Hockey for everyone, even in South Texas

RGV Roller is a nonprofit organization that aims to promote healthy habits and exercise through hockey and roller skating, all while trying to make it accessible to everyone in the Rio Grande Valley. 

Nathaniel Mata, co-founder and president of RGV Roller, told The Rider that the nonprofit started in late 2019. 

“RGV Roller was the idea to get kids in the community and the general public and also turn that hockey group that had already been there and do something stronger and more official,” Mata said. “And just make sure that hockey continues after we’ve lost the ice rink and Killer Bees and all those things, just to make sure that there’s an opportunity for everybody to have a chance to play hockey and skate.” 

Rafe Fowler, co-founder of RGV Roller, has played hockey for about two decades since third grade and said the nonprofit is the best thing that could have happened to hockey in the Valley.

“Because of the low overhead, the city’s willingness to help us , you know, the insurance that’s available, for me,  just everything’s come together to make it really really low cost and make it, you know, an effective learning environment for new players, which is really the most important part,” Fowler said. 

A hashtag that is used by the NHL is #Hockeyisforeveryone, and Mata said he wants RGV Roller to embody that message. 

“We’re trying to teach the skills of hockey and the skills of skating, and, you know, try to put some good, like, messaging and community behind it,” he said.

The organization offers a variety of programs, from a development league for those interested in trying hockey, to an adult league called the South Texas Inline Hockey Association (STIHA) for experienced players. 

Mata said they have 48 members across the two leagues. 

To participate, there is a fee of $40 to $60 for the season, depending on where you live and the league, as well as $50 for USA Roller Sports Insurance. Participants must have their own equipment or ask about RGV Roller’s gear-lending program. 

STIHA starts Oct. 14 and the development league started Sept. 19 but has rolling enrollment with games scheduled on Sunday afternoons. 

RGV Roller also has Friday Skate Nights for people who want to freely skate or play a quick game of hockey for free.  

All of these programs are possible due to the McAllen Sports Park Hockey Pavilion, which Mata said is a gem for the city to have. 

He said cities such as San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Laredo do not have a rink like this and that is why it is so special.

Mata said he has been a fan of hockey since he played for one year when he was 5 before moving to the Valley.

He understands it is an expensive sport and that is why he wants to fight financial barriers for the youth of the Valley to have an opportunity to play. 

“We want to be able to give kids in all communities and all backgrounds a chance to play if they don’t have the funds,” Mata said. “We want to be able to have, you know, sticks to lend and skates to lend and free opportunities as much as we can and low cost as much as we can.” 

Mata said the RGV Roller vision is to go into underserved communities, colonias and conduct hockey clinics there.

“We’re also, like, really excited for our youth programs,” he said. “But that’s the thing that kind of takes a little bit more work as far as we need donations so we can get insurance. … But that’s the one that is on the horizon.” 

Maybe one day people will just come out and get exposed to hockey and just fall in love with it, Mata said. 

Jacqueline Arias, a co-founder and public relations lead for the organization, said she got into hockey, and eventually RGV Roller, through another sport. 

Arias said she is a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan and that was the only sport she grew up watching. 

The National Hockey League hosts the NHL Stadium Series, where hockey games are played in open stadiums. In 2019, the Philadelphia Flyers played rival Pittsburgh Penguins at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Eagles.

This caught Arias’ eye and eventually got her to pick up the game herself. 

“I said, ‘So this is something I want to try,’” she said. “And then from there just, you know, I got obsessed. It’s so easy to fall in love with the sport, so that just kind of took off from there.” 

Arias said the Valley has little to no access to hockey and even more so for women. 

“So, for me, it was ‘How can I see more brown women of color from the Rio Grande Valley falling in love with the sport and trying to join,’” she said. 

In 2019, while playing hockey in her backyard with Mata and a group of friends, she wondered how she could make the sport accessible to people in low-income communities and colonia kids. 

Alejandro Espinoza, a South Texas College computer science senior, told The Rider he started playing hockey with the nonprofit about four months ago after he saw a post about it on Facebook. 

Espinoza said he grew up skating around his neighborhood in McAllen with his brother, going to the old ice rink and going with friends to Fantasyland but stopped skating for about 10 years before picking it up again. 

“It’s been fun,” he said. “I had suffered from a knee injury, and I was sitting down for a couple years. So, this was my first time back actually doing physical activity.” 

It is a welcoming environment, where everyone cares and looks out for each other, Espinoza said. 

He said from never playing hockey in his life to now being a part of the development league, having a say in what works and what does not and being a part of the organization is great. 

Fowler said his most favorite memory with the nonprofit was winning the league with his childhood friend and fellow hockey players he’s known for years. 

“If there is any general interest, come out and meet the guys,” he said. “Come out, talk to a few people and see if it’s something you could be into.” 

For more information or questions on RGV Roller leagues, events or memberships, visit them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @rgvroller or email rgvroller@gmail.com.