ALEXANDRIA, Va. — When I became a regular broomball player in 2018, there two specific goals I hoped to achieve:
- Play long enough that if either of my kids wanted to join District Broomball1, we’d be able to play in the league together. Mission accomplished in 2024.2
- Play outdoors, on frozen pond or stream in the D.C. area. Mission accomplished January 31, 2026
Don’t hate winter, use it
The January 25 storm didn’t just dump over 5 inches of snow, it also featured over 2 inches of sleet, topped off by some freezing rain. The week of sub-freezing temperatures, sometimes as low as single digits, created a top hard ice layer unseen in this area in my lifetime. It was dubbed “snowcrete.”
The snowcrete ended in-person school for Alexandria for the entire week.3 Sidewalks unshoveled during or immediately after the storm have generally remained so. Cars are still plowed in on city streets.
On the bright side, local creeks are frozen solid and firm. Four days after the storm, ice skaters were seen on Holmes Run in the West End, for the first time in vestigial memory. These conditions excited me, because after coming close last year, I feel comfortable inviting my fellow District Broomballers out for a pick-up game.
Game on!
Over several days, I made trips down to Holmes Run to validate the ice-worthiness for pickup broomball. I promoted the possibility on the league’s Facebook group. There was some interested express in comments. A busy work and home schedule limited the promotion I had hoped to do, but Friday night I was able to get an email out to as many broomballers as I could remember.
I also alerted a friend in the neighborhood, who if not for his size 16 feet4, I may have dragged to a pick-up by now.
Two of my teammates arrived just after 11. My neighborhood friend did too and brought soccer practice nets. We started a 2 on 2 game, no goalies. My teammates had broomball shoes on, but being a bit wary of scuffing them up and my friend not having them, I stuck to hiking boots.5
I was pleased to score the first goal, but the first game went to the other side, 3-2.
Another broomballer arrived, with shoes, so she joined my friend and I for a 3 vs. 2 match. Despite numbers, it wasn’t close, team shoes beat team boots rather handily.
The real victory though was the fun we had together.
A new tradition?
Over the last five years, we’ve had some pretty hard freezes, but this was the first time it was enough to go out on Holmes Run. I think we need another day year, but it warmed up.
The C&O canal is known for hosting hockey players and ice skaters during these hard freezes. That’s a little further north and outside the urban heat island. I’ve checked out several times over the years, but never gotten a game together.
- This photo gallery will make you want to play hockey on the C&O Canal, too – RMNB
- In Winter There is Beauty to Be Found Along the C&O Canal – C&O Canal Trust
Holmes Run worked well because it’s channelized and dammed. The water is generally under three deep and does not flow quickly. If the ice wasn’t thick enough, falling through would more unfortunate than dangerous. I tested the ice over several days before finalizing the invitation.
This is probably it for winter 2026, temperatures are expected to finally rise above freezing. Maybe we’ll get even get in-person school open.
Like I said earlier, don’t hate winter, use it. I think this lives up to that axiom more than any other so far.
Can’t get enough winter sports?
Come out and play broomball! It’s like hockey without skates, played on a full rink.
Footnotes
- This activity was neither endorsed or insured by the league. ↩︎
- In Summer 2025, my son and I were on the league champion team, Red: William’s Version were champions of the 3-team league. I was captain. Winning together was fun. ↩︎
- …and counting? ↩︎
- It looks like broomball shoes max out at 14. I think they league should invest in a pair, just in case though… ↩︎
- It mentioned by more than one player that the ice was better than our normal, indoor rink. ↩︎