The architectural study aims to address the future shape of the hockey stadium in Humpolec

Humpolec - Humpolec commissioned an architectural study for the modification of the ice rink. It will pay almost half a million crowns for it. The study is intended to provide guidance on how to gradually adjust, particularly the facilities, for the increasing number of athletes. It is to be completed within four months. Martin Hendrych (Pirates), the deputy mayor of the town, told ČTK.

According to him, the ice rink does not require drastic intervention, as its technology was upgraded about four years ago when an investment of 45 million crowns was made in the rink. "But as the hockey club thankfully grows, it has more and more members, especially youth, so there are emerging partial costs, requests for larger changing rooms, facilities, and better equipment," said Hendrych.

The town does not want to make adjustments without having a comprehensive vision for the development of the rink and how the facilities of the rink can be used for other sports as well. "We want to know how to approach it within some medium-term framework, maybe over the next ten years. We want to know how the rink should look and what we actually expect from it," Hendrych added. The study will also serve as a basis for grant applications. Without them, the town hall is unlikely to proceed with the modification of the rink, which is expected to cost in the tens of millions of crowns.

There are over 100 child members of HC Humpolec. "I have been the head coach for youth here in Humpolec for the ninth season, and I took over with 18 or 20 children. Since then we have been on the rise," said Tomáš Maršík to ČTK regarding the increasing number of club members.

The capacity of the rink's changing rooms has already filled up after a new youth category was opened. "We no longer have changing rooms available. And we are even considering a junior category from next season, so we lack facilities. But I do not blame anyone; the rink was built for the capacity that existed before. There have never been this many children in hockey here," Maršík said.

Because the lack of space is an acute problem, he would be pleased if the facilities could be quickly resolved, at least temporarily, with modular units. According to him, the rink should then be expanded so that the new spaces are versatile and could have alternative uses in case of a decline in interest in hockey. "I want to be moderate. I like, for example, the rink in Světlá nad Sázavou, which is for me an optimal rink for the size of a town like Humpolec," Maršík added.

Humpolec has about 11,500 inhabitants, and its budget for this year was 590 million crowns.