Recreation

Eau Claire Mighty Docs

local middle-agers start an ice hockey group

Emily Diehl and Kinzy Janssen, photos by Andrea Paulseth |

 
Started with a single signup sheet at Luther Midelfort Hospital, the Mighty Docs now draw players from many professions, with roughly 28 people forming two teams.

At first, Don Dexter donned ice skates for the sake of his kids. Towing his kids along to local rinks, he hoped to spark in them a positive attitude toward winter. As his children became more and more interested in gliding on ice, so did he, unexpectedly. He caught the hockey bug.

Since that winter, he and friend Joseph Kirst have organized a hockey league for people who are “a little bit older,” in their words. The Eau Claire Mighty Docs are a group of men and women, mostly older, that play ice hockey together and volunteer their time in the community. The Docs started with a single signup sheet at Luther Midelfort Hospital, but the group has since drawn people from many professions. Now roughly 28 people make up the group, forming two teams.

“It’s fun winter training,” said Ted Barr, a member since its inception. Barr said the group’s environment is pressure-free and probably lower key than most groups. “When we first started, 5 year-olds could have beaten us,” Barr said. Every Sunday in fall, winter, and spring (in summer they only play about one Sunday a month) the team gets together to play for around 90 minutes; then they grab a beer and socialize.

The Mighty Docs continue to encourage anyone from the community to come and slap some pucks around. Summertime is a popular time to give it a go, according to the founders. There’s a fee to be on the actual roster, but Dexter said it’s worth it, as a portion of the fee goes to community organizations. Subbing is also an option; right now they have around 10 to 16 subs. “We do a lot of volunteer hours, and we require our team to participate in the community as much as possible. It’s our way of giving back,” Dexter said.


    The Mighty Doc’s motto, “It’s more than a game,” encompasses their goal of contributing time and effort to the Eau Claire community. While the hockey league is obviously about spending time with friends, Dexter said being on the team also reminds them that they can achieve large goals together.

Every year, the group volunteers for Relay for Life and the Clearwater Beer Festival. In addition, they donate to Habitat for Humanity, the Eau Claire Mustangs, and the Eau Claire Blugolds, to name a few. Barr said the team remodeled the Altoona Youth Hockey locker room with donations they gathered; members even got their own hands and tools involved in its construction.

“We enjoy volunteering together because we are helping the community and we get a chance to see kids advance,” Dexter said.

For more information, or to join the Mighty Docs, e-mail Joseph Kirst at jnkirst@directtv.net. Their Sunday hockey scrimmages take place at Hobbs Ice Arena in Altoona from about 8:30 to 10pm.