Dan Guard of Texas El Paso

[midwestrh]

Did I read the AAU website correctly??? It did say that AAU is holding a regional event in El Paso and Dan Guard is the contact. Did you tell your buddies at USA Hockey?? that you defected to the other side. Oh well, I think it was a smart move, usa hockey is for ice.

[DennyG]

guess you need to pay more attention

[calihockey]

I am usually the last one to bash anyone, but this post is needless. Read articles all the way before spouting off. Even if he hosted an AAU tournament, it is ok if it is good for his league. His first loyalty should be to his league and the players,coaches and parents involved in the league. He should look out for them first. AAU/USARS is something I am openly against, but when you are still creating a spot for yourself on the roller hockey map, a tournament is a tournament. Now all the details have not been released, so keep it shut until we know everything. Honestly people who are so quick to bash make me sick. They are usually the same ones who complain when they don't win and blame everyone else but themselves. I do not see the top names in roller hockey going online bashing anyone any chance they get. Grow up and get some practice in because obviously you need it. My team has actually talked about heading out to El Paso to see what is up sometime. We have a local outdoor rink that is privately leased but is funded by a city. In 20 months their lease is up and we would like to see what can be offered. El Paso sounds like a great example of what a city run program can do with the proper effort and care.

[MDE3]

Amen

[RichardGraham]

Hi Midwestrh,

I looked back at your earlier posts, including the one below:

>>Bench Man, Just wanted to say I'm sorry, and would like to put this all behind us. No more negative comments from midwestrh, I promise

Peace, hope we can be friends.

Clay<<

Most of your posts are negative and, at best, impolite to others. If you can't be constructive, please don't post at all.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[DennyG]

Just so everyone knows:

1. The Nations-Tobin Hockey League has taken (for us, anyway) a major step forward (we hope) in it's development of the sport for our area. The opening of our new rink has now afforded us the opportunity to work with Regional/National organizations in the inexpensive hosting of tournaments.

2. It is our full intention to join the AAU program on an interim basis for the remainder of their 2003/2004 season. It is our complete intention to remain in full support of all the programs and developmental direction that USA Hockey Inline has taken for the past seven years that we have been a part of them.

3. In 2004/2005, our League and Players will carry sanctioning and membership in both organizations. Our annual league fees of $105 per player (for 200-250 games) will then go up to $110, to include the membership in both USAHIL and AAU.

4. I am on record stating that the Nations-Tobin Hockey League will not sit idly by and wait til everything with the AAU program set is perfect, accomplished by others, and then johnny-come-lately jump on the bandwagon. We have chosen to be part of the solution, not the problem.

5. AAU presently has no program to speak of. They have over 50 "regional" tournaments this year; of what value can they be when any rink can get one (even us)? They also have no regional structure in the organization. They are still operating the dual national tournament mess of both a USARS nationals and an AAU Junior Olympics nationals; they have still scheduled these events in time conflict with other organizations. They have no distinct, structured, national team nor junior national team program (the present, "evaluation" system is nonsense).

6. I will be working as a League Director with both organizations to continue to help direct opportunities for the benefit of everyone in our sport.

7. The Nations-Tobin Hockey League last year sent 14 teams to three national tournament events. We will continue to do so this year, to include several teams already committed to attend the AAU nationals in St. Louis. We also plan on several teams attending the SixPac USA nationals and the USAHIL Youth and Adult nationals.

8. If either organization does not continue on what we assess to be the appropriate direction, our support will be withdrawn.

9. AAU has a tremendously long way to go to even catch up with USAHIL. They still can't even drive my wheelbarrow. Maybe if we all help each other out, the sport will be the better -for all of us- for it?

[uschockey24]

Danny,
You seem to have quite a program running down there in Texas and are able to always remain positive. Its a shame that every community cant have someone like you.

[DennyG]

In response to my above post, Keith noll, of the AAU has noted to me the following:

This is in response to the message that was posted on the Inline Hockey Central message board recently.

Nations-Tobin will be a club member of the AAU and USA Roller Sports, the National Governing Body. As previously stated, joining the AAU or USARS programs automatically makes you a club/member of each organization.
The statement that the AAU presently has no program to speak of is utterly false. Listed below are several reason:
Coaches program?We have Peter Dale hosting clinics under the AAU/USARS sanctioning nationwide.
Official?s Clinics?Mike Miller, our referee-in-chief for USARS and the AAU has been holding numerous clinics across the country, which includes several other highly qualified individuals.
What Coaches Should Know Program. Books are provided at no cost in our clinics. You can also find it posted on our web-site.
High School leagues with a board made up from the high school leagues to oversee this division of the sport. Recruiting and education materials are posted on our web-site for the high school athlete and their parents. They are also being provided in pamphlet form to the thousands of athletes at no cost by USARS and the AAU.
The AAU is sanctioned as part of the Olympic Cup Series with USA Roller Sports.
This was the largest regional series for youth inline in the USA in 2003. Approximately 1,000 teams compared to 250 by USA Inline Hockey as tracked on their web-sites last season.
There are not 50 regionals in the Cup Series as was stated on the message board. At this time, we have under 40 scheduled. I am surprised that you were negative on being awarded a regional. By your own account, you sent 14 teams to National events last season. You are the only one that has an indoor facility operated by a city that I know of. Not to mention, that the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau-Sports Commission attends our conventions trying to bring more sporting events to your community. The fact that you are charging such a small fee to compete in the regional just adds to the points listed above. Maybe I would ask the question, "Why have we not been awarded a regional in the past?"
3. The regionals are qualifiers to the USARS-USA Championships and the AAU Junior Olympics.
USARS has been running National Championships as the N.G.B. before USA Inline was ever formed.
The Junior Olympics for the AAU was created as part of the 1978 Sports Act by Congress.
Organizations that aren?t members of USARS, should become involved with the N.G.B. as the AAU did and you are now doing.
These aren?t dual championships, each have their own sanctioned championships.
These events add opportunities for the athletes to advance to the Team USA camps selection process.
The addition of the Prospect Camps has been well received across the USA.
4. The comment that the AAU has no distinct, structural, National Team or Junior National Program is completely false as I see it. First of all, the AAU doesn?t have the right to have a National team. Only the National Governing Body has the right to use the Team USA format for every sport. The AAU is offered the opportunity to participate in the process as set forth by the National Governing Body as approved by the USOC.
Note: The Junior, women?s and men?s teams won the world championships and the men won the Pan American gold.

5. The comment that we have a long way to go to catch up to USA Inline and we can?t drive your wheelbarrow was very negative. Education is bringing about many positive changes for our sport. We are very pleased to have your rink and club involved. We all have to work hard together to keep improving the sport.

6. In the short time that the AAU has been involved in the sport of inline hockey, we are the fastest growing organization the last four years. Our numbers have increased 80% to 200% over the last several years. Our registered numbers for this year are up well over 150%. We must be doing something right.
7. For some that run businesses that are profit companies, in relationship to the sport, it is about the bottom line. There is nothing wrong with that but their interest isn?t helping the National Governing Body improve the sport.

8. The AAU is the premier, non-profit volunteer, sports organization in the United States. It was founded in 1888 with over 500,000 athletes, volunteers and coaches. Through our global associations, we currently sanction activities in more than 36 sports, including 250 plus national championships, the AAU Junior Olympic Games and over 12,000 local, state and regional events annually.

In closing, our mission as I am sure yours is to grow amateur athletics and inline hockey; we are excited about the new opportunities that all of us can help create.



Happy Holidays,

Keith


I have responded to Keith, and Barry Jackson, as follows:

Keith/Barry:

I am rather bold in stating my current position here. As you and I have discussed, both personally, and over the phone, on a variety of topics, I am entering into a new relationship as a member of the AAU program. To say I am trepidatious would perhaps be an understatement.

I am on record with Inline Hockey Central, and other media, as being fully committed to the AAU program-of-the-future. I have presented on the IHC message board my present viewpoint of the AAU people (yourselves) as taking over a disaster-of-a-program from USA Roller Sports, and so far you have done things in all the right ways.

I have also publicly stated that there are a large number of ways that the renovations should continue.

As part of the below-mentioned post, you may also take note that I, individually and professionally, have made the commitment to you (and AAU) to be part of the program as it goes forward into the future. It would have been easy to say, "see you next year," or even more easy to allow a zealous group of parents to form a private club under AAU auspices. Neither of these options, however, would allow either of us to work together as we both have plans to do.

In the below mentioned posting/exchange, I hope you noted that I was being challenged to defend earlier viepoints in light of new components of information.

I still take issue with some of your perspective as to how far down the road you feel things are with the new program, but I also feel that these differences of view are healthy and we certainly won't be yes-men for each other on these, eh?

I am indeed looking forward to our working together, for quite some time. Thank you for the kind wishes, and please accept the same from my family to yours...

-Dan


I hope everybody works toward all of us helping both USAHIL and AAU work together to develop our sport into the future...

-DannyG