Many athletes are also dedicated students who pursue their passion while deepening their understanding of the world. Education and sports are very similar, requiring hard work, dedication, motivation, and the drive to continuously improve. In Ontario, Canada, a group of students has established the Ontario University Ball Hockey Association (OUBHL), which allows them to continue playing the game they love while pursuing education. When ball hockey players move away from their hometown for education, they often leave their local club teams and may not play again until they move home for the summer. However, the OUBHL allows them to play in a competitive environment with new teammates and new competition.
What is the Ontario University Ball Hockey League (OUBHL)?
The ISBHF contacted the OUBHL commissioner (and former player for the Waterloo Warriors), Ben Battaglia, a former Jr. Team Canada player, to learn more about this league. He started by outlining how the OUBHL is a student and alumni-run league that has been active for ten years. The league was founded by a group of students who had already established ball hockey teams at their respective schools and decided to come together and create the OUBHL. Before COVID-19, seven universities were active in the league and maintained teams that competed in an 18-game regular season and a playoff to crown their champion. Post-COVID, there are three teams in the OUBHL—the University of Brock, the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. These teams compete in tournaments and local men’s leagues yearly.
Every year, talented ice and ball hockey players across Ontario leave their hometowns to pursue education, and the OUBHL provides an outlet for those players to showcase their skills throughout the academic year. He said, “The OUBHL allows them to continue playing organized ball hockey during what would otherwise be their ‘off-season,’ keeping them engaged with the sport in a competitive yet fun environment.” With a steady stream of skilled athletes graduating from high school each year, the OUBHL is well-positioned to welcome fresh talent season after season and ensure the competitive integrity of their league.
What are the biggest challenges the OUBHL faces?
However, this strength can also be turned into a weakness. The OUBHL teams are entirely student-driven and organized, meaning they need dedicated students who volunteer to become captains and take on a partly administrative role in communicating with the OUBHL and selecting the team. Furthermore, these captains and leaders will graduate and must find replacements to continue the team’s success. During COVID, several team captains graduated while the league was shut down, causing a decrease in teams due to the inability to find new captains.
Despite its challenges, the OUBHL remains resilient. Drawing in a steady stream of talent, including former Jr. Team Canada ball hockey players, the 2019 National Ball Hockey Championship-winning goalie, multiple Ontario Ball Hockey Federation provincial champions, and high-level ice hockey players. When discussing common misconceptions about the OUBHL, Ben underscored how Ball hockey is more than just a “game.” He said, “Many people who grew up playing ice hockey have played some form of ball hockey—whether in a driveway, on the street, or in gym class—which can lead to the belief that it’s not to be taken seriously. But ball hockey is absolutely a sport in its own right.” This sport draws in high-level athletes, some of whom can be found in the OUBHL.
What are the OUBHL’s short-term and long-term goals for expansion?
Ben was then asked about the OUBHL’s short—and long-term goals. He was excited to share that the OUBHL had recently been sanctioned under the Ontario Ball Hockey Federation. He wants to connect with youth programs and teams across Ontario at the U-18 and U-19 levels, hoping to introduce players from talented local clubs to the league and inspire them to continue playing ball hockey throughout the academic year. In the long run, Ben wants to see the growth of recreational ball hockey leagues across universities in other provinces, aiding his ultimate goal of official recognition under the Ontario University Athletics Association.
While this long-term goal may be further away than the ball hockey community hopes, it is crucial to recognize that ball hockey communities worldwide rely on volunteers’ hard work and communal passion for the game, which is why leagues like the OUBHL remain so resilient. The ISBHF then asked Ben for his message to new players and high school graduates looking to stay active in ball hockey during the academic year. The commissioner said, “ Our players are incredibly passionate and dedicated to building a fun, competitive ball hockey community at the university level. We want to create an environment where students can make lasting memories and friendships, all while taking pride in representing their schools.”
The OUBHL is filled with passionate and dedicated players and volunteers who reflect the countless ball hockey communities worldwide. This league integrates competitive ball hockey with academic life, allowing players to stay connected to the sport they love. A vision for short-term success and a dream for long-term growth, the OUBHL is poised to benefit from fresh talent yearly as it relies on the dedication of its captains and leaders to guide the league into the future.
How can students, universities, or sponsors get involved to support the OUBHL’s growth?
If anyone is interested in joining this league or establishing a team at a different Ontario University, you can reach Ben and the OUBHL on Instagram at “oubhl__”. The same goes for potential sponsors interested in supporting the league’s growth.
