Brett Howard’s segue from the mortgage business into ownership of an in-line hockey rink was prompted by his son’s love for the sport.

“I have one kid, and I have one shot at being the best dad,” Howard said.

In May 2006, Howard and his wife, Mary, bought the rink, changing the business’s name from Hat Trick to Face Off Hockey Center.

CREDITHERE

CAPTIONHERE

The Howards’ 12-year-old son, Devin, has been playing the sport since he was 4, practicing at Spinning Wheels roller rink until it shut down and then at Hat Trick until it also closed.

“We had to find a place to play,” he said.

After purchasing Hat Trick, which shut down for a month and a half, Howard said he unlocked the building and began walking through the rink wondering if he had made a good business decision.

“I was here 45 minutes, and six kids came to see if we were open to play,” he said.

“This is the most enjoyment I’ve ever had in a job,” Howard said.

In-line hockey uses in-line roller skates and is similar to ice hockey, with a few exceptions.

One of the biggest differences is that in-line teams have a goalie and four players, one fewer than ice hockey teams.

Players wear skates with urethane wheels that grip the smooth plastic rink floor, chasing a plastic puck through a game that stops only between the two halves.

“It’s more fluid,” Howard said. “There’s more skating involved.”

Life lessons

Face Off Hockey Center, complete with snack bar, pro shop and locker rooms, has an 18,000-square-foot floor, the largest in-line rink in Texas, Howard said.

“Ours is just a little bit smaller than the rink the Dallas Stars play on,” he said. “It’s a big place.”

The center offers adult leagues and four age categories of youth leagues, a section of the business Howard takes great pride in.

In-line hockey is great exercise, Howard said, and the kids who play learn about the sport and sportsmanship.

“Your kid gets treated like mine,” he said. “I’m always proud of the kids who come in here and are able to pick it up.”

In addition to welcoming all ages of male and female players, Face Off caters to newcomers to the sport as well as experienced players.

Each Thursday, Face Off offers a “Learn to Play” session, in which anyone who has the gear — skates, helmet with a full wire facemask, pads, gloves and mouth guard — can play and learn the game.

“A lot of college and high school kids come in and work with the 4- and 5-year-olds,” Howard said.

Sherri Wiser has been bringing her sons, 11-year-old Austin and 8-year-old Alex, to the rink for five years, before the Howards’ reign.

She said coaches are teaching much more than hockey — honesty, respect and the value of teamwork.

“The older kids take the younger ones under their wings and help them,” Wiser said, “providing an environment of interaction without any walls or barriers.”

Wiser said her boys have tried other sports, but hockey has made them well rounded.

“It’s great for their self-esteem,” she said.

Her 11-year-old was very reserved when he began, she said, but now, “he’s changed 100 percent.”

A community

Howard said he receives full support from the families of players. With just three employees besides him — a league coordinator, a pro-shop manager and a director of instruction and development — Howard relies on parents volunteering to coach teams.

“Everyone looks at this place as their rink,” he said.

The year-round sport is divided into four sessions, each 10 weeks long, which include a playoff tournament called Championship Saturday, when the teams and individual players are recognized.

At the beginning of each session, each age group goes through an assessment, and every player is rated.

“We place every kid on the team to keep a balance where every kid has a chance,” Howard said. “Every team has a shot of winning.”

Practices are on Saturdays and each team plays a game one evening a week. For additional specialized help, many players take advantage of the Power Skate classes on Mondays and Power Puck on Fridays.

“I’m never going to discourage a kid from doing anything,” Howard said. “That’s what we’re for — to teach them.”

A traveling tournament league, one team for each age group, competes across the country, traveling as far as Michigan.

In addition to housing the youth and adult leagues, Face Off is host for Southwest Collegiate Hockey League games and tournaments as well as several amateur leagues.

In-line hockey, which gained momentum in the 1990s with the popularity of in-line skates, slumped some in popularity because of the rise in popularity of ice hockey, Howard said.

“But most kids that play on ice come back to in-line because they say it’s more fun,” he said.

With Denton Parks and Recreation starting a new in-line team, Howard hopes more children in the community will learn about in-line hockey.

“This will be a whole new crop of kids who will be exposed to it,” he said. “We’re all about growing the sport.”

A family business

When the rink isn’t booked for hockey games, practices or tournaments, the Howards lease it out for dodgeball games and private events such as birthday parties and quinceañeras.

Devin Howard, who dreams of playing professionally, helps his father promote the rink and upcoming events when he isn’t playing hockey.

“Between texting and MySpace, you can get information out fast,” Brett Howard said. “He’s better at it than I am.”

Mary Howard, an educator for Denton County’s Special Education Cooperative works on weekends helping with marketing endeavors and at tournaments.

“She helps me tremendously,” her husband said. “It’s a big family thing.”

RANDENA HULSTRAND can be reached at 940-566-6845. Her e-mail address is rhulstrand@dentonrc.com.

Face Off Hockey Center

Location: 222 S. Mayhill Road

Call: 940-393-8439

On the Web: www.faceoffhockeycenter.com