The Marketability of DIY Hockey Rinks
Since the onset of COVID, many schools have begun adding hockey rinks on their property as a way to make their school more unique, attract more students and provide a fun, COVID-friendly outdoor activity for their enrolled students. Just a few local schools that have put up rinks since the beginning of the pandemic are St. Michaels College, UVM, South Burlington HS, Mater Christi elementary/middle school, and others. The hockey rink at Mater Christi School in Burlington, VT has become a trademark for the school, and a showpiece for prospective families looking for a place to send their kids. According to Tim Loescher, in the two years since they have constructed the rink, they have received unsolicited funding to upgrade the size from 85 x 65 feet the first year, to 105 x 65 feet the second year. After two years, they are looking ahead to the 2022-23 season with enough funding to put in a cooling system, providing skateable ice as soon as temperatures dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. ...