{"id":32296,"date":"2026-02-01T12:24:45","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T17:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yurasko.net\/wfy\/?p=32296"},"modified":"2026-02-01T12:24:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T17:24:45","slug":"pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/","title":{"rendered":"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ALEXANDRIA, Va. \u2014<\/strong> When I became a regular broomball player in 2018, there two specific goals I hoped to achieve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Play long enough that if either of my kids wanted to join <a href=\"https:\/\/capitolbroomball.wixsite.com\/capitolbroomball\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>District Broomball<\/strong><\/a><sup data-fn=\"8ef4d1d4-cc62-4199-9f40-9572260541f6\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"8ef4d1d4-cc62-4199-9f40-9572260541f6-link\" href=\"\/website_3c1e0e40\/#8ef4d1d4-cc62-4199-9f40-9572260541f6\">1<\/a><\/sup>, we&#8217;d be able to play in the league together. Mission accomplished in 2024.<sup data-fn=\"669d5d42-3298-4cd4-b9fc-fbfb14e18db4\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"669d5d42-3298-4cd4-b9fc-fbfb14e18db4-link\" href=\"\/website_3c1e0e40\/#669d5d42-3298-4cd4-b9fc-fbfb14e18db4\">2<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Play outdoors, on frozen pond or stream in the D.C. area. Mission accomplished January 31, 2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don&#8217;t hate winter, use it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/jus.tia.mybluehost.me\/website_3c1e0e40\/2026\/01\/january-25-2026-snow-fall-total-for-alexandria-va.html\"><strong>January 25 storm<\/strong><\/a> didn&#8217;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 &#8220;snowcrete.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The snowcrete ended in-person school for Alexandria for the entire week.<sup data-fn=\"175896f2-7ca5-4bec-9f4b-3b75feb5cceb\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"175896f2-7ca5-4bec-9f4b-3b75feb5cceb-link\" href=\"\/website_3c1e0e40\/#175896f2-7ca5-4bec-9f4b-3b75feb5cceb\">3<\/a><\/sup> Sidewalks unshoveled during or immediately after the storm have generally remained so. Cars are still plowed in on city streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Game on!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55072592914_5abc1791af_b.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by Erica Yurasko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over several days, I made trips down to Holmes Run to validate the ice-worthiness for pickup broomball. I promoted the possibility on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/capitolbroomball\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>the league&#8217;s Facebook group<\/strong><\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also alerted a friend in the neighborhood, who if not for his size 16 feet<sup data-fn=\"ae67a30a-b87e-4d8b-a06f-6446cea3f3c3\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"ae67a30a-b87e-4d8b-a06f-6446cea3f3c3-link\" href=\"\/website_3c1e0e40\/#ae67a30a-b87e-4d8b-a06f-6446cea3f3c3\">4<\/a><\/sup>, I may have dragged to a pick-up by now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<sup data-fn=\"7283c181-b4a6-437b-a62a-4b37722fb093\" class=\"fn\"><a id=\"7283c181-b4a6-437b-a62a-4b37722fb093-link\" href=\"\/website_3c1e0e40\/#7283c181-b4a6-437b-a62a-4b37722fb093\">5<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was pleased to score the first goal, but the first game went to the other side, 3-2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another broomballer arrived, with shoes, so she joined my friend and I for a 3 vs. 2 match. Despite numbers, it wasn&#8217;t close, team shoes beat team boots rather handily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55071443837_e9cb7f23e7_b.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Next time, I&#8217;m wearing old broomball shoes not wearing snow pants. Photo by Patrick Joyce, who stopped by and joined in for <em>apr\u00e8s balai<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The real victory though <em>was the fun we had together<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A new tradition?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the last five years, we&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The C&amp;O canal is known for hosting hockey players and ice skaters during these hard freezes. That&#8217;s a little further north and outside the urban heat island. I&#8217;ve checked out several times over the years, but never gotten a game together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/russianmachineneverbreaks.com\/2018\/01\/05\/photo-gallery-will-make-want-play-hockey-co-canal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>This photo gallery will make you want to play hockey on the C&amp;O Canal, too<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; <em>RMNB<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canaltrust.org\/2019\/02\/in-winter-there-is-beauty-to-be-found-along-the-co-canal\/\"><strong>In Winter There is Beauty to Be Found Along the C&amp;O Canal<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; <em>C&amp;O Canal Trust<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Holmes Run worked well because it&#8217;s channelized and dammed. The water is generally under three deep and does not flow quickly. If the ice wasn&#8217;t thick enough, falling through would more unfortunate than dangerous. I tested the ice over several days before finalizing the invitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is probably it for winter 2026, temperatures are expected to finally rise above freezing. Maybe we&#8217;ll get even get in-person school open. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like I said earlier, <strong>don&#8217;t hate winter, use it<\/strong>. I think this lives up to that axiom more than any other so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"background-color:#000033\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-white-color has-text-color\">Can&#8217;t get enough winter sports?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\">Come out and play <strong>broomball!<\/strong> It&#8217;s like hockey without skates, played on a full rink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"\/website_3c1e0e40\/category\/broomball\" style=\"color:#000033\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Learn more about DC Broomball<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"\/website_3c1e0e40\/category\/broomball\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jus.tia.mybluehost.me\/website_3c1e0e40\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/summer2022-capitol-broomball.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30143\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/summer2022-capitol-broomball.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/summer2022-capitol-broomball.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/summer2022-capitol-broomball.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Footnotes<\/h3>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-footnotes\"><li id=\"8ef4d1d4-cc62-4199-9f40-9572260541f6\">This activity was neither endorsed or <em>insured<\/em> by the league. <a href=\"#8ef4d1d4-cc62-4199-9f40-9572260541f6-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 1\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"669d5d42-3298-4cd4-b9fc-fbfb14e18db4\">In Summer 2025, my son and I were on the league champion team, Red: William&#8217;s Version were champions of the 3-team league. I was captain. Winning together was fun. <a href=\"#669d5d42-3298-4cd4-b9fc-fbfb14e18db4-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 2\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"175896f2-7ca5-4bec-9f4b-3b75feb5cceb\">&#8230;and counting? <a href=\"#175896f2-7ca5-4bec-9f4b-3b75feb5cceb-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 3\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"ae67a30a-b87e-4d8b-a06f-6446cea3f3c3\">It looks like broomball shoes<a href=\"https:\/\/broomball.com\/hagan-h-7-pro-shoe\/\"> max out <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/broomball.com\/hagan-h-7-pro-shoe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/broomball.com\/hagan-h-7-pro-shoe\/\">t 14<\/a>. I think they league should invest in a pair, just in case though&#8230; <a href=\"#ae67a30a-b87e-4d8b-a06f-6446cea3f3c3-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 4\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"7283c181-b4a6-437b-a62a-4b37722fb093\">It mentioned by more than one player that the ice was better than our normal, indoor rink. <a href=\"#7283c181-b4a6-437b-a62a-4b37722fb093-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 5\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ALEXANDRIA, Va. \u2014 When I became a regular broomball player in 2018, there two specific goals I hoped to achieve: Don&#8217;t hate winter, use it The January 25 storm didn&#8217;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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"This activity was neither endorsed or <em>insured<\/em> by the league.\",\"id\":\"8ef4d1d4-cc62-4199-9f40-9572260541f6\"},{\"content\":\"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.\",\"id\":\"669d5d42-3298-4cd4-b9fc-fbfb14e18db4\"},{\"content\":\"...and counting?\",\"id\":\"175896f2-7ca5-4bec-9f4b-3b75feb5cceb\"},{\"content\":\"It looks like broomball shoes<a href=\\\"https:\/\/broomball.com\/hagan-h-7-pro-shoe\/\\\"> max out <\/a><a href=\\\"https:\/\/broomball.com\/hagan-h-7-pro-shoe\/\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noreferrer noopener\\\">a<\/a><a href=\\\"https:\/\/broomball.com\/hagan-h-7-pro-shoe\/\\\">t 14<\/a>. I think they league should invest in a pair, just in case though...\",\"id\":\"ae67a30a-b87e-4d8b-a06f-6446cea3f3c3\"},{\"content\":\"It mentioned by more than one player that the ice was better than our normal, indoor rink.\",\"id\":\"7283c181-b4a6-437b-a62a-4b37722fb093\"}]"},"categories":[6,18],"tags":[378,576,590,780,1289,1872,1949],"class_list":["post-32296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alexandria","category-broomball","tag-capitol-broomball","tag-district-broomball","tag-dont-hate-winter-use-it","tag-holmes-run-trail","tag-northern-virginia","tag-va","tag-winter-sports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true - William F. Yurasko<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On January 31, 2026, several Holmes Run in Alexandria, Va. was frozen solid enough for several District broomball players to play on.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true - William F. Yurasko\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On January 31, 2026, several Holmes Run in Alexandria, Va. was frozen solid enough for several District broomball players to play on.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"William F. Yurasko\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-01T17:24:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"wfyurasko\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"wfyurasko\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"wfyurasko\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ac8cc411e132f659e3520b7aaf758773\"},\"headline\":\"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-01T17:24:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":666,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Capitol Broomball\",\"District Broomball\",\"Don\u2019t hate winter use it\",\"Holmes Run Trail\",\"Northern Virginia\",\"Va.\",\"winter sports\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Alexandria\",\"Broomball\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/\",\"name\":\"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true - William F. Yurasko\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-01T17:24:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ac8cc411e132f659e3520b7aaf758773\"},\"description\":\"On January 31, 2026, several Holmes Run in Alexandria, Va. was frozen solid enough for several District broomball players to play on.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"A hockey helmet, broomball and broomball stick rest of frozen Holmes Run in Alexandria, Va.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/\",\"name\":\"William F. Yurasko\",\"description\":\"Yet another Washingtonian pushing the ubiquitous Nats\\\/DC sports, Penn State, commuting, bicycling, kayaking, broomball, skiing, gin &amp; tonic agenda.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ac8cc411e132f659e3520b7aaf758773\",\"name\":\"wfyurasko\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d848f90a00e30a5618468b70a0cf9639ad6175f078f9417858cef279ef96fe26?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d848f90a00e30a5618468b70a0cf9639ad6175f078f9417858cef279ef96fe26?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d848f90a00e30a5618468b70a0cf9639ad6175f078f9417858cef279ef96fe26?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"wfyurasko\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/jus.tia.mybluehost.me\\\/website_3c1e0e40\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/yurasko.net\\\/wfy\\\/author\\\/wfyurasko\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true - William F. Yurasko","description":"On January 31, 2026, several Holmes Run in Alexandria, Va. was frozen solid enough for several District broomball players to play on.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true - William F. Yurasko","og_description":"On January 31, 2026, several Holmes Run in Alexandria, Va. was frozen solid enough for several District broomball players to play on.","og_url":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/","og_site_name":"William F. Yurasko","article_published_time":"2026-02-01T17:24:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"wfyurasko","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"wfyurasko","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/"},"author":{"name":"wfyurasko","@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/#\/schema\/person\/ac8cc411e132f659e3520b7aaf758773"},"headline":"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true","datePublished":"2026-02-01T17:24:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/"},"wordCount":666,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","keywords":["Capitol Broomball","District Broomball","Don\u2019t hate winter use it","Holmes Run Trail","Northern Virginia","Va.","winter sports"],"articleSection":["Alexandria","Broomball"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/","url":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/","name":"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true - William F. Yurasko","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-02-01T17:24:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/#\/schema\/person\/ac8cc411e132f659e3520b7aaf758773"},"description":"On January 31, 2026, several Holmes Run in Alexandria, Va. was frozen solid enough for several District broomball players to play on.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","width":1024,"height":768,"caption":"A hockey helmet, broomball and broomball stick rest of frozen Holmes Run in Alexandria, Va."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2026\/02\/pick-up-broomball-on-holmes-run-was-a-dream-come-true\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Pick-up broomball on Holmes Run was a dream come true"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/#website","url":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/","name":"William F. Yurasko","description":"Yet another Washingtonian pushing the ubiquitous Nats\/DC sports, Penn State, commuting, bicycling, kayaking, broomball, skiing, gin &amp; tonic agenda.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/#\/schema\/person\/ac8cc411e132f659e3520b7aaf758773","name":"wfyurasko","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d848f90a00e30a5618468b70a0cf9639ad6175f078f9417858cef279ef96fe26?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d848f90a00e30a5618468b70a0cf9639ad6175f078f9417858cef279ef96fe26?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d848f90a00e30a5618468b70a0cf9639ad6175f078f9417858cef279ef96fe26?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"wfyurasko"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/jus.tia.mybluehost.me\/website_3c1e0e40"],"url":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/author\/wfyurasko\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/holmes-run-broomball-helmet.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}