Full Notification

“Gloucester Township Hockey Alliance (GTHA) is once again hosting the National Street Hockey Association (NSHA) National Tournament through May 1^st.  This is the 4^th consecutive year GTHA is hosting ball hockey teams from all over the east coast at their state-of-the-art hockey facilities located at the Marge Martin Sports Complex just off of Woodbury-Turnersville Rd. 
Two years ago, Covid cancelled the event, and last year the number of teams were limited with travelling restrictions still in place.  However, this year appears to be the biggest tournament held in quite some time with 113 total teams participating and 37 of them coming from out of state, ranging from Pittsburgh, Long Island, and Massachusetts.   Out-of-state teams compliment GTHA on the quality of the facilities especially with the third new Dek rink surface in place.  This gives GTHA three Dek surfaces, which is the preferred surface across the ball hockey community.  These top-notch facilities would not exist if it were not for the great partnership that GTHA has with Gloucester Township.  Gloucester Township Mayor, David Mayer, and Council have always supported the upgrade initiatives with GTHA, which allows the facility to keep its high standards year after year. Our facility would not be the state-of-the-art facility it is today without the financial support of Mayor David Mayer and Council.  The Gloucester Twp. Public Works Department as well as Mr. Bill Fagan have also been instrumental to our success, as Public Works helps with the aesthetics of our facility and Mr. Fagan handles all of our requests and serves as an intermediary between our organization and the Mayor’s office. It is most assuredly a team effort that has made GTHA the most respected Dek Hockey organization on the east coast.     
In addition, a tournament of this magnitude requires a substantial number of volunteers, up to 100 volunteers to be exact.  GTHA President Bob Keefe and GTHA Booster Club President Melissa Fretz have coordinated this venture by assigning volunteers to a variety of duties ranging from snack stand, grilling, scorekeeping, and trash duties.  The scheduling of over 250 games is also a daunting task, which was spearheaded by previous GTHA President, Mike Malloy. We also need to thank all the members of GTHA’s E-Board and all the Booster Club volunteers. 
            With over 37 teams coming from out of state, this tournament also provides Gloucester Township with a boost in economy for local businesses as well.  The players travelling to this tournament from out of state are families that will need lodging, food and gas that Gloucester Township businesses will be providing.  
            If you are looking for local entertainment this weekend and want to see what the buzz is all about, stop down to the GTHA hockey facilities and watch a game or two (usually three games going at once at any time).  The best time to come is during playoffs which occur April 30^th and May 1^st and you’ll be certain to see the best ball hockey being played in the nation!” said GTHA President Robert Keefe.