CC athletic director's blades of glory

After Colorado College Athletic Director Ken Ralph participated in a conference call last Thursday evening regarding the serious business of Western Collegiate Hockey Association expansion, his mind truly turned to hockey.

He went from his day job presiding over CC's varsity teams to his Thursday night adult hockey league. Ralph, a center and No. 57 on the Black team, proudly reported he had a pair of goals and an assist in a victory.

Two years ago, Ralph had barely played the sport. Now, he can't get enough.

"From the first game, I was hooked," Ralph said.

Although Ralph heads up a department that includes one of the NCAA's top college hockey programs, until October 2007 he had almost no firsthand knowledge of the sport. Growing up in New Hampshire he'd gone to college hockey games with his father, but he was a swimmer. He earned five Division II All-American honors in swimming.

On frozen water, however, Ralph was clueless.

"I could barely skate," Ralph said. "I could kind of go around in a circle as long as it was counter-clockwise. And don't ask me to stop."

Then a couple of years ago Glen Luther, the assistant manager at Honnen Ice Arena on CC's campus, asked Ralph if he wanted to join a league he runs. Luther told Ralph he could join in the novice level. 

"He said ‘I'm not very good,'" Luther said. "I said ‘Nobody's good in novice.'" 

Ralph, who is 40, improved. He moved up to the intermediate level earlier this year. He found that learning to skate was easier when he was wearing a full set of hockey gear and wasn't worried about falling.

Even though he has had to miss a few games because of work over the past couple of years, Ralph has hockey in the back of his mind most Thursdays. He said the competitiveness he had as a young athlete never completely left him.

"I do look forward to the Thursday night games," Ralph said. "Thursday has a special feel."

Luther has watched over the league for about six years. The league started as novices only, but as players quickly got better Luther added the intermediate level. He said about 250-300 adults play in his league now.

"It's a social hour, too," Luther said. "They have a pretty good time."

Ralph also plays softball, and his wife, Mary, participates in dodgeball. Ralph said he hopes others take advantage of the adult recreational sports around Colorado Springs. He said he thinks adult sports help physical and mental health.

"It's something we should be promoting more in this country," Ralph said.

And Ralph figures if he can go from not being able to skate to enjoying every Thursday at the rink, anyone can pick up a sport.

"I wouldn't say he's up there with the Tigers," Luther said. "But he's good."