“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.“
-Wayne Gretzky

“What we’re about”

   Located at Front St. and Washington Avenue (under Interstate-95) in South Philadelphia; Rizzo Ice Rink first opened in 1979. In 1985, the staff and advisory council decided to make it their primary mission to provide the youth of South Philly and vicinity with athletic programs designed to foster character development, passing on values, learning sportsmanship, and coming to grips with winning and losing gracefully. To this day, these are still the overarching goals.

     You see, at Rizzo Rink, hockey is a religion and a way of life. For years, Rizzo Rink’s hockey program has served boys and girls ages 5 to 13. This program is purely instructional in nature with the primary goal of teaching the kids the fundamentals of hockey. Learning skills and competing are the major goals at this young age. Winning and the pressure to excel come at a later age, when the mind and body have further developed.

There is a sign above the door to the rink area that says the following:
Success Is Not the Same as Winning
Success Is Achievement: Mastering a Skill
Success Is Striving To Win
Success Is Giving One’s Best Effort