New Jefferson City hockey director at home on the ice

Chad Brown, as hockey program director for JC Parks, pulls out a hockey stick from a bin to hand to a child during a hockey camp on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at Washington Park Ice Arena.
Chad Brown, as hockey program director for JC Parks, pulls out a hockey stick from a bin to hand to a child during a hockey camp on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at Washington Park Ice Arena.

As a group of children skate around the ice - some more gracefully than others - Chad Brown weaves between them with the confidence of a longtime skater.

With a hockey stick in hand and a Jefferson City Capitals jersey on his back, Brown watches as the children hit pucks across the rink, occasionally smacking a puck himself when they glide too far away.

Brown recently took the position of hockey director in the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, but he's no stranger to Washington Park Ice Arena.

Brown started playing hockey in Jefferson City in the Peewee division for ages 11-12, a little later than most players start out on the ice.

"Some of the people that really play, like the professionals in the NHL, they started probably skating as soon as they could walk," Brown said. "I moved back in town from California, Missouri, and I didn't know hockey existed until I saw it on TV, and I was like 'What is this? This is the coolest thing ever.'"

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As soon as he could, Brown started skating lessons and got into the Jefferson City Capitals youth league.

In his years skating at Washington Park, Brown has watched the rink evolve and improve around him.

"They used to have chain-link fence around instead of Plexiglass," Brown said. "The rink wasn't up to size, and now it is. A lot of improvements. We're a real rink now. Not that we weren't before, but compared to some of the rinks we would play away games at, we were kind of behind."

Brown grew up playing for the Capitals and spent a lot of time at the rink in Jefferson City.

When the position of hockey director came open, he said, others in the program encouraged him to apply.

"I've been a part of this community for a while, so I think that was a big part of the decision," Brown said.

As hockey director, he books the schedule for the ice sheet at Washington Park, which means balancing the schedules of the Tigers club, Learn to Skate lessons, Learn to Play Hockey, adult hockey league, broom ball and figure skating, as well as public skating.

He also handles orders from the pro shop and coaches Learn to Play Hockey for ages 5-17.

Brown said he enjoys working with young children and teaching them hockey.

"From there, if they decide to stick with it, they usually go with the Tigers club and down the line they go," he said. "So it's, I believe, a lot of foundation work with the little kids, getting them in a positive situation and hoping they go to bigger and better things."

After three weeks on the job, Brown said his favorite part is the people he works with.

Until the coronavirus pandemic, Brown had been working as an audio engineer and guitar tech, often traveling with bands or working corporate events. But when the pandemic hit, that changed everything.

"This came up, and this is my other passion," he said. "I haven't been a 9-to-5-er in a long time, so having an office is a good change. My office was working out of a suitcase for a long time. Now I can leave stuff here. It's a good change."

Brown's office at Washington Park Ice Arena is a tribute to his position. With hockey sticks leaning in one corner, hockey posters and jerseys on the wall, and his skating gear on a bench, his love for hockey is visible from first glance.

As he continues his career with JC Parks, Brown hopes to work more with youth hockey and make Jefferson City into a hockey town.

With the possibility for a new ice sheet or two at the Missouri State Penitentiary redevelopment, Brown is optimistic about the future of the program.

"There's a feeling you get when you're a kid and you're really into hockey that I can't explain until you know it, and I want to bring that to all the kids."