Youth Ball Hockey Leagues
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We welcome kids of all skill levels, from novice to experienced, to join our in-house youth leagues held at McBride Park. There are no gender requirements. We do our best to outfit new kids with equipment if needed (supplies are limited). We also accept donations of new or gently used equipment.
Spring 2026 Chipmunk Clinic:
Co-ed 'Learn to Play' clinic, ages 4-6 (kids born 2019-2021).
Register by April 6th!
Dates: Mondays, April 6th - May 4th
Times: 6:30 PM - 7:20 PM
Price: $15/player
Required Equipment: Sneakers (no Crocs!), helmet with cage or plexi faceguard, gloves, elbow pads or elbow sleeves, shin guards, stick. We have some loaner equipment (contact SPBHLeagues@gmail.com) and will help as much as we can. Note: you can use ice hockey equipment for ball hockey!
Spring 2026 League Information:
Goalies are always needed & play for free! We have loaner gear!
Co-ed league play, ages 6-16 (kids born 2009-2019)
Format depends on number of kids registered. Divisions may be based loosely on a combination of experience, skill level, & age. Our goal is to meet kids where they are, while still providing a challenging league experience where players can develop their skills together. In order to make this work, it is crucial that all players who are either new to SPBH or have played exclusively in-house attend the Pre-Season Draft Practices.
Pre-season Draft Practices :
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Tuesday, 3/10/26 - 6-7:30 PM
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Thursday, 3/12/26 - 6-7:30 PM
Pre-season Goalie Clinic (Free!):
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Wednesday, 3/11/26 - 6-7:30 PM
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Clinic is open to any kid interested in learning the position. Attendance does not = a commitment to playing goalie. Sign Up Here.
Game days: Tuesdays & Thursdays
*Additional practices may be added throughout the season.
League format: 8-week regular season + playoffs
League fee: $35 (Goalies play for free)
Registration open through March 10th. Contact SPBHLeagues@gmail.com if you missed the deadline.
DISCLAIMER: If the new league format does not fall into place, we will back up into the traditional age groups based on the player's age as of January 1st of the current year:
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Chipmunk: 4-6 years (Born 2021-2020-2019 - for 2026 leagues)
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Penguin: 6*-9 years (Born 2018-2017-2016- for 2026 leagues, *+2019s if you feel your child is ready)
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Beaver: 10-12 years (Born 2015-2014-2013- for 2026 leagues)
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Cadet: 13-16 years (Born 2012-2011-2010-2009 - for 2026 leagues)
Per PBHL rules, girls are permitted to play one extra year in a division before moving up, if they choose to.
All the Details!
Price
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Youth league fee: $35
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Additional household child(ren) or additional division: $25
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Chipmunk fee: $15/player
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Goalies play for free (We've got loaner equipment! No need to go out and buy equipment to try out the position!)
What's Included
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Youth Leagues: 8 games + playoffs
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Chipmunk division: 5 sessions
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All kids get a t-shirt
Required Equipment & Volunteering
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Helmet with a cage or plexiglass full face guard
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Elbow pads
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Street or ice hockey gloves
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Shin guards
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Stick with a plastic or ABS blade
All players must wear sneakers.
If you need help getting equipment, reach out to vicepresidentspbh@gmail.com. We have loaner equipment to get players started.
We need parents to keep score and run the clock. Email VicePresidentSPBH@gmail.com to volunteer to be on the 'clock squad' for the season and get the best seat in the house.
Location
All activities take place at McBride Park: 1785 McBride Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15207
Seasons
How exactly does this work?
Co-ed Youth Leagues
We aim to host 3 seasons in 2026: spring, summer, fall. At the start of each season, we'll hold 2 or more draft practices in order to get the kids together and split up teams evenly. This is also a chance for all kids to get some instruction prior to the season. We encourage the kids who are experienced with tournament play to skip open practice so that kids with less experience can receive attentive instruction. (Tournament team players are currently practicing for the PBHL season.)
Seasons will consist of 8 regular season games, plus a playoff series. Games consist of three 10-minute periods. We are currently planning for 3 teams/division, and you can expect to play 2 games/week. If we get more kids--great! That will require that we utilize days of the week that we might not have originally planned for, however, so we thank you for your patience.
Chipmunk Program
Chipmunk is more instructional, and the spring 2026 program will consist of five 50-minute sessions. Kids will learn basic skills and move into game play. If you feel that your 6-year-old (birth year 2019) is ready for league play, you may register them for the league level instead (or both!).
We need parents to help! We want to keep these little ones engaged. The more help, the merrier! Please consider volunteering to help.
Tentative Dates (Subject to Change)
Spring registration: Feb/March
Spring League: Early March - Late May
Summer Registration: May
Summer League: June - Aug
Fall Registration: Aug
Fall League: Sept - Oct
Rain dates will be posted at the bottom of the schedules.