Local rink will be missed

When I learned the Scotts Valley Sports Center will close in August and become Scotts Valley’s library, the first thing that came to my mind was a disco ball.
As youngster growing up in Felton, I vividly remember the glittery ball that hung from the rafters in the middle of the rink, lighting the place with swirling colors while girls and boys chased one another around on roller skates.
But those days are in the past, and what owner Bob Slawinski and his family have brought to the rink is so much more.
“Bob has done a remarkable job in creating that family atmosphere and that safe environment,” hockey coach Anthony Capriccio said. “It can be found in other rinks, but I haven’t found a rink where the owner has put as much heart into that as I’ve found here.”
Capriccio has noticed an unusual phenomenon at the center.
“Kids will start playing, and then parents will start playing, and then everyone in the family will start playing,” he said.
Under the radar, the sports center is also the lifeblood of a huge adult sports community that will be sorely missed.
Outside of the youth and high school hockey leagues and teams, adults seemed to flock to nighttime hockey and soccer leagues almost every day of the week.
The sports center is the only place in the region that has these programs. What will happen to them? Adults will rarely drive to San Jose to play in a weekday league. Indoor soccer is offered in Watsonville, but in highly competitive and impacted leagues.
Many will not travel to play.
Slawinski informed the City Council that he was losing about $100,000 a year operating the rink, and it was only kept afloat by a subsidy from his auction company.
However, even while losing money, Slawinski’s willingness to support the community may have been his most valuable contribution.
As a short-sighted example, just in the past year, the sports center hosted large-scale fundraisers for Scotts Valley cancer victim Ashton Gillen and Felton accident victim Allie Pomianowski.
Also, Slawinski often hosts fundraisers for local schools, and his space is available for almost any large community event.
City Councilman Dene Bustichi suggested the city pack and store the rink for possible outdoor use. It sounds like a good idea.
The Rotary Club in Scotts Valley is also meeting to come up with ideas to keep hockey in the city.
Then there are the athletes who worry about how they are going to stay active.
It is with regret that the city — and, really, the whole county — says goodbye to the Scotts Valley Sports Center. And it won’t be soon enough when another business of its kind takes its place.
But if it has to be, all I want is a disco ball hung in the library.
Peter Burke is sports editor of the Press-Banner.