The Origins of Kondos Ice Hockey League
15 years in the past Chris Kondos began working his personal scrimmages and as a little bit of enjoyable known as it the Kondos Hockey League.
“We began by scrimmaging and giving younger children someplace to go on a Friday night time moderately than going out ingesting and taking medication. We supplied a wholesome avenue and atmosphere for these children on a Friday night time. We’d begin our scrimmage from 10:30pm on a Friday night time at Olympic Ice Skating Centre, in Oakleigh, Victoria, Australia. We’d scrimmage for 4 hours some nights as we got the important thing to the rink and would merely lock the entrance door once we have been completed. Some nights we’d get off the ice at 3am. We have been hooked on hockey, not simply any hockey, however enjoyable hockey. Hockey the place the competitiveness facet was taken away and we may simply exit with any ability degree and benefit from the sport.”
Quick ahead to 2023, and Kondos has gained some ice time from Joey Hughes, the rink proprietor and fellow legend of Ice Hockey in Australia. Joey performed for Melbourne Mustangs, Melbourne Ice and CBR courageous for the AIHL (Australian Ice Hockey League). Joey cherished what Kondos was doing and needed to assist the league proceed rising by giving extra ice time availability for members.
As Chris Kondos describes it, “We began in 2023 on a Tuesday night time at 9:45pm for 90 minutes. Having to work the following day these skates have been exhausting however we by no means discovered it exhausting to get the numbers down there. We’d get modified and run a mini draft each Tuesday within the change rooms earlier than the sport. We’d decide 2 random captains each week and they’d choose their groups.”
After a number of months of video games, Kondos gained extra followers and extra members signed up serving to result in his dream imaginative and prescient coming to fruition. He would got down to formally begin the Kondos Ice Hockey League.
The Evolution of Kondos Ice Hockey League
Chris Kondos began with 4 groups, “I chosen 4 captains, 4 gamers that wouldn’t get the decision up in our different league right here in Melbourne, so this was a great alternative for them to have a go and lead a crew. We had a draft night time within the Café on the Olympic Ice Skating Centre and we had a roulette model draft, nearly just like the draft lottery. That’s the place the groups have been born. The unique 4 groups have been chosen and we have been away. Season 1 consisted of 35 gamers, a ref and keenness for the game.”
After a number of video games, Kondos purchased himself a DSLR digicam as a result of he needed to make the league well-known across the metropolis and arrange a digicam operator each sport to stream the video games direct to youtube. The product at first wasn’t all glamour but it surely was a begin in the precise path. It ignited one thing inside Kondos to push and go tougher along with his league to offer a recent perspective compared to different Hockey league run round there.
When the NHL got here right down to Australia, Chirs recounts how he noticed that chance to assist additional the event of the league, “A gaggle of us went to the La Kings Vs Arizona Coyotes sport that was right here in Melbourne. I bumped into a very long time buddy, Sean Figgers on the sport. I pitched an thought to him that I need to stream and commentate our video games. I need to go larger after being impressed by the NHL being on the town. He was excited and mentioned “let’s speak”
It took 2 months for us to reconnect on this concept and he was instantly in. I paid for him myself and he got here on board. He’s so skilled along with his commentating and we wouldn’t have the expansion we’ve had up till this level if it wasn’t for him.
After outliving our lonely DSLR digicam to stream our video games the eagerness inside me began overheating. My spouse being my largest supported didn’t stand in the way in which, in truth she was essentially the most encouraging individual.”
Chris Kondos works with Blackmagic Design who make superb streaming merchandise and cameras they helped for the setup. With the leagues additional development they now have 2 unbelievable studio cameras streaming out video games in addition to a digicam within the rating field to seize Figgers’ (Sean Figgers the commentator) each thrilling second. Each sport is streamed reside on youtube and the league is actively rising out their social media presence.
Now because the league appears to be like to begin season 4 it has grown by 40 gamers. From what was initially 4 groups has expanded to 7 groups and the eagerness that every one gamers have for the sport continues to open eyes to new members. Pleasure fills the locker rooms for the upcoming season to being!
As Kondos explains, “We steadiness all of our groups correctly with 2 extremely skilled gamers per crew, 5 to six middle-level gamers and one other 4 to five entry degree gamers or gamers who’re essentially the most desperate to be taught.
The steadiness helps out the inexperienced gamers as a result of the skilled gamers are making performs with them and involving them within the sport as a lot as they will. We have now restrictions on the highest finish gamers in order that they select to move the puck extra and to anybody else on their crew.
We’re very sturdy and current on our guidelines for the video games. We have now a zero tolerance on tough behaviors, for instance tripping, slashing and hooking. We don’t permit that in any respect and have a strict 2 strike coverage on our video games. Our method is that all of us have jobs and need to work the following day so we don’t need to threat being damage. We try to show our gamers that if you’re struggling to get the puck off somebody then work tougher to get it off them cleanly. Don’t permit your uncooked emotion to take over when you’ve been overwhelmed by attempting to swing your stick at them and try to take them down. Use your toes to meet up with them moderately than your stick as a weapon. We try to stamp our the soiled performs from hockey the place folks really feel secure to come back and play.”
Tuesday nights have turn into essentially the most thrilling time of everybody’s week. The league has an abundance of feedback on their fb web page that gamers account that is essentially the most enjoyable they’ve had at hockey for a really Very long time. Some performs have been enjoying over 10 years and so they can not keep in mind the final time they’d this a lot enjoyable. Some inexperienced persons are bettering so quick that they’re unrecognizable after a season with the league. They’re attempting to make passes and make performs moderately than icing the puck, they’re difficult the higher gamers and profitable some battles and so they’re even scoring on some superb goalies within the league.
“We even have some unbelievable goalies which have misplaced their method slightly bit throughout the hockey group down right here. They’ve managed to reinvent themselves with us as their ardour for the game has come again and reignited their flame. The goalies are making our video games the toughest problem as a result of some weeks we merely can not get something previous them.
The hockey group that we’ve got created right here is one thing else and I feel the entire world ought to know as a result of it has made hockey so enjoyable that gamers are turning up typically 3 hours earlier than their video games as a result of they’re simply purely excited to be enjoying on this superb league.
Olympic Ice Skating Centre in Oakleigh, Melbourne, Australia:
They’re the house of the Kondos Ice Hockey League and so they’ve been all the time accommodating with our league. They’re a household run rink and the workers are superb. Joey Hughes, the proprietor, is such an incredible individual for Ice Hockey in Australia and he does a lot for the game, not solely ice hockey however all ice sports activities. The rink holds quite a lot of reminiscences being the oldest rink in our state. It holds reminiscences like myself and my spouse, we met there 20 years in the past, we additionally obtained engaged there 2 years later and holds quite a lot of beneficial reminiscences for us together with everybody that skates there.”