Young roller hockey players head to LA

A trio of boys from north-east England have been selected to compete in a roller hockey tournament in the United States.

Archie, Leo and Harry will be playing with some of the best players in their age category from around the world in the North American Roller Hockey Championships in Los Angeles.

Northern Edge Sports, which is located in Walker, Newcastle, has the only roller rink in the North East.

Coach Paul Watson praised the boys' dedication and hard work to the sport, adding: "They spend many hours a week at the rink, they give everything to the sport and now they're being rewarded for their hard work".

Mr Watson started training children during the 2020 lockdown when ice rinks were shut.

He said: "Myself and the other coaches came together and set up some hockey for the kids in the car park and then, in the last five years, it has just expanded into having an indoor rink and setting up a roller hockey programme.

"The last roller rink we had in North East was 20 years ago, but that closed which is why we brought one back.

"So hopefully, we will have leagues set up in the North."

Mr Watson said: "The ambition for these boys is to turn this hobby into a career and get them to play at a professional level.

"These boys stand out due to their dedication, they give everything to this sport."

Archie, 12, said: "I'm so excited to compete with some of the best players around the world.

"It's such an amazing achievement."

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