Making it Work: Caprio Does it All for Hopatcong Street Hockey

Aldo Caprio is a process server. Your wife divorces you, he brings you the papers. Getting evicted? He brings you the notice.

In other words, Caprio doesn't always have the happiest job. So why was the 50-year-old all smiles Saturday?

Because it was Opening Day for Hopatcong's youth street hockey league. Almost 100 children hit the Brant Park pavement for the first time in uniforms this spring.

It marked the league's third season, and Caprio said it's grown steadily since its inception, from about 30 children to 99 kids and two age divisions.

Kat and Mike Kelly said their four children—Alexis, Michael, T.J. and Megan—play in the league. Kat Kelly said she grew up a New Jersey Devils fan and wanted her children to play hockey the second she heard about it.

Kat Kelly also said the program could be unsustainable without Caprio, who organizes and coaches each of the league's 10 teams. Cory Terantino Tillery, who has two children in the league, said street hockey is one of the borough best sports for many reasons, but especially like that Caprio coaches all the kids.

"He's dedicated, he's spirited," Tillery said. "He wants everyone to feel like a million bucks."

Bill Steger said street hockey has taught his children, Melanie and Hannah, teamwork and discipline.

Caprio, who grew up in Newark, said he spent the season's first few weeks teaching newcomers and organizing rosters. "Now I just have to referee 60 games and that's it," he said. "That's the easy part for me."