Rec Leagues

[JohnHockey1798]

Does anyones recreation league require that all teams have matching jerseys. In my adult league the sign up paper says we have to by the 4 game but no team ever does. Most of us bring a light and dark jersey. I find this somewhat annoying but have gotten use to it. I always carry a light and dark jersey. I was wondering if anyone else has the same problem.

John

[Superstar9]

Dont feel bad, I have only seen a handful of leagues out there around the country w/ all teams matching. The problem is that the directors need to put their foot down and tell the teams if they dont match, they dont play. I personally think a league looks like SH&* when you see lights and darks on the floor and no one really matches.

[RichardGraham]

Hi John,

At the moment I'm playing ice hockey, and our league has the matching-jersey rule. There's a 10-minute penalty for any player who doesn't wear a jersey that comes REALLY close to matching the rest of his teammates.

I think it's a good rule, but if you play in a lot of different leagues, it certainly could get expensive.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[sactosaxons]

Some rec leagues out here (CA) issue plain, numbered jerseys when registering - color choice is first paid, first choice. Or teams can choose to provide their own if they want logo, etc.

Other leagues require matching jerseys by the "x" game but it's rarely enforced as long as the color is similar!

[gwood1]

Pinneys (the mesh vests) are cheap and sharable, definitely a step up from lights and darks.

[WMBG_GM]

As somebody who basically inherited a rec league and is trying to make it work, I plan on buying about 15 numbered jerseys of several colors. Part of what each player pays at the start of a season is a $10 jersey deposit which will be returned when I get the jersey back. If a team comes in with their own jerseys, they ea get $10 off. I know I will loose a jersey or two each season, but hopefully 15 gives enough extra to make it through a year or so.

I'm not doing this because I'm worried about how it looks for the 3 girlfriends who happen to watch our games, but, because a) I'm sick of passing to the idiot in the yellow when he isn't on my team and b) never seeing him when he is. :)

Actually, the main reason is that before every "light & dark" game there is about 5-8 minutes lost while we play the "Do you have a dark?". Makes it darn hard to have a 5 min warmup, 3 - 15 min periods (2 mins between) and still have time for an 5 min OT & shootout if needed in the space of 1 hour. The rink kinda frowns when we run over our time.

Ben Loyall
GM/Owner
Williamsburg Warriors, MLRH AAA

[MDE3]

Bloody capitalist............ lol - can't you buy practice jersey's for $10.00 and just give them one for $15.00 (shipping and handling) - then not worry about having to collect them. Keep some extra's - which if they forget theirs - they can BUY for another $15.00 lol.(will make you seem a really greedy sod, but should help sort out the problem). Then you do not have to worry about washing them - if they ever remember to hand them back in at season's end without the benefit of seeing anything but the bottom of the bag for 3 months. (of course this perspective on Jerseys may be seriously influenced by my being a single male)

[DannyG]

just back from USAHIL youth nationals...

Problem:

Here's this "blue" team; they've got four guys with royal blue sweaters, two guys with navy, one with light blue, and one guy that wears a yellow sweater with "Joe's Bar & Grill" on it...that's your house league "blue" team...

We've all seen this team, and every league has one (or more)...

It's always the most mismatched teams that scream at the ref the most, not realizing how tough they make it for the ref to even follow the flow of the play with their mismatched haberdashery!

The solution we hit on a number of years ago:

$5 of the player fee goes toward the league uniform sweater program. The League buys ten different colored sets of sweaters, fifteen each color, variant sizes, each year. Every player, every game, every team, must wear the league sweater to play. After every game, you put your sweater in the laundry basket, and our staff washes them daily (or more often if more games are played).

This program component has totally eliminated the lost uniform, the forgotten-at-home uniform, the new-guy-who-ain't-got-his-yet uniform, and all the other excuses...our refs can actually tell which team is which...

To say nothing of the fact that every player in a quality uniform sweater in every game really makes for a higher quality league experience for every player, the refs, and the fans, too.

Yeah, Chris and I seem to do laundry almost endlessly on some days, but is really is worth it...even gettin' a new washer with the new rink...

I really suggest that every league try this...even if somebody is given a stipend to do the laundry at their house, and the job rotates...just give the laundry guy a seat on your league board of directors...

see you all in uniform splendor, out on the blue floor...

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

[missionhockey21]

Thats a great idea Danny. Sadly a lot of the rinks I have been too would not take the time or the effort to do something like that.

[icehog]

That is what we do in the Eastern Mass. Roller Hockey League.
The captains collect all the jerseys after the game, and the league washes them and brings them to the next set of games.

It eliminates the lost or forgotten jersey excuse, makes it easier on the refs, and it really does make the league look better when everyone is wearing the same matching jersey, not just the same color or something kind of close.

We work a couple of bucks into the league fee for the use and cleaning of the jerseys.

Dave
EMRHL.com

Please check out www.HockeyTournaments.com
If looking to play in Mass., try www.EMRHL.com

[MBurke]

I think you'll find that that same problem happens with house leagues everywhere, unless you find a hockey director who really cares about the program.

Mike Burke
Commissioner
Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association
http://www.ecrha.net