Meredith Mayberry lines her shot up while trying to maintain balance on the slippery surface.
GCM Photo By: Dave WilliamsA group of people sliding on ice in tennis shoes trying to push an inflated ball into a net with a stick might attract some odd looks from passers-by. Ruth Serbinski takes a look at the appeal behind the sport of broomball.

He lunges, he slips, he scores! The team erupts in a cheer, arms up, high-fiving and slapping helmets.

Rock music blares so loud that the buzzer can barely be heard; shouts ring across the arena and a red sign warns fans to beware of flying pucks: It’s just another day at the ice rink.

But the players are wearing sneakers and sweats, track pants, jeans, even shorts. They’re chasing an orange ball around with sticks that resemble ice scrapers. They run, slide, and try not to fall.

The goalie busts a move to the music as another player shimmies in the middle of the rink, waiting for the ball to come her way. The teams have names like “So Icy,” “Cow Tippers,” “Broom Bunnies,” and “Frozen Sweepers.”

This is broomball - CMU style.

The sport started out at CMU very low-key, with matches taking place on the pond outside of the SAC. Now, after 10 years as an intramural sport, CMU’s 16 intramural broomball teams have the luxury of competing inside the Isabella County Events (ICE) Arena.

The league is Co-Rec , which means there must be an even number of men and women on the ice at any given time. Typically, there are six players on the ice, I would move this further down the page, and eliminate most of the whitespace between the maroon backround and gold backround areas, I just thought this might give you a very rough visual idea of how it would look including the goalie. Kicking or using hands to pass the ball is not allowed; the broom must be used to play it. If a woman scores a goal, it’s worth two points. 

“It’s like hockey without skates, with a tiny soccer ball and sticks,” said Ashley Stosio, a fifth-year senior from Rochester. This is her second year playing intramural broomball.

“It’s awesome, and I’m competitive, so I like it a lot,” Stosio said.

The league fills up every year, said Gary Baker, assistant director of intramural sports. This year the 16 spots available filled up quickly. Last year there were 12 offered, and those were also filled, he said.

It’s the anticipation of good times that brings people in.

“I got involved because I heard it was fun,” said Chris Geromin, a senior from Hamtramck. “Between the music and watching people fall over and over again, what I heard was right.”

While falling can be funny, Geromin, a first-time referee for the sport, says there are times when the tumble is violent, and no laughing matter.

The sport is a fairly recent addition to CMU, but originated in Canada in the early 1900s. Canadian streetcar workers started out playing using a small soccer ball and corn brooms, according to www.Usabroomball.com.

Broomball migrated to the U.S. in the 1930s to Minnesota. Since then, it has spread through the Midwest to the east coast of the U.S., and even to Hong Kong, Italy and Australia.

Websites like www.broomball.com, which claims to be the world’s largest broomball supplier, sell brooms, apparel, and specialized shoes.

Michigan Technological University has an extensive broomball program, with its own website, www.broomball.mtu.edu, which offers a 20-page rulebook and a guide to making a broom. Real brooms with alterations, such as taping the bristles together, are used in play at MTU.

One reason for the widespread interest in broomball is that there is no experience necessary to play. With rules similar to hockey and simple equipment requirements, all that is needed is a frozen pond, an ice rink, or even a gym.

The rules at CMU are similar to national regulations when it comes to violations and equipment. One difference is that, while typically the game is played in two 18-minute halves, CMU teams play three 10-minute periods.

Another variation is the size of the rink. Usually the entire hockey rink is used, but the CMU program divides it in half so two games can be played simultaneously.

The intramural department provides all required equipment, except mouth guards.

It’s a challenge that’s different from any other IM sport, said Tara Grace Hanner, a junior from Farwell. She also said that it’s difficult to keep your balance while wielding a stick and maneuvering the ball.

“Everyone should try it at least once,” said Hanner.