The Plymouth Ice Center is taking to dry land. Last December, the skating and hockey facility opened a sparkling 7,500-square-foot space that focuses on training off the ice.
The idea came about five years ago when Bill Abel, the ice rink manager, and officials from local youth hockey groups and high schools (Plymouth Ice Center is home to both Wayzata High School and Providence Academy) discussed the need for an off-ice training space.
An expansion of the Plymouth Ice Center was the perfect solution, as it allowed for both on-ice and off-ice training in the same location. To fund the expansion, Wayzata Youth Hockey Association put up 40 percent of the $1.3 million cost, with the rest coming from the ice center.
Because the ice center is a self-sustaining operation, it doesn’t operate on tax dollars. It’s run by the city of Plymouth but is paid for with its own revenue.
“We had some problems with not having any space for dry land activities,” Abel says. “The existing facility didn’t have the space so it made sense for us to come up with a new practice area.”
All the details were ironed out by the end of 2013, with the Plymouth City Council signing off on the new facility; ground was broken in spring 2014. About six months later, the new space opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last December.
Housed in its quarters is Acceleration Northwest, a sports training company that focuses on helping athletes in speed and strength training. Around 50 percent of its business comes from hockey players, making the ice arena the perfect spot. “This space came up and it was a great fit for us,” says owner Kurt Haring.
Haring, a former college baseball player, oversees a group of trainers who work with a variety of athletes. The company offers multiple programs, including baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, team training, track and field, triathlon, ultimate Frisbee and volleyball. At the Plymouth facility, athletes can find everything from weights and plyometrics to skating treadmills for hockey players and batting cages for baseball players.
For hockey clubs such as Wayzata Youth Hockey, having a workout facility onsite means they no longer have to rent out space in the domed fieldhouse. They now have a year-round facility that offers everything in one location.
Another company called iBackCheck Sport Therapy, a physical therapy, chiropractic and massage therapy clinic, rounds out the sports facility. The clinic, run by Dr. Christi Jo Christian, offers services for all types of issues, but specializes in sports therapy.
“We see a lot of athletes and have had a lot of success in getting them back to their sport quickly,” Christian says. “Our goal is to get them better quickly and educate them on how to stay healthy.”
Being onsite makes it that much more convenient for Christian to keep athletes in peak physical condition and recover from injuries without leaving the rink. She saw a hockey player who had a hip injury and had sought treatment at a health care facility, but was still having issues after five weeks. Christian was able to get him back skating on the ice the same day she saw him.
The expanded facility has been a welcome asset to the community and its athletes, and can likely expect to increase its number of new and returning visitors.
