Northwest Arkansas Archives

School for Life – Springdale’s School of Innovation

The Springdale School District in Northwest Arkansas recognized the need for its students to keep pace with changing technology and that education these days is not a one size fits all approach. Enter the Don Tyson School of Innovation.

**FTC Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Springdale School of Innovation but thoughts are my own. In researching the school, I discovered a wonderful, innovative school right here in Northwest Arkansas. Read on to learn more about it!**

School days, school days, dear old golden rule days the old song goes. Most Americans who have attended public school in the last 100 years can look back on their education from a similar viewpoint. Whether in the city or country, the emphasis was on reading, writing and arithmetic (we don’t use that word much anymore!). Mastery of these subjects meant a high school diploma and entry into college or a good job.

The job market has changed considerably though, whether education has or not. Technology is now at the forefront of many careers and a once traditional high school and college education isn’t necessarily the best fit for young adults searching for their career paths.

The Springdale School District in Northwest Arkansas recognized education these days is not a one size fits all approach and the need for students to keep pace with changing technology. Enter the Don Tyson School of Innovation.

The School of Innovation features an open floor plan.

The School of Innovation opened its doors in 2014 with the goal of offering a more flexible education that is project based and allows students to work at their own pace. In 2016, the school moved from its temporary location at the Jones Center for Families to a brand new campus in East Springdale. The new campus offers plenty of space for students to pursue their educational goals, from a more traditional education to a technology driven one.

Students who are interested in pursuing college can take the core courses needed to complete their education and also take classes that will earn them transfer credits to Northwest Arkansas Community College, allowing them to get ahead in their college educations while still in high school. Students can even earn an associate’s degree by the time they graduate from the School of Innovation.

One of the school’s primary features is its focus on STEM education – Science, Technology and Mathematics. For students who want to delve deeper into these subjects, the School of Innovation offers courses in environmental and alternative energies and robotics. Students can earn a commercial drone pilot’s license (how cool is that?) and other certifications. How many high school students can claim they’ve studied alternative energies and are licensed to fly drones?

Even the daily schedule is unique at the School of Innovation. Students spend their class time in four different classes for four days of the school week, and attend “Real World Wednesday” seminars led by different local business leaders to speak about the challenges of the business world. When I was in high school, the business world seemed a distant future, even though most students are only a few years away from getting a job. Learning how to handle the responsibilities of a job and how to manage their time well is another way the School of Innovation is helping prepare its students for the real world.

Students who have an interest in pursuing business can even take internships with local businesses like Tyson Foods while at the School of Innovation. This takes the idea of Real World Wednesdays a step further, allowing students to see what life beyond high school looks like.

Mike Rowe, former host of the popular television show Dirty Jobs, continues to speak out about the need for highly skilled and trained workers in trade jobs. He pushes back against the notion that a college education is necessary for everyone, or that it’s even the right fit for everyone. For students who want to explore options outside of a college education, the School of Innovation has it covered. They offer courses in trades like welding and heating and ventilation. These are skills students can take into the workforce immediately after graduation.

It sounds like a dream education, but, of course, students at the School of Innovation still need to do the hard work, attend classes, and keep their grades up to be able to continue on the path of their preference, whether it’s pre-college, trade, or business. Still, the school makes it easier by providing each student with a laptop and allowing them to work at their own pace to finish courses. This is part of the plan to allow each student a personalized education and the freedom to choose the courses that interest them as they consider options beyond a high school education.

The idea of a one size fits all education – reading, writing and arithmetic – is as outdated as the old song. If you’re looking for a unique education for your student, the School of Innovation is certainly worth a look. Students in the Northwest Arkansas area can attend physically, but the school offers an online option that’s available to any student in the state. The School of Innovation is now enrolling for the 2017-2018 school year. Visit the website at soi.sdale.org to learn more and apply for your rising 8th -12th graders.

Photos provided by Springdale School of Innovation and used with permission.

October’s Last Glorious Weekend

Here we are at the end of October when it feels like the month just started. If there was a way to trade another month for a second October, I would do it in a heartbeat. Do we really need January or August?

Since stopping time is impossible, at least in this dimension (am I right, sci-fi fans?), we’ll just have to enjoy the end of the month to the fullest. After all, there’s still pumpkin carving to be done, corn mazes to be wandered through, trick-or-treating and fall color!

Here’s a few fun things on my calendar this Halloween weekend in Northwest Arkansas:

Friday, Oct. 28th – Animal Science Day! Ok, this one has me excited. The Department of Animal Science at the University of Arkansas is hosting an evening of Halloween fun at the Pauline Whitaker Equine Center. It’s free, costumes are encouraged and yes, animals are involved. Science and animals for Halloween. Win-win!

Saturday, Oct. 29th – Haunted Night on the Battlefield – This is a fun night at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. Follow candle lit luminaries down the battlefield to the Borden House for a spooky historical scene. Paranormal investigators are on the path to talk about tracking ghosts and other paranormal activity through the battlefield. If you make it back from the self-guided tour, there’s kettle corn and apple cider to warm your soul!

Sunday, October 30th – This is the last weekend to check out the corn mazes around the area and make last minute pumpkin purchases for carving!

Monday, October 31st – Halloween! Wear something spooky, something fun, and something that glows in the dark (for safety) and have fun!

And just for fun –

My favorite spooky story – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. It starts on a dark and stormy night, has three Whiches (misspelling intended!) and is about a dark, evil force trying to take over the universe one planet at a time.

My favorite Halloween show: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Who doesn’t love the Peanuts gang? I always felt sorry for Linus though, spending all night in the pumpkin patch instead of having Halloween fun.

My favorite Halloween costume: I had a lot of great costumes growing up, but I loved dressing up as a Civil War soldier (Union, my twin was Confederate) and also as a bobby cop (opposite my twin’s convict suit.)

My favorite Halloween candy: Candy corn! What else!

You can still catch me as Blogger of the Month on the Arkansas Women Bloggers website and check out Glass House Press’s Battle of the Werewolves vs. Vampires on the GH blog.

Here in Northwest Arkansas, October has been unusually warm, so it looks like our fall colors will stretch into a hopefully cooler November! Hey, November’s a great month, too.

Have a fun and safe Halloween weekend!

Holiday Fun at the Jones Center for Families

This week has always been the traditional start to the holiday season. Thanksgiving brings food and family, but it also kicks off the Christmas season with decorations, shopping and gifts. As an ambassador for the Jones Center this year, I wanted to let you know about some cool holiday opportunities you won’t want to miss this holiday season.

**Disclosure – I’m an ambassador for the Jones Center for Families this year, which means I get to tell you all the cool things happening at the center. I’m compensated for my efforts.**

This week has always been the traditional start to the holiday season. Thanksgiving brings food and family, but it also kicks off the Christmas season. As an ambassador for the Jones Center this year, I wanted to let you know about some cool holiday opportunities you won’t want to miss this holiday season.

First, save yourself the stress of shopping on Black Friday and check out the Jones Center Black Friday Deals. The center is slashing prices on many great classes.

These classes are great gifts for kids and adults. What better way to celebrate than give the gift of movement for a month or a year?

If you’re in a party kind of mood, the Jones Center has you covered. Party rentals are on sale on Black Friday, too!

All Jones Center Black Friday specials can be purchased at the center or over the phone on Friday, November 27th. Call 479-756-8090 or visit the center on Friday from 8am to 7pm at 922 E. Emma Avenue in Springdale.

Saturday, November 28th, the city of Springdale will welcome in the holiday season with its annual Christmas parade. Following the parade, continue the holiday mood with a session of ice skating at the Jones Center and receive Sonic coupons to celebrate the arrival of the center’s new zamboni.

Razorback Hockey will play December 4th and 5th. Support the Ice Hogs before they take a holiday break from play.

December 12th the Jones Center hosts its annual Christmas skating show. Watch as skaters of all levels perform on the ice. Sign up for a learn to skate class afterwards!

Unsure what to do with all of those unfilled hours while the kids are out of school. The Jones Center is open most of the month, with public skate and swim sessions available. Swimming is $3/person and ice skating is $7 (including skate rental) or $20 for a family of four.

The Jones Center will be closed December 24th and 25th, and December 31st and January 1st. They will follow normal hours the rest of the holiday season.

This holiday season, get up and move at the Jones Center for Families!

Brooms UP: Quidditch in Arkansas

The last week of October always makes me think of Harry Potter. Obviously, the emphasis on witches and wizards is part of that, but if you’re a fan of HP, you’ll remember the first quidditch match always took place shortly after Halloween. When I first read the books, I loved the idea of this sport that reminded me so much of soccer, except you got to fly on broomsticks. When I discovered quidditch is being played on college campuses across the U.S., I wanted to find out more.

I stopped by the University of Arkansas intramural fields a few weeks ago to chat with members of the University of Arkansas Quidditch team, one of the sanctioned athletic clubs on campus. All of my quidditch knowledge comes from Harry Potter, first from reading the books, then seeing the movies as they brought quidditch to life on the big screen. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I showed up at practice. I walked past a soccer game to what I thought was rugby practice. Then I realized the players held onto white sticks while they ran. I’d found the quidditch team.

In 2005, a student at Middlebury College laid the ground rules, so to speak, for quidditch played on the ground instead of in the air. In 2007, Middlebury and Vassar colleges competed in the first college quidditch world cup. Spurred by interest in a generation that grew up with Harry Potter, campuses begin to establish quidditch clubs across the nation.

The University of Arkansas team was founded in 2010, at the same time United States Quidditch incorporated as a non-profit and became the national governing body for the sport. The U of A club teams encourages any student, faculty or staff to join. In its short history, the team has already traveled to two World Cup tournaments and many others across the U.S. I chatted with three team members about what playing quidditch is really like.

Kelsey Menze has been on the team since 2012. She found quidditch through touring another university before choosing to attend Arkansas. On that tour, the school touted their quidditch team and piqued Kelsey’s interest. When she came to Arkansas, Kelsey decided to join the team. “I had no idea what I was getting into,” Kelsey says. “I thought it was a bunch of Harry Potter fans running around playing the game.” After four years, Kelsey is now vice-president of the club.

While the game is based on J.K. Rowling’s famous books, quidditch has really come into its own as a sport. It retains the positions made famous by Harry, Ron, Oliver Wood, the Weasley twins and Angelina Johnson: Seeker, Keeper, Chaser, and Beater. Players also must use a “broomstick” at all times. While the first games of muggle quidditch included dressing up as characters and using real broomsticks, today’s players wear athletic uniforms, and broomsticks are simply plastic pvc pipes.

Emily Fletcher also learned about quidditch while considering which university to attend. Once on campus at Arkansas, she looked up the team. “I’m a Harry Potter fan, and I’ve always loved playing sports, so having them together was just perfect.” Emily has traveled with the team to other schools for tournaments, including regionals and world cups, where more than 80 teams from across the U.S. and the world compete. While she came to the sport through her love for the Harry Potter books, she stayed because of the family atmosphere on the team. “It’s the best experience I’ve had at college,” Emily says.

Not everyone who plays quidditch is a Potter fan, though. Richie Donahou is a graduate Ph.D student at the university. He was teaching a class one day when a student’s phone kept interrupting. The student’s girlfriend had left her quidditch gear at his place and she needed it. Richie gave the student a hard time for playing the game, calling him a nerd. “Come out and try it,” the student challenged him. “I said, why not?” Richie grins and shrugs. “And I had a lot of fun.”

Richie is a beater. “I like to run around with this dodgeball and hit people as hard as I can..if I can tackle another beater, it’s just a good day all around.” He highlights what was immediately obvious when I walked up to the team practice.

Quidditch is physical. It’s not a bunch of nerds running around in robes. I watch a series of drills where three players pass a volleyball (the quaffle) back and forth, positioning themselves to throw it through one of the three standing hoops. As they pass, two beaters jog back and forth, choosing their moment to throw dodgeballs (bludgers) at the chasers and knock them out of play. A keeper guards the hoops, diving with the athleticism of any goalkeeper in soccer. Meanwhile, the seeker must remain vigilant for any appearance by the snitch. In muggle quidditch, that’s usually a person dressed in yellow with a tennis ball (the golden snitch) attached to his clothes by Velcro.

I watch a girl tackle another girl and can’t help but be impressed. This sport is rough, fast-paced and above all, fun. I find myself wishing I could jump in. That appeal has carried quidditch beyond college club teams. Those who have graduated have gone on to form community teams. Currently, Arkansas has a community team out of Ft. Smith called Tribe. Anyone from the community can join and try their hand at this fast-paced sport.

The students are unanimous in their praise for a game they’ve come to love, whether they found quidditch through Harry Potter or not. “Beginners should definitely come try it out,” Emily says. “Even if you think it might be too dorky, it’s not.”

“It’s basically like the movies, except we don’t fly,” Richie adds. “We’re kind of working on that still.”

If you’re a student interested in quidditch, check out the clubs at your local university. There may already be a team you can join. Anyone can watch the University of Arkansas team practice or compete. Check in with the team first through their Facebook page. If you’re out of college and fascinated by the idea of playing quidditch, look for a community team in your area at us.quidditch.org. You can also find information about starting your own team on their site.

Happy Halloween and Brooms Up everyone!

Quidditch photos courtesy of the University of Arkansas Quidditch Club and used with permission.

Awesome October: Halloween Week Fun

How can it possibly be the last week of October? The leaves are in their full glory now, Halloween is this Saturday, and it’s time for us to celebrate this last fun-filled week in Awesome October.

**Disclosure: I’m an ambassador for the Jones Center for Families this year and this post includes two awesome activities at the center. As an ambassador, I receive compensation for my post.**

How can it possibly be the last week of October? The leaves are in their full glory now, Halloween is this Saturday, and it’s time for us to celebrate this last week in Awesome October. This week is full of fun – spooky stories, plays, Halloween haunts and, of course, trick-or-treating.

Wednesday, October 28th

Spooky Stories at the Fayetteville Public Library – 6 pm

Susan Young with the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History will share fun and spooky folklore in her talk ‘Mysterious Ozark Critters.’ Learn the spirited stories behind fabulous creatures from Ozark folklore including the Snawfus, the Galoopus, and the Whangdoodle.

Streetfest at the Jones Center – 6-8 pm

A free event for families where kids can dress up in costumes, play games and win prizes. The Jones Center, Mosaic NWA and Camp War Eagle will host the festival. It’s in the JTL plaza on the east side of the Jones Center, or inside the food court if it rains.

Thursday, October 29th – Dracula at Trike Theater

A retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic for kids. Shows start at 6:30 every night from Oct. 29th – Nov. 1st. Visit triketheatre.org for tickets and information.

Friday, October 30th (Note that many of the downtown celebrations are on this date.)

Trick or Treat on the Square – Downtown Fayetteville – 3-5 pm.

This annual event features carnival games, face painting and candy as children trick-or-treat the downtown business in Fayetteville.

Downtown Trick-or-Treat – Siloam Springs – 3:30-5:30 pm.

Downtown merchants welcome the community with candy, treats, and prizes in downtown Siloam Springs. Wear your costumes!

The Goblin Parade – Downtown Rogers – 3:30 pm

Children dress in costumes and meet downtown to parade through the downtown business district and trick-or-treat the shop owners. Line up in Frisco Park.

The 1st Annual Treats at the Track – The A&M Railroad Depot (305 E. Emma, downtown Springdale) 6:30-9:30 pm.

I’ve been looking forward to this one! This fundraiser for House of Hope Rescue Mission promises to be all kinds of fun. Trick or treat on the train, play carnival games, take a hay ride and more. Entry is $5 (kids 2 and under are free). Find out more here.

The Addams Family at Arkansas Public Theater

Beginning October 30th, Arkansas Public Theater in Rogers will run The Addams Family. The play features a family dinner when grownup Wednesday Addams brings her normal boyfriend home for dinner. Check www.ArkansasPublicTheatre.org for ticket information and all show dates and times.

Spider’s Web at Arts Center of the Ozarks October 30th-31st

A dark comedy by Agatha Christie with plenty of murder and mystery. Spend an evening at the theater trying to deduce the murderer! See www.acozarks.org for show information and to purchase tickets.

Halloween Monster Dash 5k run/walk and costume contest – Downtown Fayetteville – Friday afternoon/evening.

Runners dress up for this untimed 5k and collect candy along the way. The race features a costume contest with multiple categories – 2 person, 3 person, 4 person and owner/pet costumes. Register at halloweenmonsterdash.com

Saturday, October 31st – HALLOWEEN

Halloween on Ice at the Jones Center for Families – 12-3pm

What’s better than dressing up in your Halloween costume? Dressing up and ice skating, of course! The Jones Center will host this event for kids to skate, play games, trick or treat and win prizes. $3 per person. Visit their Facebook page for more information.

University of Arkansas Homecoming: Razorbacks vs. UT-Martin – 3 pm

Wear your Razorback gear, costume, or both and join the Hogs for a Halloween Homecoming. Purchase tickets at www.arkansasrazorbacks.com.

Ozark Corn Maze

It’s the last weekend to enjoy the maze, corn cannons, petting zoo and pony rides. The maze is open Friday 5-10 pm, Sat 10 am-10 pm and Sun 1-6 pm. Visit ozarkcornmaze.com for all the information.

Ominous Haunted House – Bentonville

For those who want a traditional scare, Ominous Haunted House is open October 30th-31st 7 pm-12 am. More information at www.ominoushaunt.com

Sunday, November 1st

Zombie Crawl and Day of the Dead Parade – Eureka Springs – 5 pm

Eureka Springs will host its 4th annual Zombie Crawl & Day of the Dead Parade on Sunday, November 1st. Anyone can participate in the parade, which features funeral hearses, Halloween floats, and of course, zombies. Zombie participants are asked to bring two (or more) cans of food to benefit the Flint Street Food Bank. Check out eurekaspringszombiecrawl.com for more information on how to participate.

Holiday Open House – Downtown Siloam Springs – 1-5 pm.

It seems too early to start thinking about the holiday season when we’re enjoying October so much, but for those of you who love the Christmas season and are ready to kick it off, Siloam Springs is hosting their annual Holiday Open House from 1-5pm. Refreshments, door prizes, and the first look at their holiday merchandise!

Enjoy this last beautiful week of Awesome October events!

Awesome October Continues: 3 Fall Fun Events Happening in NWA this Weekend

Here we are in our second week of #awesomeOctober. I wanted to feature three cool things happening around Northwest Arkansas this week because October only comes around once a year! Well, technically thirty-one days a year, but those days go so fast.

1) Take a Ghost Walk

If you’re not into haunted houses (like me), but you still want to get out for a spooky tour, Rogers Historical Museum is holding Ghost Walks starting this week. The museum began the walks in 2013 to connect with local residents and entertain them with true stories from Benton County’s early history.

The Ghost Walks begin with a guide dressed in turn of the century clothing. The tour will include eight stops in downtown Rogers with a story of murder, mayhem or mischief for each stop. Walkers will also enjoy how scenic and active the downtown area is, especially decorated for fall and Halloween.

The Ghost Walks will be held October 15th and 16th this week, and October 22nd-24th. They’ll last one hour and cost $5. Tickets can be reserved at the Rogers Historical Museum.

2) Get Crafty

It’s craft fair weekend in Northwest Arkansas. If you love homemade crafts, handcrafted woodwork, hand-sewn clothing and anything else made by hand, this is your weekend. There are multiple craft fairs happening around Northwest Arkansas. Here are a few to consider.

War Eagle Craft Fair – Set on the beautiful lawn and fields of War Eagle Mill, this is the most scenic of the fairs. War Eagle will have four full days of crafts beginning Thursday, October 15th. It’s so much fun to wander through the tents and vendor booths. As a non-crafter, I’m always amazed at some of the handiwork. You can also cross the one lane bridge, watch the mill’s water wheel spin, and head inside the mill to their gift shop and eat a meal at the Bean Palace restaurant (which is rumored to be haunted).

Ozark Regional Craft Show – If you’d prefer not to travel out to War Eagle, the regional craft show offers an indoor option in three different locations. Opening Friday, you can visit the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Springdale, the John Q Hammons Center – Embassy Suites in Rogers and the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville. If you’re really crafty, you can hit all three.

Rodeo of the Ozarks Craft Fair – The Rodeo of the Ozarks in Springdale is holding its first craft fair this year October 15th-17th. Take the opportunity to check out the rodeo grounds and visit the booths of over forty local craftsmen and women.

3) Dancing in the Streets

Saturday, October 17th, downtown Springdale will be transformed with live music, dancing, food vendors and more for the 3rd annual ArkanSalsa, an event organized by local non-profit OneCommunity to raise money for scholarships and bring the community together in one place for food, fun and celebrating the rich diversity of Northwest Arkansas. There is an event for everyone at ArkanSalsa, including a 5k run and one mile family walk, a car show, a parade, food booths and street dancing. On Sunday, October 18th, ArkanSalsa continues on the A&M Railroad. You can purchase tickets for a 3 hour ride from Springdale to Winslow and enjoy lunch and music on the train. (Check out the NWA Deal Piggy on the ArkanSalsa Train ride) Find out more at the ArkanSalsa Facebook page.

What are you planning for another awesome October weekend?

Awesome October

I recently created a list of things my sisters and I want to do in October to take full advantage of this month. I thought you all might like to share in that list. Note that this list doesn’t encompass all the awesome events happening in Northwest Arkansas this month but the ones I’m especially interested in.

October is a month I look forward to all year long. With cool, sunny days and crisp, flannel perfect nights, and beautiful fall foliage, it’s a great time to be out and about. Throw in fall festivals, sports and Halloween, and October easily vies for the best month of the year.

I hope you find something awesome to do in October and enjoy the fullness of fall as much as I do!

Corn Mazes

Farmland Adventures – through Nov. 7

Ozark Corn Maze through Nov. 1

Right Choices Corn Maze through Nov. 1

McGarrah Pumpkin Patch through Nov. 1st

The Mighty Ducks and the Jones Center Hockey League

Disclosure: I am an ambassador and social media influencer for the Jones Center for Families for 2015/16 and have been compensated for my participation. All stories and opinions are my own.

Today we’re skating back into the 90s. Who remembers the Mighty Ducks movies? Show of hockey sticks? Okay, if you won’t admit it, I assume you’re too young or too embarrassed to profess your love for these fun, typically cheesy 90s flicks.

After seeing the first movie in 1992, I had to have rollerblades. Every movie had at least one scene of the Ducks creating havoc on these hockey-like street skates. After getting a pair for Christmas, my sisters and I spent that school break crashing on our driveway as we learned how to inline skate. We also received a small hockey goal and and sticks and we spent nearly every after school hour not reserved for soccer or homework skating up and down our long drive and shooting at the goal. That’s when we started talking about ice hockey.

I begged my parents for ice hockey lessons two Christmases in a row. My mother said “no,” and eventually, “I’ll think about it.” When I received hockey skates and a certificate for skating lessons my junior year, she admitted I had my father to thank. I did. Profusely. I couldn’t wait to get started. After eight weeks on the ice, I could hockey stop, do a crossover to stay with an opponent, and skate backwards. I was ready to play on the ice, but with my schedule full of high school and club soccer and cross country, I didn’t have the time to pursue it. I had to put hockey on the backburner.

My twin sister and I arrived at the University of Arkansas in 1996 (told you we were going back to the 90s). With more hills than flat places (and no Razorback Greenway), we couldn’t find anywhere to rollerblade. Eventually, we settled for gliding up and down our dorm hallway. Whether our fellow residents hated this or not, it certainly made us well known in a short period of time. One of the guys in the coed dorm said the Jones Center was starting a hockey league and asked if we wanted to play. I’d never heard of the Jones Center, but I was in!

The Jones Center opened in Springdale in 1995 as a gift from Bernice Jones to the community. I knew nothing at the time of Harvey and Bernice Jones and their long history in Springdale with their company, Jones Trucking. What I did know was the Jones Center was the only ice arena in Northwest Arkansas, and they were starting a non-checking hockey league, beginners welcome.

Lindsay and I spent our Christmas money getting outfitted for hockey – from stick to helmet to socks and padding. I’d never played a sport that required so much gear. Finally, I was ready to hit the ice.

At the first team practice, I felt as nervous as I did the first day of kindergarten. I was one of three girls on the team, with only four in the league, but the male players welcomed us in. Most of the players had little experience playing ice hockey. This was a new thing to Northwest Arkansas, and with the Jones Center being open a short time, most people hadn’t had the chance to even ice skate that much.

A few players came from more northern places though. Mary, the other girl, had played growing up and skated quite well. The best player on our team was a guy in his seventies who played hockey for years in Minnesota. He helped many of us newbies. We held late night practices when the ice was available, generally after 10 p.m. We practiced face-offs, skating, shots and defense. We’d get back to the dorm around midnight and drape our sweat-soaked and icy gear over the warm radiator in our dorm room.

“It smells like a gym in here,” my mother complained after visiting once. I shrugged. The price one pays to play hockey.

The games started and we faced off against other teams with mostly inexperienced players. I’m sure we looked like a bumbling, ragtag band, (hey, kind of like the Mighty Ducks), but it was some of the most fun I’ve had in my long history of playing sports. I became the most enthusiastic player I could, cheering for teammates when I was off the ice, and skating hard to every puck when I was on it. We didn’t win many games that year, but we had a great time.

The next year I played again as the only girl on my team. Though it was still fun, I realized I was going to have to give more time to soccer and academics, so after two years on the ice, I put my skates away. My younger sister picked up the sport and acquired most of my gear.

Nearly twenty years down the road from that first league, hockey at the Jones Center is thriving. The adult league expanded from one league into two to accommodate more experienced players and continue to welcome beginners. They also offer $5 pick-up nights and skill nights for those who simply want to play a little and become a better player.

The youth league (NWAHA) at the Jones Center serves kids from under 8s through varsity level, and the University of Arkansas Razorback hockey club will field two teams for the first time this year, holding all their home games at the Jones Center and providing Northwest Arkansas plenty of opportunities to watch great hockey throughout the 2015-16 season.

The Jones Center for Families is the only facility in the area where ice hockey is available. I encourage you to try it out. If you’ve never ice skated before, check out a public skate session or even some of their Learn to Skate Classes.

I’m happy to have played a small part in the beginning of hockey in Northwest Arkansas. Perhaps it’s time to dust off the skates again. If you see me on the ice at the Jones Center, say hi, but give me some room for that hockey stop.

Find out more information about hockey at the Jones Center here.

Keep up with all the #JonesCenterFun and #JCHL (Jones Center Hockey League) on social media by following @TheJonesCenter on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Youtube and liking the Jones Center on Facebook.

Jones Center Hockey photos used with permission by the Jones Center for Families.