Floorball played on a dry rink at the Powhatan Ice Den (Photo courtesy Richmond Floorball Club)
The pop of a plastic wiffle ball no longer strictly signals the start of a pickleball match, thanks to a novel sport gaining popularity in Richmond.
Floorball is an intentionally accessible version of stick-based sports such as ice hockey or field hockey, in the same way pickleball has adapted the game of tennis. The Richmond Floorball Club, fresh off a summer spent at the Powhatan Ice Den, begins play for its fall season Sept. 8 at the Matthew & Daniel Barton Memorial Rink in Hanover.
“Floorball has a really low barrier to entry,” says Nick Baldaino, club president. “All you have to do is show up.”
Though relatively new in the United States, floorball should look familiar to sports fans. It features six players per team and similar spacing and strategy to hockey. The main differences include lightweight sticks, a wiffle ball instead of a puck and games played on a hardwood floor while wearing tennis shoes.
During games, there’s “no contact, no checking and more finesse,” leveling the playing field into an all-gender and all-age sport, Baldaino says.
Michelle Walton, a club member who coaches youth ice hockey at Powhatan Ice Den, encourages players to join, even without any hockey experience. “A lot of stick handling and awareness of where to be on the court applies,” she says, “but you don’t have to have any background in ice or field hockey. It comes pretty naturally, so it’s universal for everyone.”
For hockey players, floorball can also be a chance to hone technique; Baldaino notes that some professional hockey players have picked up the sport for extra wrist training. “The skills come along pretty fast,” says Greg Gleichman, who played ice hockey for decades before discovering floorball.
Founded in June 2024, Richmond Floorball Club counts over 70 members. This summer, the Powhatan Ice Den hosted two weekly league nights and Saturday pickup games, plus a tournament. This fall at Barton Rink, league nights will be on Mondays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., with pickup weekends to be announced on the group’s website.
“I’m having so much fun, I’m driving 87 miles both ways from Hampton Roads to play floorball twice a week,” Gleichman says. “The competitive level is awesome — everyone wants to win, but it’s also very friendly. ... If you get knocked over, your opponent helps you off the floor.”
Play Ball!
Floorball tips for beginners
- Imagine it’s hockey. “Floorball has almost identical spacing to hockey,” Gleichman says. “All the concepts you have with positions and strategy translate almost 100% to floorball.”
- Try a lighter touch. “You’re playing with a wiffleball, and your stick is extremely light,” Gleichman says. “For a lot of people who played ice hockey or field hockey, in the beginning, the ball’s flying over the net.”
- Use your wrists. “On ice, you’re going to have a tougher grip because everything’s a little heavier,” Walton says. “In floorball, you want to have more flexibility and mobility, because it’s really about turning your wrist.”
- Keep your feet moving. “In ice hockey, if you get tired, you can kind of glide around on the ice,” Gleichman says. “With floorball, if you stop moving your feet, you’re completely out of the play.”
- Come as you are. “We provide all the equipment,” Baldaino says. “Just come like you’re showing up on the basketball court.”
