Many teams, leagues, and tournaments have been created under Croatia Hamilton’s umbrella. All were born out of the idea to help promote membership and participation, with some becoming long term successes, while others were short-lived.
In late 2004 conversations among Club members relating to the amount of current and former Croatian soccer players and teams in the Hamilton area arose. That discussion generated more thoughts which eventually led to the organization of a fall-to-spring indoor soccer league.
The association was named the Croatian Indoor Soccer League of Hamilton, known as the CISL. After months of preparation, on Friday, October 28, 2005 the inaugural season of the eight-team league kicked off.
It grew to over 150 players registered on ten different teams in 2006. In 2007, the expansion to twelve teams required that the CISL had to change venues as the original location could no longer accommodate a league of our size.
In 2018 the league was put on hold after the sale of Player’s Paradise (the location in Stoney Creek which was used at the time), however, all indications point towards a restart as soon as the venue reopens.
The Playoff Championship trophy — the Živko Cup — was named after long-time Club bartender and retired Dofasco steelworker Živko Jurić.
Rewind nearly two and a half decades prior to the summer of 1980. Following the lead of Ivan Hegeduš, Nikica Jurić, Janko Barić and the Pašalić brothers, the first ever men’s ten-pin bowling league was formed and began play in the fall of that same year.
Due to a lack of lane availability, the league was forced to play with only six teams in its inaugural season. Consequently, there was an excessive amount of bowlers to be placed on a waiting list.
This meant that immediate preparations for a second season began. The following September, twelve teams and a total of 60 men took to the lanes at Lucky Strike Bowlerama in Stoney Creek.
The league has since moved to the Splitsville Stoney Creek mountain loaction and has been operating at capacity for over forty years.
As bowling became so popular among the men, in 1984 the ladies of Croatia Hamilton decided to host a fundraising dinner to help establish a Women’s 10-Pin league. A short time later an executive was elected that included President Josie Vuksan, Vice-President Mary Grbavac, Treasurer Marica Grbavac, and Secretary Mary Bilic. Membership grew rapidly and the women’s 10-pin bowling league had six teams and 30 bowlers, and survived a successful six-year tenure.
Team HRV ice-hockey was started in 1989, and the HCH (HamCro Hockey) came along in 2008. The Hamilton Croatia Hockey Day annual ball-hockey tournament first took place 2010 and continues to be played every Family Day weekend in February.
In 1999, Club member Boro Boros arranged the first ever Croatia Hamilton Golf Classic.
As a result of the Croatia Hamilton Sports Club and Hamilton Croatian Centre 2009 merger, the Women’s Bocce League became an initiative set in motion attempting to generate more female participation and membership. The Men’s Bocce League was organized a bit later and began in 2011.
Hamilton Croatia members and cycling enthusiasts got together to formally begin Team Hamilton Croatia Cycling in April 2017.
The first ever men’s recreational Croatian Outdoor Soccer League (summer’s answer to the CISL) began in the summer of 2019 once the newly constructed turf fields at 166 Green Mountain Road East were completed.
Softball teams, tennis tournaments, running groups and chess clubs have all at one point or another been organized by members.
