THE STORY OF THE DETROIT ROCKIES
a motion picture project about the Rockies
Newspaper clippings:
In a rundown arena on the northwest side of Detroit, a group of teenagers laced up their skates and made history. While the success of the inner-city Detroit Hockey Association was well noted inside hockey circles, nobody knew that the Detroit Rockies were breaking new ground. All anyone knew was that these kids could play.
Who knew that these boys, skating in a dilapidated arena, would touch the lives of so many people? The fact that they were the only all-black hockey team at their level of competition in the history of the sport went unnoticed at the time.
Driving 40 miles into town, a young white Canadian-born hockey fanatic arrived each night to don the whistle as their coach. Together with two fathers, they led the team through practices and games, trying to build a team that could win at a sport that many felt they weren't supposed to be playing.
Spend time with Robert Evangelista and you'll hear stories that will warm your heart. They are the experiences of the Rockies family, culled from their final three years together. It was a time when the hockey games they were playing became secondary to the lives they were trying desperately to live.
The cold sheet of ice at Jack Adams Arena, surrounded by its crooked boards and chain-link fence, was the birthplace of Coach Rob's book, The Business of Winning.
Detroit Rockies reach respect with Midget hockey title
From the Detroit NewsThe Detroit Rockies, a Midget AA hockey team comprised of 15 African-American players, cruised to victory in the Can/Am Challenge Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Rockies beat Cape Cod, Mass. 7-1, in the title game.
The Rockies "are the only all-black" hockey team to compete at this level of competition ever in the history of the sport," Rockies Coach Robert Evangelista said.
The Rockies outscored their Lake Placid opponents, 35-8. But winning is not their only goal. "We pursue our one goal: developing good young men," Evangelista said. "We are primarily concerned with the survival of our kids. Discipline, self-control, sound judgment, good manners and respect are taught along with fore-checking strategies, face-off techniques and crisp passing. Winning has been a pleasant byproduct of our work."
Made up of inner city kids, Rockies not the usual hockey team
From Adirondack Daily EnterpriseLAKE PLACID-The Detroit Rockies went undefeated at the Can/Am Hockey Tournament, taking home the gold in the midget AuSable Division. Although this is a great accomplishment, there is more to this team than just great hockey players.
The team is made up of primarily inner city kids whose team is sponsored by the Police Athletic League (PAL). PAL was designed to help get kids off the streets and into an environment where they learn a lot more than how to play hockey.
Whether or not they wanted to develop stars, they did. The Rockies have remained together since they were mites. A few players have changed the face of the team slightly, but most of them have been playing as a team for six years.
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