The Valley Ball Hockey Association continues to see its numbers skyrocket.

When Wayne Van Geel first got involved in 2000, there were 300 registered players. But in the past 11 years, those numbers have quadrupled, with 1,200 players suiting up this past season.

鈥淲e try to get as many kids as possible to play,鈥�  he said, adding they hope not to have to cap the numbers anytime soon.

The main challenge they face is securing enough floor time to accommodate all the teams.

The VBHA, which has teams from tyke (five and six-year-olds) all the way to junior (7 to 19), plays its games in rinks across 91原创, Aldergrove and Abbotsford.

This is Van Geel鈥檚  second year as the association鈥檚 president and he doesn鈥檛 see the numbers decreasing anytime soon.

鈥淭he ball hockey industry is getting bigger and bigger,鈥� Van Geel said, citing the sport鈥檚 relative affordability.

All players really need are helmets, sticks, protective cups, gloves, knee and shin pads.

And this year, for the first time, the association is hosting the provincial championships.

The tournament began on Monday with round robin play and continues through the weekend.

The bronze and gold medal games will all be played on Sunday at the George Preston Recreation Centre, except for a few of the bronze medal matches, which have been moved to Aldergrove Arena.

The first medal game begins at 9 a.m. and they run all day, with the final contest slated to start at 9 p.m.

For more information and results, visit www.vbha.com.