Fast-paced, exciting and resembling something akin to floor hockey, floorball has deep roots in HWDSB schools. In fact, three HWDSB students have been named to the sport’s Team Canada roster.Zack Peters (Sir Winston Churchill), Billie Petrie (Sir Winston Churchill) and Gord Brajic (Sherwood) will head to Zurich, Switzerland this December to compete at the Men’s World Floorball Championships.Joining them on their journey overseas is the team’s general manager Anthony Herrington, who is also a teacher at Sherwood.“It’s very exciting that some of our students will be making the journey to Zurich to compete,” says Herrington. “We have a good team this year and I’m confident we will make our schools and the community proud.”The competition in Zurich is only the first stop for Peters, Petrie and Brajic. They plan on attending the Under 19 World Floorball Championships next May in Hamburg, Germany.“They are hoping that the experience in Zurich will help prepare them for the tournament in Hamburg,” says Herrington. “It will be a great opportunity for them to experience competition in an international setting.”

Herrington says that in 2002, the Hockey Canada Skills Academy suggested floorball as a fun way of training during the offseason. Now, schools across Hamilton are forming teams and playing the sport.

Hamilton has even formed its own floorball club. More than 300 youth participated in the Hamilton Floorhawks’ summer league this year. Floorball is played in 50 countries around the world and has been officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee