Bob Wiemerslage along with his family; Sara (wife), Clay & Ben (children) moved to Cedar Rapids in 1993 from Decorah, Iowa. At this time, the only hockey in Cedar Rapids was unorganized pond hockey. Bob & Sara worked with other local families to start the first ever organized hockey program, which was on Robin’s Lake on Ellis Boulevard. At this time, the boards were wooden and only about 2 feet in height. 

After a couple of seasons at Robin’s Lake, the program moved to the Kingston area (current home of the Veteran’s Memorial Tennis Center). Bob and other volunteers would spend countless hours constructing the full-sized outdoor hockey rink, resurfacing the ice and completing numerous tasks which were needed to run the hockey program. 

In the late 90’s, Bob worked alongside city councilman Dale Todd and SKATE (Supporting Kids and Their Environment) Inc. This organization was instrumental in raising $3 million to fund the construction of the present-day Ice Arena which opened in January 2000. 

After the Cedar Rapids ice arena opened, Bob coached both of his sons on the Jr. Roughrider High School Hockey Team. His oldest son, Clay, went on to play Junior hockey for the Dubuque Thunderbirds in the MJHL. Bob’s youngest son, Ben, followed in his footsteps and coached the Roughrider high school team for three years.  

Bob and Sara served as housing parents for many of the Roughrider players in the USHL. Sara was the first housing coordinator for the Roughrider’s organization.

Bob believed that hockey should be available to all kids, regardless of cost. Bob and others within the community would find ways to subsidize league fees and also provided equipment for those in need.

Bob passed away in 2019. However, his legacy of volunteerism and generosity continues to live on within the hockey community. If you would like to help contribute to Youth RoughRiders Hockey Club, you can do so by clicking the button below.

To apply for financial support from our scholarship fund, fill out the form below and send to Director of Business Ops, Jefferson Stack.