At this time of the year, the days are getting shorter, the weather colder and, at times, things can seem downright bleak and gloomy. Of course, it’s a sign winter is fast approaching.

For John and Kathy Konieczny and children, Julia 19, Mark, 17, and Faith, 13, they’ve found joy by creating their own ice-skating rink in their Oak Harbor backyard. It is commonly referred to by the family and community as “The Puddle.”

The rink has taken on a life of its own, evolving over the years and increasing in size and structure all while gaining popularity within the community. What was once a rather small rink has grown in size and is now roughly 100 by 30 feet.

“We’ve had it a long time, probably at least eight years,” said Mark. “It's evolved every year. The first year we put it up it was the length of the barn. Now it’s bigger and extends about 12 to 15 feet on each end. We use plywood for the (side) boards and we've also got flood lights mounted on the back of the barn. The backside of the barn (which serves as the east-side barrier) is painted white, which helps to reflect the lights better at night (when we’re playing hockey).”

How did it all start?

“I think Dad had heard something about someone building a rink (at their house) and his ego told him he had to build one,” says Mark. Sure enough, several other families in The Press area now boast rinks in their yard.

Julia and Mark described the process by which their rink was “created” —

“We put four-by-fours on the ground and lay down a big sheet of plastic (in between them) and we'll flood the area and wait for the water to freeze,” said Mark of the lengthy process that usually takes place in early January. “Then everything just attaches to the four-by-fours.”

The foundation of the rink, according to Julia, is supported and maintained by square-shaped posts located on the perimeter that sink about one foot into the ground to help ensure stability within the rink.

The rink is usually in good enough condition for use for about six weeks, starting in mid-January and ending at the end of February.

John has taken part in much of the work in helping to “create” the rink through the years, and, as Mark and Julia have gotten older, they’ve assisted him in setting things up.

But hockey is not the only sport the Koniecznys use it for. Mark and Julia, who have both had athletic success at Oak Harbor High, enjoy competing in a variety of sports.

Mark currently plays hockey with a club team in Fremont, is the leadoff man and second baseman on the Rocket baseball team and was instrumental in that squad’s run to the Division II regional finals last spring. In football, he was a unanimous selection as a running back this season on the All-Sandusky Bay Conference's first team, rushing for 1,394 yards.

As for Julia, a freshman attending Ohio State University, she was a standout softball and tennis player during her high school years, earning all-conference honors in softball during her sophomore and junior years. In tennis, she is currently second on the school's list for career victories for girls.

Both Mark and Julia fondly recall some of two-on-two hockey matches they engaged in with neighbors Kevin and Steven Young growing up.

“It was Kevin and I against Julia and Steve,” said Mark. “We would play games to 30 and Kevin would usually fight with Steve or I'd fight with Julia and then we’d stop because we got angry at one another. But then we’d take a quick break and start playing again.”

Julia’s account is nearly identical to her brother’s.

“I have all these memories of all the (Young and Konieczny) siblings being on the teams and there being these fights,” she said. “Those are my best memories. We would get into the fights and the whole game would stop because everybody was mad at each other.”

Over the years, the number of people playing hockey at the rink has grown. Friends often stop by during the winter and partake in hockey matches that have a multitude of players, not to mention the spectators observing the action.

“If our friends drive by and see the lights on by the rink, sometimes they’ll just stop over,” said Mark. “We've had times where we would play just about every night,” said Mark, who notes that on weekends they’ll sometimes play hockey for hours on end. “They (our parents) know we’ve only get a few weeks to play.”

Mark and Julia have learned to appreciate the work their father has put in to make the rink what it is today.

“We never realized how much work it takes,” said Julia. “It's his little obsession in the winter. We owe it all to Dad.”

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed