A junior ice hockey club in Ayrshire has issued a rallying call for new recruits – after seeing its membership plummet during the Covid pandemic and UK lockdown.
Ayr Bruins Junior Ice Hockey Club coaches children, both boys and girls, between 4 and 16 and run a number of age group teams.
But membership has sadly declined over the last year due to Covid restrictions, leaving kids either kicking their heels on the sidelines or finding other sports to try.
And in a further blow, the club, which is a registered charity, has seen some of its players drift away from ice hockey during the long periods of lockdown.
However, spokesperson at the club, Alex Strachan, is aiming to swell the numbers of children playing with the Bruins with a brand-new recruitment drive.
And he said: “I’m currently dealing with the day-to-day operations of the club and trying to raise our profile.
“We have lost a few members to other clubs but we are going to be starting up our new academy intake in the middle of August.”
Boys and girls from 5-6 upwards are welcome to get involved, and the club would also like to hear from any current young skaters who want to come along and hone their existing skills.
Alex said: “We have lost so many kids in the last year or so due to the pandemic and lockdowns.
“Obviously the rinks have been shut and kids have been turning to football, hockey and other sports.
“And I can’t tell you how many kids we’ve lost to rugby, golf, you name it.
“Ice hockey is an expensive sport for parents and when kids get to the age of 13 or 14 they’re thinking, ‘enough’s enough.’
“But what we are doing is to try to make it more affordable for kids.”
The club, based at Ayr Ice Rink, currently trains Fridays and Sundays.
On Friday nights, the Under-10s train from 5.30pm to 6.30pm; Under-12s 6.30pm to 8pm and the Under-14s are on ice from 8.15pm to 9.45pm.
On Sundays, the Under-10s train from 2.30pm to 3.30pm; Under-12s are 3.30pm to 5pm and Under-14s are 5pm to 6.30pm.
To find out more about joining the club e-mail enquiries@ayrbruins.co.uk while the club also has Instagram and Facebook accounts for updates.
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