seriously. Among the weekly regulars include a former semi-professional hockey player, a gymnast who competed in the 1964 Olympics and a retired teamster. The group runs the gamut of diverse backgrounds. In addition to the men, a few women also show up to play on the ice.

The hockey session runs each Wednesday from 10:45 a.m. to noon. The price of admission is $7. For more information, call 638-3785.