Our Story

Columbus Street Hockey was founded in April 2023 with the mission of lowering barriers to entry and providing everyone in our community the opportunity to have fun while learning how to play the game of hockey.  What started as small pop-up street hockey events at public parks and recreation centers, exploded into a summer ball hockey league with 60 children playing games over six weeks.  Due to this success, we successfully partnered with NHL Street as the first operator in the state of Georgia.  

 

Building on this success, we partnered with EMPowerplay Project, a program that helps lower hockey's barrier to entry by helping groups like CSH plan, design, construct, and operate DEK hockey rinks.  With a location identified and support of our community and local government, we now move on to raising the money needed to begin construction.  Our original idea was to do a relay-type skate from LaGrange, where EMPowerplay is in the middle of constructing two rinks, to Columbus and link our two communities together through hockey and seek sponsorships to raise the money needed.  With the growth of hockey in Savannah and Macon, college and now youth hockey finding a home in Athens, and the renewed efforts to bring hockey back to Augusta,  we figured it would be something special to link all the hockey communities together as we are united in our passion to grow the game in Georgia.  This was the genesis of Skate Across Georgia.  

 

Building on the Run Across Georgia concept, we plan on starting our journey at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, skate to Augusta's James Brown Arena, over to the Classic Center in Athens, down to the Macon Centreplex, up to the rink location in LaGrange, and culminating at the future home of our rink in Columbus, a movement totaling 450 miles.  

 

We would love to have the hockey communities - players, parents, fans, anyone who loves the game - meet us at each stop so we can celebrate the game together.  Skate Across Georgia will take place from October 11-14, 2024.