These two gentlemen are very "cool" - especially after long hours of working on the ice rink! Dave Spencer and Terence Pedersen have spent hours talking to people about their dream of an indoor skating rink for additional winter activity in the Yankton community besides swimming and basketball. The building is up, the ice is smooth and people of all ages are skating. The phrase "build it and they will come" once again proved true. Currently 75 youth make up six hockey teams and 50 youth are figure skating. Sunday night adult league bring 20 - 25 men and women together to play hockey. Now in its third year, the teams are traveling to play competitively and competing well. At the first Open Skate on the night of Halloween, over 180 people were skating when three years ago only a few people were skating.

Both men credit the contributions of other communities in getting the program off the ground so quickly. They attended the Amateur Association of Hockey for a couple of years before getting the rink. They received used equipment when other communities were up-grading. They got the matting system from a club in North Dakota, bleachers from the SDSU Barn (refurbished by the Springfield inmates), boards and glass from Mitchell, a used Zambomie for $2500 (repainted by Modern Body Shop), the compressor for a nominal fee from another club - they collected everything for a hockey rink without having the hockey building!

Terence Pedersen came to Yankton from Minnesota and got to know Donovan Peterson who first started talking about skating indoors. Due to the fact that Pedersen was the only one that knew how to play hockey and showed up at the meetings, he was elected as President of the Yankton Ice Association. In addition to serving on the Board, he was involved with placing the matting system. After struggling with getting the tubing on level ground, the volunteers decided that a permanent floor was a necessity and pooled their money just to save their backs, blood, sweat and tears from repeating that experience. Pedersen coaches the Bantams, helps referee and trains the volunteers as the Director of Coaches and Referees. Pedersen loves the game - he has been playing the game for 32 years and never stops learning! As a coach the game is appears quite different as he is looking at the game on an entirely different level than when he is playing. Whether coaching or playing, Pedersen remarked that the game is "infectious".

Dave Spencer threw his hat in the circle of those interested in moving a vision of an ice rink into a reality. Although he had never played hockey and claims that he can barely skate, he saw the benefit of this endeavor - especially for the youth. A small group of people developed a game plan, acquired equipment, painted a picture of their vision and sent Spencer out to tell the story to everyone they could contact.

Looking back on the time devoted to this project was well worth it according to Spencer. Coming from a volunteer family, volunteering is now an important part of the life of his family of wife Brenda and three children. The Spencer Family can be found working behind the Morning Optimist concession stand at the baseball field, helping at the Trinity Lutheran Soup Kitchen, at the Banquet, or the Hockey Rink. Spencer has been active coaching baseball and serving on the Yankton Baseball Association Board, Morning Optimist Board, church Youth Committee, Cub Scout Leader, and Junior Leader Football as a coach for 13 years and now as a referee. Currently he serves on the Mount Marty College Advancement Committee.

Hockey has become a driving force for many people in the greater Yankton community with two people, Terence Pedersen and Dave Spencer, leading the team. They shared that more volunteers are needed with the increasing number of participating youth. They also noted that the Yankton hockey program only costs $100 ($50 is for insurance) to participate - with scholarships available for membership and equipment - compared to other communities with memberships much higher. Pedersen and Spencer never tire of promoting the ice rink! Have they made a difference in this community and continue to do so? Visit the ice rink and see for yourself!