Since 2015, the B.C.S. State Roller Skate Representatives have been committed to the goal of reaching more people in the sport of Inline Hockey skating.
Like other coaches, the Cabo San Lucas Sharks Inline Hockey team coaches seek to improve every athlete’s quality of life through sports. ”We thank all those who have joined this project, mainly the hard working athletes, mothers and fathers, spectators, government and companies from the private sector, who have given us their support so that Inline Hockey skating is today another sport that is practiced both recreationally, and competitively,” said Sharks Inline Hockey founder, director and coach, Elias Enrique Espino, whom many refer to simply as ”Kike” (pronounced Kee~Keh) which is the Mexican nickname for Enrique.
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“Study and sport are integral tools that strengthen performance, both physical and mental, which prepare our youngsters to achieve goals and work towards a successful future,” added Espino.
The local Inline Hockey Sharks team currently has an enrollment of about 150 players and more than 200 spectators, comprised of enthusiastic parents, supportive friends and the general public interested in watching a concrete version of the NHL ice hockey games.
Since its inception, the Shark youngsters have earned silver and bronze medals at the National Championships of Mexico. The National Tournament is organized by the Mexican Roller Skate Federation and CONADE, the national government branch that oversees sport in the country.
The popularity of hockey has been steadily growing south of the border, and its popularity in Los Cabos has been steadily on the rise as well with more and more young and older Mexicans falling in love with what is considered the fastest game on the planet.
Thanks to the superlative efforts of Enrique Espino, hockey in Cabo San Lucas is now on the Mexican map. During the November 2020 National Holiday which celebrates the Mexican Revolution of 1910, coach Kike held an exhibition during the parade with 12 of his hockey stick wielding student athletes. ”It was very important what these players did. I told them during practice that what they were doing was of great significance as the first hockey team in the history of Los Cabos and Baja California Sur,” said Enrique.
Ten days later, coach Espino held another exhibition practice at the Cetmar # 31 high school campus. And just to be clear, since there are no ice hockey rinks in Southern Baja or Mexico for that matter, the style of hockey being played is called Inline Hockey in which players wear roller blades, which are similar to roller skates. The difference is that the four mini wheels are under the players’ feet and not with a wheel at each corner like the roller skates of old. And of course, the games are contested on asphalt or the smoother tartan-rubber like surface.
The Sharks were named after the NHL Team from San Jose and use the same team colors of teal with black and white. One of his player’s parents, Ana Jacobo, commended his efforts. ”I want to especially congratulate you, for the dedication, passion and love you put into everything you do, but especially this sport. Your great effort and sacrifice is paying off so much so that there are already two hockey teams in the municipality that started with you and that is worth recognizing,” said Ana.
During that initial 2020 recruitment effort, coach Enrique built two teams who traveled to Puebla, where the young men and women competed in a tournament that featured teams from the states of Chihuahua, Sonora, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, Aguascalientes and Mexico City. After that first tournament exposure for the young team, coach Kike said, ”We learned a lot and we will continue working to achieve better results.”
Coach Enrique has attended a hockey seminar and received certified training in Mexico City as a hockey referee. He stated that, ”Hockey at B.C.S. continues to grow, and it is our hope that soon, more children, youth and adults will come to practice this beautiful sport. Hopefully, we will continue sowing the seeds that will bear fruits for our future generations. Skating is a lifestyle, which you acquire from childhood, that gives you happiness and freedom of movement.”
The Sharks are currently looking for players of all ages, as well as sponsorship companies or more local support from our community members who love hockey. For more information, please contact coach “Kike” at (624) 160-9524 or visit their Sharks Hockey Club Facebook page for updates.
