About us

Our History

When the hockey club and 501(c)(3) were established in 2004, our initial plans did not include programs for low-income and underprivileged youth in our community. Now more than ever, we feel the need to add new programs to help youth learn how to skate. This gives children at any age the opportunity to experience something different, ice skating in South Florida.

In 2004, the Florida Sharp Shooters was formed as an independent local program in South Florida made up primarily of players that did not make any of the established rink-based travel programs. It gave an option to the growing number of players that wanted to train at a higher level but may have been behind developmentally in their playing careers. The Florida Sharp Shooters also started as only one team and grew to have several teams in subsequent years.

In 2005, the programs merged and Davie Youth Travel Hockey Association, Inc. (DYTHA) was formed. Because of the need for extra ice, the program's founders were involved in the creation of PHI (Professional Hockey Institute) which was comprised of two smaller ice surfaces in an industrial park in Davie, Florida where the players could train more often. Both programs also rented full ice and played games at the Sunrise rink.

The following year, in the Fall of 2006, with the assistance of the rink and the leadership from both organizations, DYTHA found a new home in Pompano Beach, Florida at the then-know-rink, Glacier Ice & Snow Arena. The organization merged with the existing travel hockey program formed several years earlier, the Glacier Bears. The combined programs adopted the name the “Glacier Sharp Shooters.”

The program changed its name and training methodology after the tragic events at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when 17 people lost their lives. In good conscience, the parents and the program decided a name change was appropriate.

In 2020, DYTHA found a new identity and mission. We are officially the Florida Fury Hockey Foundation & Club. Our mission and philosophy somewhat remain the same since 2004, however we want to make a difference and focus on helping underprivileged youth of all ages and skill levels to learn the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, commitment, accountability, self-esteem, discipline, and responsibility. The goal of our program is to promote and instill these fundamental values in each individual child so that they can tap into them for a lifetime.