During the cold winter months in Bulgaria when walking on the icy streets requires special skills, some parents probably start thinking what winter sport would be suitable for their children, especially if they often see them frozen in front of electronic devices.

Ice hockey has many health benefits and the sport also helps in improving coordination and concentration. 5-year-old children can also practice ice hockey, as well as students. Desire and perseverance are essential.

To find out more we turned to the president of Hockey Club CSKA and head coach, Kiril Hodulov, who pays great attention to the development of the children’s team where new talents may emerge in the future and elevate ice hockey in Bulgaria from its current level. We asked Mr. Hodulov whether children in Bulgaria were keen on playing ice hockey and what the qualities that this sport develops in adolescents are.

"Yes. Children are really interested in playing ice hockey. When they come to the rink to watch the game or to accompany a classmate they show interest very quickly. Hockey develops discipline and respect for teammates and coaches and these qualities are then transferred to schools. The sport helps in developing qualities such as speed, agility and flexibility, as well as quick decision making. All of these things are useful in the lives of teenagers outside the ice skating rink."

Unfortunately, the reason behind the fact that hockey remains not very popular sport in Bulgaria among children and teenagers is prosaic - lack of good conditions for practicing it:

"It may sound as a cliché, but the real problem is the lack of rinks. Many of them built before 1990 were closed. Some of them were outdoor rinks, but in many countries hockey for children and adolescents is still practiced on outdoor rinks. It is not necessary to have a sports hall in towns in order to practice ice hockey from November to the end of March. In case of great interest, municipalities could think of building indoor rinks, too. But we need conditions for practicing sports in cities and smaller towns, where even bigger talents are born. I think that mass sport is the right way to go.”

However, Kiril Hodulov is optimistic about the future of ice sports in the country:

"I've always been optimistic and will continue to be, since I'm on the rink every single day during the season. I am optimistic because I see growing interest in municipalities to build ice skating rinks that allow for playing hockey, short track speed skating, and why not curling? This is a very interesting sport. It does not require ice skates, there is no age limit and anyone can practice it in their free time. I think that the Ministry of Sports and mayors would pay attention to this and would build necessary facilities. I have information that a number of municipalities show interest, so I am optimistic about the future of the sport," Kiril Hodulov says, adding that children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports, whether it is ice hockey, volleyball or something else, as sport has a positive effect on their personal development and the development of sport in this country as a whole.

English: Al. Markov

Photos: BGNES & hockeycska.com