Join the Eagles
No tryouts. Players are placed on a team by availability and skill level. The season runs from late September to April.
Who can play
- Anyone aged 16 or over: U.S. military of every branch, family members, DoD civilians and contractors, NATO personnel and local nationals. A military affiliation is not required.
- Skill level from novice to experienced. You must be able to skate forward and stop with control; the club is not able to teach complete beginners to skate.
- Family and military obligations take precedence. Attendance is tracked in Spond so coaches can plan lines, but there is no minimum.
- Goalies are always welcome.
Practice times
Practices are at Zweibrücken Ice Rink on two evenings a week; the slots alternate by month. Typical slots are Wednesday 21:15 and Sunday 08:00. The live times are always on the schedule.
Gear list
Full equipment is required on the ice at every practice and game.
- Helmet with cage or visor (full cage recommended, required under 18)
- Shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves
- Hockey pants, shin guards, jock or jill, neck guard
- Skates (sharpened) and stick
- Home and away jerseys with matching socks. Every player buys their own set, about €100–120. The club keeps loan jerseys for late arrivals against a deposit.
- Goalies: full goalie equipment; talk to a coach before buying.
Top-On-Ice in Mannheim is a reliable local vendor and gives DPL members a discount. Online retailers also ship to Germany and APO addresses.
Dues and fees
Dues cover all practices, league games and the DPL player fee. Amounts follow the sponsor's pay grade; a dependant pays the sponsor's rate. Confirmed amounts for the current season are announced in September.
| Pay grade | Full season | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|
| E1 – E4 | €260 | €65 |
| E5 – E6 | €300 | €75 |
| E7 – E9, officers, DoD civilians, contractors | €380 | €95 |
| Local nationals and non-military | €320 | €80 |
Full season or first quarter due 21 September; later quarters due 15 November, 1 January and 1 March. Inline season: €120 full, €60 half. A 3 % processing fee applies to PayPal payments.
Attendance runs in Spond
The club uses the free Spond app for attendance and team communication instead of this website. Practices and games reach you as push notifications, coaches see who is coming before they set the lines, and no personal contact details have to be stored on a public site.
- Join the league group once. One Spond group covers the whole league. Use the invitation below; it opens the Spond app or asks you to install it.
- The leadership assigns your team. After your first practices you are placed in your team's subgroup, so you only see your own team's events.
- Accept or decline every event. Practices are pre-enrolled for the roster and games start as unanswered, but everyone presses Accept or Decline either way, so the coaches always know the exact count. Games have a reply deadline.
Ready to skate?
One short form. Choose “I want to play”, tell us your position and experience, and a coach invites you to the next practice.
Questions?
Season dates, dues, gear, attendance in Spond, families and spectators: the FAQ has full answers.