Youth sports teams often wear gear featuring the logos of professional clubs.
But how frequently do Arizona Diamondbacks help with Little League practices, Las Vegas players come to Tucson Raiders workouts or Real Salt Lake footballers go to RSL-AZ Southern Arizona training?
Tucson Roadrunners players are regulars at Tucson Junior Roadrunners practices. And the Junior Roadrunners often go to Roadrunners games.
“These are their superstars,” said Ryan DeJoe, the Junior Roadrunners’ coaching director. “It is like if Sidney Crosby comes out to practice or Connor McDavid comes out to practice, like that level of awestruck from the kids we got because they come here to these games, they know these players, these are their favorite players.”
Roadrunners goalie Ivan Prosvetov is known to be very hands-on during the practices. During a Wednesday workout at Tucson Arena, he helped Junior Roadrunners netminder Prescott Ford with his pads.
Prosvetov said he remembered what he needed to learn at their age. Ford is on a 10U team.
“I was trying to show those kids something that I know, share my toolbox a little bit to open up and give them some tools to use during a game,” Prosvetov said. “I think it’s important too, not to just got there to just have fun (but) to have a purpose with it, to make those kids better hockey players and hopefully they’re gonna remember some of the stuff I told them.”
At a previous practice session, Roadrunners defenseman Will Reilly and left wing Liam Kirk, who is with the the club’s ECHL affiliate Atlanta right now, talked to high school aged players about tactics and they used those in games.
The Junior Roadrunners are for kids ages 5 to 18. One of their great perks — practicing and playing on the same ice as the professional Roadrunners — is also their great disadvantage.
Roadrunners goalie Ivan Prosvetov works with Tucson-area youth hockey players during a workout in early December at Tucson Arena.
The Junior Roadrunners share ice time in Tucson with the pro Roadrunners, adult hockey and UA hockey. And they all share Tucson Arena with Mickey Mouse, monster trucks, the “Trinity of Terror Tour” ... and whatever other events happen to be in town.
As a result, the Junior Roadrunners often travel to Phoenix to practice. When in Tucson, they often share ice time with other age groups.
“Consistency is very important in youth hockey and all youth sports, and we’re just different down here. We just are,” DeJoe said. “Our parents they stick with it, they roll with the punches (even though) we don’t get to have as many games as we like.”
The new Mosaic Quarter Iceplex and its three ice sheets should alleviate much of the youth club’s problems. When the complex opens in 2025, “hockey in the desert’s gonna be huge,” said Junior Roadrunners parent Bill Cupp.
Ford said he gets to tell friends his age that Prosvetov is a friend.
“Last time I went to a Roadrunners game (Prosvetov) was sitting out and the other goalie was playing and every time they came out I found this area where you can high five the players, it’s like in the seats, and he came by and fist bumped me and I was like ‘Ivan! Ivan!,’” Ford said. “It was like so cool.”
Cupp and his son Alexander have been Roadrunners season ticket holders since the club came to Tucson. .
“I followed hockey back when I lived in Virginia, but then when the Roadrunners moved here that’s when I learned they had ice,” Cupp said. “So once we learned that we put him in Learn to Skate, then Little Howlers, he did that and yeah, no going back now, we even can’t get him off the ice if I wanted to.”
Melissa Ford, left, helps her son Prescott into his voluminous goalie gear as Gabe Nevarez does the same with his son Jacoby just before the two junior players take to the ice for Wednesday’s practice.
The Junior Roadrunners and Tucson Roadrunners’ relationship has been a long-term one. DeJoe said Roadrunners director of ticket administration Tayler Kern reached out to what was then the Wildcat Youth Hockey Association on the Roadrunners’ first day in Tucson.
“They love wearing the kachina on their chest,” DeJoe said, “just like the big guys.”
Slap shots
The pro Roadrunners (10-6-1-0) return to action on Saturday at San Jose (10-9-0-1).
The Roadrunners sent forward Colin Theisen to their affiliate in Atlanta on Thursday. The former Arizona State star has played in just six games this season.
