Richmond floorball club brings back childhood fun while building a growing community

RICHMOND, Va. — A Richmond floorball club is giving adults a chance to stay active, compete and relive the games they first learned as kids — and the sport is catching on fast.

Floorball, which resembles floor hockey, has roots in Sweden, where it began as an off-ice cross-training sport for hockey players. It has since grown into a major sport across Europe and is now expanding in the United States, with nearly 50 registered teams recognized by the International Floorball Federation.

"Best way to describe is it's like hockey on foot with a lighter ball and lighter sticks," Nick said.

The rules are straightforward: sticks cannot rise above the knee, a wiffle ball is used instead of a puck, and the goalie has no stick but is the only player allowed to touch the ball with their hands. The sport is also co-ed.

"I don't feel outmatched by the guys who are just guys. Some of them are better than me because of their skills, and some of them I can outplay at certain points," Sierra said.

"Age doesn't matter. Gender doesn't matter. We just have a good time, and it is one of their very few sports like that," Sierra said.

The sport does carry some physical risk. All equipment is plastic, which can still leave a mark.

"I get hit in the legs a lot. Generally, your arms and your face are safe because you dodge pretty well, but you step in front of it. So yeah, yeah, I take some home with me. A little bit of evidence. I wear them like badges, though. They're cool," Sierra said.

Despite the occasional bruise, players say the active and social aspects of floorball far outweigh any bumps along the way. For one player, the sport has become a powerful motivator in his recovery from a serious health scare.

Steve Foltz grew up playing street hockey in Pennsylvania and has been playing floorball for over a decade. Earlier this summer, a stroke nearly sidelined him for good. Now, getting back on the court is a driving force in his rehabilitation.

"From day one in the hospital, I'm like, hey, I mean, I need to work. I, you know, I told her to bring my hockey stick in one as soon as I got the therapy. To just like, hey, I want to hold that thing and play. So, I mean, it's the encouragement to try to get back out here one day," Foltz said.

The Richmond club recently hosted the Atlantic Four Ball Open at the Henrico Sports and Events Center. The city also sent two teams to the Floorball Adult Nationals in Chicago earlier this summer, with four players finishing in the top 25 percent of scoring for the entire tournament.

"Oh my God, it's amazing! We just went to nationals and we got to represent Richmond on the world stage. Like, how cool is that? You know, like we get to go be the face of this, and people get excited about it. And they're like, 'What is this?' And they get excited about it because it's fun to watch and it's fun to play, and everybody wants to participate," Sierra said.

"It's a typical Richmond sport. Something that's a little bit off-beaten path, but something that people can get behind and enjoy and come out and play. I feel like Richmond's just made for that," Nick said.

The club holds open practice every Wednesday at the Annex in the West End and runs leagues year-round in Richmond.

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