Springfield adds sport to Olympic-training program

The Greater Springfield chapter of the program will provide boys’ and girls’ ice hockey training at Jordan Valley Ice Park. Al Valdivia, the park’s ice hockey coordinator, will be the program’s venue manager; a search is under way for a head coach for the program.

Springfield is one of 10 cities in the country chosen as a CODP site. Other participating cities are: Atlanta; Flagstaff, Ariz.; Lake County, Ind.; Minneapolis; Moorestown, N.J.; Palm Beach County, Fla.; Harlingen, Texas; Gainesville, Ga.; and San Antonio.

Springfield also participates in three other U.S. Olympic Committee-sanctioned sports – volleyball, tennis and weightlifting for boys and girls.

Athletes who have gone through the national development program have competed in 15 sports at the junior-national, senior-national and Olympic levels.