By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
Figure skaters, hockey players and other athletes in Central New York have a new home for their sports: the Three Rivers Athletic Complex.
The Lysander Youth Hockey Association announced the new name of the facility, formerly known as the Lysander Ice Arena, the evening of July 23.
“We’re excited,” LYHA board member Charla Roth told the Messenger.
In February, LYHA announced that it had signed a 10-year lease agreement on the Lysander Ice Arena with the facility’s owner, Home Ice 1, LLC, with an option to extend that lease up by 30 additional years.
Volunteers gathered this past weekend to repair the ice rink’s boards and prepare for the ice to be put down. The association is seeking additional volunteers age 13 and older for a cleaning party Aug. 1 and 2. Ice rentals will be available beginning Aug. 3.
“It’s going to be a very soft opening, meaning just renting private ice to clinics and [the Syracuse] Figure Skating Club,” Roth said. “We’re not allowing any spectators in the building. Kids are supposed to come fully dressed and ready to go on the ice.”
The former Rink 1 will be converted to a turf field suitable for a variety of sports. The turf field is expected to open in mid- to late September.
“We will be renting to any association or booster club that is interested — soccer, lacrosse, football, baseball, softball. All sports are welcome,” Roth said.
The new name and logo reflect the facility’s new life as more than just an ice rink. A figure skater twirls on a hockey puck, but also present in the logo are equipment for field hockey, football, baseball, soccer and lacrosse.
“We really wanted to represent all the sports that can be played at our athletic complex,” Roth said.
The name comes from the Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area in Lysander, where the Seneca and Oneida rivers meet and form the Oswego River.
“It was a lot of brainstorming,” Roth said of the renaming process. “We have skaters coming to our facility from all over — not just Lysander or Baldwinsville. We have a tie to the Three Rivers. That preserve is right next to our facility.”
New York state has deemed ice hockey a high-risk sport for the transmission of COVID-19, so LYHA cannot practice as an association yet. But skate-and-shoot clinics “offered by other insured entities” are allowed, Roth said, and the state has classified figure skating as low- to moderate-risk, so the Syracuse Figure Skating Club can practice.
For now, the locker rooms are closed and spectators cannot attend clinics or practices.
“We’ll reevaluate in a couple of weeks. We can always loosen up but it’s not a great idea to tighten controls after the fact,” Roth said.
As work continues on the ice rink to ready it for the Aug. 3 soft opening, there are more changes in store at Three Rivers.
“Once we get the ice up and running, our next priority is the bathrooms and the locker rooms,” Roth said.
The association is giving the lobby a fresh coat of paint and new carpeting as well.
New personnel will be coming to the complex as well. LYHA has hired a facilities manager and a few hourly employees, and is searching for a facility director. The association also has hired a restaurant and bar manager for Three Rivers and is working on securing a liquor license. Roth said the restaurant is expected to open in September.
As Three Rivers Athletic Complex prepares to open, fundraising efforts continue. The Ream family has set up a bottle and can donation trailer by their home at 20 E. Oneida St. in Baldwinsville. Drop off your empties or text 315-382-5520 to schedule contact-free pickup.
LYHA is selling 50/50 raffle tickets for $50 each and is seeking sponsorships on the rink’s dasher boards from local businesses. To purchase a raffle ticket, email [email protected]. For information about ice rentals and sponsorship opportunities, email [email protected] or visit facebook.com/3riversathletic.
