Opening game night brings athletes, amateurs out for floorball fun in Beaverton

BEAVERTON Ore. (KPTV) - While pickleball has certainly taken the recreational athlete scene by storm, the sport of floorball has also been growing exponentially in recent years.

Opening night for the Portland Penguins Floorball Club in Beaverton attracted a mix of veterans, rookies and people who just like to get out and go.

“Floorball is the best sport. I promised everyone who didn’t know it, they’d love it, and they always do,” David Slater said.

Slater’s vision is a reality with the motto of competitive but kind.

“I’d been the manager of the club in Reno for about 10 years, I lived in Portland for 20 before going there and when we decided to move back, I was crushed that I would not be able to keep playing,” Slater said.

Floorball experience is nice, but not necessary.

“There are some guys that look like they’re pros at this, they came over here from Sweden and they grew up playing it,” Josh Robertson said.

Carolina Brandao, meanwhile, had never played before, she said.

“It was fun. I’m very out of shape, but other than that, it was fun,” Brandao said. “I’ve never done anything like this, I was just down to try something new.”

Cheap to get in, fulfilling to play, the game just may reel you right in.

“Nice and easy to get into it, yeah, basketball shorts and some running shoes. A $12 jersey off of Amazon and some sticks and that’s it,” Robertson said.

Sticks, wiffles, passing and running.

“We had guys in their 20s and I’m going to be 55 next week,” Slater said. “Floorball does allow for that.”

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The non-contact sport is five-on-five with a goalie at each end.

“I usually play ball hockey so it’s a little bit different, naked without the stick, and without all of the gloves and the blocker and everything like that,” Trampus Adams said.

Locking in a rink is the hard part, but the Penguins found a home at PDX Fieldhouse, which is nearing its first year of opening off the Allen Exit in Beaverton.

“Matt [Olney] here promised us a floorball rink and when we grow it big enough, because this is definitely not regulation floorball, but it’s more than good enough,” Slater said.

PDX Fieldhouse owner Matt Olney saw the need for more indoor recreation space when his son’s favorite place for roller hockey went away out west.

“Trying to give a place where those sports that need a space to go train indoors, like lacrosse is one of those too, and baseball and softball, so it’s been great,” Olney said.

“Just it being open to every skill level is the main sell for it and it’s a team sport, so everybody gets to have their hand in it,” Floyd Miller said.

“It’s a great workout,” Robertson said. “People should come check it out for sure.”

Visit the Penguins’ website to learn more and connect with the sport.

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