In 2005, Jane Grindley started the Upper Arlington Bantam Bears. The team was created to bring together all bantam level hockey players that live in Upper Arlington to give them an opportunity to continue improving their skills as hockey players and to build camaraderie with the teammates that they may play with in their high school hockey careers.
The Bantam Bears team is unique because it is a hybrid of travel and house. The team has two full-sheet ice practices per week, off-ice conditioning, stick-work training at the Hockey Training Center once a week, an independent schedule featuring games against house and A travel teams, three to five out of town tournaments/experiences, and seasoned non-parent coaches who focus on individual skills and team development in preparation for high school hockey.
There are two primary, yet competing, goals of the Bantam Bears team: First, is for the players to learn and enjoy a game that they can participate in their entire lives; the second, is to develop talented hockey players who will lead the Upper Arlington Varsity team to the state Final Four. This means that the coaches balance fun with rigorous development – both of which are crucial to a successful season.
For the 2009 -2010 season and beyond, the team will continue to focus on player and team development through additional training and playing time with the best available coaches and establish this team as a staple among Upper Arlington youth sport programs.