When Nichole Parnell wasn’t on the floor, James Schorr was unstoppable Thursday morning.

A roller hockey veteran, the Langley Middle School eighth-grader showed up for a game in fitness class laced into his own pair of in-line skates, his own pads, and a knack for making a whiffle ball stay on his stick in a way that made anyone watching believe Velcro was involved. Leading a team of eighth-grade boys against a team of eighth-grade girls, he scored a half dozen goals in about 20 minutes of play in the LMS auxiliary gym as he wove his way around and through other skate-wearing players like a speedy video game character.

In a game that came down to a battle of skill between Schorr — the California-raised street hockey player — and Parnell — an ice hockey player who took up the sport because it is a family tradition — a couple dozen other middle school students were nonetheless learning to love a game they might want to continue playing even after it is no longer required in class.

In-line hockey is not a common game in Washington schools. But at Langley Middle School, it has been a component of eighth-grade fitness for about five years. Eric Jokinen, the class’ instructor, has been buying in-line skates off sale shelves and soliciting donated skates for years to make the school one of just three or four in the state that can offer its students the equipment to play this increasingly popular game.

“I want kids to do things they can do after they graduate,” said Jokinen, who offers lifetime fitness activities like roller hockey, boxing and rock climbing in his eighth-grade elective fitness course.

It seems the middle school’s investment in skates, sticks, helmets and pads has been a good one. Almost every student in Jokinen’s class this quarter has dashed enthusiastically into a game than can seem a little foreign in a place that lacks a strong hockey tradition. Even Eva Denka, who is admittedly better at the boxing component of the class than she is at skating, enjoyed the game as a goalkeeper. The reason for her choice of position is evident — she’s still pretty wobbly on skates.

“Because I’m not good at doing that,” she said, laughing after her team lost a close contest to the boys.

For the more experienced players skating on the smooth rubber floor of the gym, the game is a challenge. Both Schorr and Parnell worked to involve teammates who were new to hockey, passing to them while going on and off the floor in shifts. As the game progressed, team tactics became important, with groups of forwards rushing the goals.

But, there were times when it was more fun to just turn on the jets and pass everyone by — as long as the skill was there.

“You can speed right by them,” Schorr said of his classmates with a smile.

In-line hockey is not only a component of the fitness class. Langley Middle School sixth and seventh graders get to try their hands and feet at the game in their gym classes, since the school has been able — so far — to acquire about 40 pairs of skates.

Jokinen said he is always looking to make more equipment available to the school’s physical education classes, so he continues to shop for skates and grant money to make equipment purchases. He said the school also gladly accepts donated equipment.