AmericanHockey Article

[NLane]

Anyone see the article in the June/July issue about college ice coaches looking at inline players for scholarships? Many points are made negating the myths about inline players and if coaches ignore these players the coaches will be "left behind". Why then are there 4 sheets of ice in the Hampton Roads area and the closest sport court is in Williamsburg an hour away? Hope our future business leaders (ice alumni especially) are paying attention!

[Rebecca]

is this the article that made reference to a $20,000 scholarship? It was in the front of the mag?

Rebecca

[DannyG]

As much as I might admire and applaud the obvious, hoped-for result of the entire line of promotion...

1. USA Hockey Inline believes that one way to abjure our sport's "second class" status with ice aficianados is to attempt to educate them.

2. We can use the American Hockey Magazine as an amazing tool of propaganda to try to convince the skeptical ice community of the merits of inline, and hopefully move them into a different reality perspective.

I frankly, do not believe that we need to do any proselytizing...I really object to the "it's a great non-ice substitute for training in the "off season..."

What nonsense...I resent being told that this tremendous athletic, skill sport is only good as a poor second choice when the "real" thing isn't available...

Enough with the "damning with faint praise."

I hereby state that inline hockey, as a game to take pride in the joy of play, is second to no sport, and we do not need to continually protest and demand our due...

Those proponents of the hockey community that choose not to see any value in the inline game, or anybody else, can do so with my blessing, and my pronouncement that they are missing out...nothing more, nothing else.

The more we seem to have the need to justify our sport, the more "needy" we appear.

I am done trying to promote our sport as legitimate. I know it is, I know how good it is, and if you can't see it, then you are the idiot, not me.

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[rlrhky13]

Well put Danny!!! As an ice coach and a pro roller player I get the whole "inline isn't a sport crap all the time... and I have the same attitude as you... I don't need to explain the sports to anyone let them knock but they are all to afraid to try it...

Anyways again great post.. I think I am going ot copy that and send it to all my ice friends that say I am wasting my time!!!

[NLane]

I believe the article, at the end, said inline is a "stand alone" sport and should be considered that way from now on. How much other inline info did you see in the magazine? Are we getting our "fair share" for our yearly dues to USA Hockey? And how many inline players HAVE to pay these dues to play? And to Rebecca, I don't have the article with me right now so I can't re-read it and answer your question. Sorry. And to Danny, I'll take ANY article in a mostly ice magazine that says coaches are looking at inline players for college ice hockey programs. At least someone is getting a truer picture of inline hockey.

[TXGoalieMom]

What he said........ Since my daughter plays both ice and inline I get to deal with this situation all the time. I do my best to have the attitude of Danny. I know the truth and those that are knowledgeable know as well. It was easy to spot the inline girls on our ice team......other than the girls that had been playing for years...they were the best players and definitely the best shooters.

[Benny_Gulakiw]

DannyG says:

"I hereby state that inline hockey, as a game to take pride in the joy of play, is second to no sport, and we do not need to continually protest and demand our due..."

How does Speed Hockey fit into this statement?


Benny Gulakiw
President
Inline Hockey America

[DannyG]

I agree with you that any publicity is good publicity...I have discussed this set of concepts with USA Hockey Inline folks Gary DelVecchio, Jeremy Kennedy, Dan Brennan, and Aaron Kriss on an ongoing basis for over a year now. We all agree on what defines the problem, USAHIL is attempting (as I noted) to use the magazine as an instrument of change through education.

How else would you overcome ignorance?...education is the legitimate answer...

In the case of our very good friends at USAHIL, what I am objecting to is in the "railing against the wind," category of frustration...I am decrying the situation that makes it necessary to even have this type of article...

I admit that I have my own local personal/professional tribulations with an inferior ice program that really "just gets in the way" of trying to develop our sport.

But I am standing on my soapbox: I am done feeling that I have to justify my existence in comparison to an ice program that can't come close to our local inline program. I am going to put on the best possible hockey program, ice can try to catch up with me, if they can. That's the local reality, that's the way it is, I'm going forward, and no longer looking back...

"I am inline hockey guy, hear me roar?"

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[DannyG]

two-edged sword?

-pro-level success/acceptance in any form is legitimate progress...

-if you have to bastardize the game to make it legitimate in the public eye, is that legitimate?

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[NLane]

You go boy! I've seen some really good inline programs across the US and I hope yours will be included! And after inline has been established as long as ice I know we'll have brighter futures for the players. I'm not going to be drawn into that "we're better than they are" stuff because that's what "we" don't like about "them", right? Here's to an educated future!