European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 26, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                February the stars and stripes Page v Broomall sweeping base at we Bruecken by Roy Adams Kaiserslautern Bureau chief Germany nobody quite sure exactly or even How the Canadian game of Broomall came to be one of the most popular sports at the air base nor is it Clear How the rules have evolved Over the years into what now Only resembles the original what is Clear is that Broomall has been an organized intramural event Here for the past two with Squadron rivalries just As furious As in any other sport played Lou de Veteran goalie for the consolidated base personnel office Capo said the game has been played Here for More than the eight years Hes been on i imagine its been around in one form or another Ever since the took Over the base from the canadians Back in the late said the native of when i came Here in Broomall was played on the intramural he but for whatever they dropped it from the schedule after a year or and we just had pickup games for several the sport reappeared on the intramural schedule last year when it became apparent that More than enough players and units were interested in resuming official according to Rick manager of the Only indoor ice Arena oper ated by the air Force in the 1981 schedule lists 12 Down from 14 last the season runs from january through Complete with playoffs to determine the league Champi this a Tough rivalry persists much the same rules Between defending champs Capo and last years second place Security police both Are undefeated after nearly a month of and a scrimmage game be tween the two teams resulted in a 33 our rules Arent really that much Dif Ferent from the Canadian said Frank a Capo player from Liv the most obvious differ ence is that we have nine players per team on the ice instead of the five on a Canad an our Ball is a slightly deflated he where they use a Black and much harder other variations involve the use of face off the red offsides and specific player we use any of said de except for the goalie the Canadian game is much closer to hockey than but that Doest mean Wei Bruecken Broomall int As fast unlike most other sports which tend to favor the Young and the team Ros ters Here list players from 18 up into their women As Well As airmen As Well As strangely though the game resembles none of the league leading Capo members has Ever played the said id like to try hockey i probably would if i could which illustrates another difference be tween the two like Broomall is played on an olympic sized ice the players Wear shoes similar to Tennis with sponge like soles for tra the footwear is Only available through the Canadian Exchange the hockey Sticks Are actually moms the puck is much bigger but when it slams into the goalies the Impact is pretty much the heres a View of the we Bruecken Adams old Broom with most of the bristles Cut leaving Only about four or five whats left of the bristles is then wrapped with adhesive As is the a Good whack with one of these Sticks sends the Ball hurtling towards the goal with about the same Speed As a healthy volleyball goalie de who spends almost As much time awkwardly sprawled on the ice As he does testified that even though this Ball is big Ger and softer than the it hurts just As much when he gets smacked in the Many of Wei Bruecken players would like to see Broomall expanded to include Competition Between but Given the Lack of Home courts in they realize this will probably never we would to Issue a Chal Lenge to any other teams who like to take us said he said any team interested in taking up that Challenge could Call him at we Bruecken military to canadians ice hockey with Broom by de Reavis staff writer Germany Canadian Broomall according to master Cor poral Jules basically played by ice hockey perhaps they originally played the game with household brooms but we now have a Small Industry producing Broomall equipment in Bellehumeur the Broom consists of a round stick handle with a plasticized Triangle affair attached to the the Ball is be tween 8 and inches in diameter and not weigh More than 12 gloves and helmets Are compulsory gear and players Wear special Broomall shoes outfitted with air Cushion soles for most players six men including the goalie also Wear Elbow and kidney pads for further protect games usually consist of two 15min Ute but that depends on the Avail ability of time on the we sometimes play straight Bellehumeur Broomall is very popular among the who have been playing it for some 40 or so Bellehumeur hearing that there were americans playing the game in we Bruecken brought smiles of wonderment from the Canadian there Are less serious injuries in Broomall than in hockey or in a serious injury is a rarity despite the fierceness of the games leading the league in Lahr Are the Blue a franc Canadian team that has been virtually unbeaten in season the Winner of the Canadian forces eight team league Here will go to Canada to participate in what turns out to be the world Broomall games can be seen at the ice rink in Lahr on tuesday and thursday starting at there Are usually three matches an one warning dress he didst specify what kind of Handicap they would offer to less experienced nor what concessions they ask for from potential Canadian air base i is wide open Germany not Only is the ice Arena Here the Only indoor skating rink in it is also one of the few facilities on a installation that is open to the you dont have to show an id card to skate the olympic size Arena was built in about 1954 using Canadian welfare according to rink manager Rick when the base was turned Over to the he the canadians gave us All of the equipment with the agreement that Ger mans could continue to use the rink As be the Arena is used by the local dependent schools for physical education Ger Man schoolchildren use it in and German hockey teams use the rink for practice and Carpenter said the base hosts at least two hockey games monthly during the and the Arena is Home ice for the am a squad of americans from Kaiserslautern and Ramstein admission for skaters is or 3 skates rent for or 2 operating hours Are 811 and 123 except for when afternoon hours Are from it is also open evenings from 710 tuesdays until and there Are two matinees on weekends sat urday from 14 and sunday from the Arena is just inside the main Gate to we Bruecken accessible from Auto Bahn at the co Twig Adams the action is fast and furious at the Canadian base in by Stephanie James