Inline on the decline??? [Archive] - Inline Hockey Central

CUDangled

03-08-2007, 11:08 AM

I constantly hear people saying "The sport is on the decline"... Is it really? Does anyone have any evidence to support this? We have all heard of rinks closing their doors, but I hear about rinks opening as well. Perhaps the rinks that are closing are getting edged out of the business by newer, more efficiently run facilities? Just speculation...

I know people say it is on the decline, but with all the positive things that I see, it is hard to believe.

-State Wars come virtually our of no where and puts together a great event, returns the following year and does the same...and now working on year 3.

-NCRHA (college inline hockey) seems to be growing stronger every year

-PIHA and MLRH coexist

-Narch, Torhs, ECHO, Topcat, 2Hot4Ice, etc...the major tournament series seem to be growing and growing...

-Equipment manufactures and making more and more "inline specific" equipment (Mission, Tour, etc.), where several years ago you were either using the Franklin street hockey gear or jumping to ice gear.

Maybe I am just made ignorant to reality by my love for the game.

Does anyone have any stats? USAIL enrollment down? Narch entry numbers down? Something like that...

I read a post on another board about this topic...and someone made a great quote...
"Roller hockey is like most endeavors, the future is controlled more by those who form the present, do not live in the past and have a vision for the future. The status quo is never acceptable if an activity is to grow and thrieve"

CoachClipboard

03-08-2007, 03:55 PM

What a great and well written thread. Even the quote at the end was great. I personally dont see Inline hockey on any form of decline. All your points you made were incredibly true and gave me pause for thought as I am sure you have made others do as well. Very poignant have you brought up some interesting facts. State Wars was incredible both years (As I attended both as a coach) and not only was it well attended but it was first class, first rate and I dont feel there is another event anywhere in the sport of hockey that represents the competition between State play Nationwide than What Jason and Tim have put together. They did it with class, and they made players, parents, coaches, and the sport in general reflect and find something outside the sport itself, if only for a week, in relation to competing not only for them, or their organization or normal travel team, but for their State, for their Country. They took words like Pride and Honor and made them a reality for players and families. Players played for pride and honor for their State, not so that their normal travel team was a focus, but their State, with players they normally wouldnt play with, but against. It is an Honor to play for that selected team, but not for self. For State, for Country. Unparralled anywhere in sports besides World Cup Soccer, and it happened in Roller Hockey. And it grows each year. I personally know that players I talked with, and parents, it has left a very positive experience with them. Some saying that it made a huge impression on them and something they will never in their lives forget again.

NARCh, Torhs, and all the other events you mentioned, have had numbers soaring. Have you taken a look at the Schedules for these things? We are talking two weeks plus to complete them! Thats a lot of teams. That is a lot of players. Were talking half a months time for one tournament event, nonstop! I agree, show me numbers of decline here.

Each year the NCRHA seems to expand more and more. The organization seems to be beyond its growing pain years and is now drawing new Universities Nationwide. I talk with young players everyday, managing a roller hockey facility, and I am now being asked frequently about colleges that support and function within the NCRHA and more specifically to my region the ECRHA. Just a few years ago, players and parents were talking ice hockey at college, fully unaware that this organization existed, but not anymore. It is often that I hear, "What about such and such college? Do they have a roller hockey team? and how can we get involved?". It is catching on, rather than dying out.

I coach a team in PIHA, and I tend to be very involved with the league, so I have first hand witness to the league itself not only growing, but doubling in the past year. This is players who run this league in the long and short of it, not some money hungry get rich group of owners. These players form their own programs within their region to compete now not only geographically local, but Nationwide. The league has always had top notch talent. Some of the sports very best players, but this past year it has taken nearly every name youve heard of in this sport at the adult pro level and enveloped it under its wing. The league is set to expand for sure next year as well, and one can only imagine where this can go! It has its issues from time to time, as any league does, but the organization is something not seen as of yet in any attempted professional roller hockey league.

Grass roots hockey programs too have grown. In the East we have NAYRHL and it is a travel league for teams to compete from region to region, but not just for the very talented player, for all players. They have different skill divisions for teams so that not only do the very best players get to experience going a few hours drive to play other kids, but all players can experience it. It is something that can go many positive directions, and it is already being used by teams in PIHA at rinks they play at, to make JR versions of the pro teams, but with young kids of all abilities, to emulate that pro team and have some pride playing under their wings! I see this program catching and spreading quickly, and it is organized first class by people who care. So many many ways for youth hockey to expand and become a wholesome thought of sport in community, and its happening in NAYRHL.

If numbers are down in USAinline hockey, USARS or AAU, I cannot imagine why or how that could possibly be. No Mr. CUDangled, you are not ignorant to this sport in any way. To the contrary, your eyes are wide open, focused and in-line with what the sport itself is all about. The naysayers out there who bash and beat on this sport can and will continue to do so. Is it big brother Ice? I dont know. Is it someone who could not conform to the sport as they thought they would,or have been removed from it for the better of the game, be it player or parent? Not sure. But someone is blindly negative to roller hockey and we must all endure and ignore it. It is their misfortune, not ours, that they are not involved as it evolves.

DannyG

03-08-2007, 11:25 PM

The above two contributors are obviously each thoroughly knowledgeable of both their local scene, and the general tone-and-timbre of the national scene.

Absolutely not to rain on any parade, just to bring to light two facts.

USAHIL number of leagues and numbers of players is indeed in a downward trend...has been for about four years or so.

As a generality, kids at the youngest entry level, ages 6-10, are not joining the sport in numbers comparable to 5-10 years back.

This is because the inline skate phase/fad/trend of the 90's is over. The price of inline skates went in '93 from $179.00 to $39.95. Every little kid had a pair of skates. To get a kid to think, "Hey, I can skate, maybe I should try hockey," was an easy transition.

Now, no little kids have skates. To get a kid out of the clear blue sky to say, "Hey I might like to go buy skates, learn to skate, and try to play hockey," just doesn't happen...

Your optimism is infectious, however. I share your vision that, if we offer a legitimate recreation experience for a modest price, we can create the next "generation" of entry-level skaters and hockey players. We just have to do it...

I am about to launch my new "Xtreet Sports" endeavor, having left my cushy government job (Parks' Dept Recreation Administrator) of 18 years. At our new facility, we offer "Street" versions of five sports, including inline hockey...

It is our hope that the true "sportsman" interest in every kid will prevail, and a large number of kids who play basketball, baseball, and soccer will see other kids having fun playing inline hockey, and want to jump in. We'll let you now how it goes...

But anyway, that's how I see the "state of the sport..."

RINKRAT

03-10-2007, 07:29 AM

As a generality, kids at the youngest entry level, ages 6-10, are not joining the sport in numbers comparable to 5-10 years back."

So true! Many points mentioned earlier in the first 2 posts are also true statements, however, most of it focuses on the "elite" level of the sport, (statewars, torhs, narch, etc...) which is not where the decline is. It's like Danny G stated. The decline is with the younger, "entry" level players signing up to help keep the "house league" programs stay alive which in turn is the cause of many of the local rinks having to close it's doors. I live in South Louisiana and have been running an inline program since 1998 and have seen rinks in the LA/TEX area close left and right due to lack of #'s at the entry level. Back in 2000, a group of potential investors (hockey dads) came to us with interest in building a rink in a nearby city of Lake Charles, LA. They had the money, the enthusiasm, a local minor league ice team in town to draw interest to the sport and all they needed was some advice to get things started. Along with the blue prints to our building, we offered these words of advice..."First, build a successful youth house league program and second, worry about everything esle, including and especially travel hockey later. Find the youngest potential players out there and apply your efforts towards introducing them to the sport. In reality, a house league program can survive without the existence of a travel program. But on the other hand, without a house league program to feed it, a travel program doesn't have a chance." So the first thing that this young program did was...you guessed it...assembled travel teams with the small # of players in the area, contacted torhs and narch and booked a couple of tournaments and started a travel hockey program. It did not take very long for the politics of travel hockey to consume the group. 2 million dollars, 3 years and 4 management groups later, the hockey rink is now a BINGO Hall and doing quite well these days from what I hear. Plus there's no more parents to deal with...lol. (I assume someone pulled the batteries out of all the smoke detectors first...geesh!) Now those kids are playing baseball again...YUCK! In our area, the bulk of the players are kids that were born in the late 80's to early 90's. Most of those kids are juniors and seniors in high school now or already in college. So we have a pretty strong high school, adult and collegiate hockey interest in our area. However, if nothing is done to get new players between the ages of (4-9yrs old) into our sport, sooner or later the well is going to run dry.

Like the NAYRHL, we have been working on a similar program that will involve several nearby programs through out the states of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi that will also offer the tournament experience to all level players instead of just the elite. Don't get me wrong, my son plays travel hockey and my family absolutely loves it and look forward to many more years of it. However, like most programs, the "elite" player represents about 20% of our league membership which means the other 80% are usually excluded from such an experience. Back in December '06, we offered a "true house league" level tournament for programs in our area. What made it unique was that all players had to play with their current house league team as rostered by their league/program as there was no altering of any team rosters. This leveled the playing field for all teams/programs and also included the usually exlcluded 80%. Teams were charged half the price of traditional tournaments, since there was no middle man to pay (insert name of tournament company here "______"). We gave our refs and scorekeepers a raise, added a shootout, goalie competition, some really cool trophies, money giveaways, gift certificates to our Pro Shop and gave many of these kids an experience they will never forget. And believe it or not, the local rink actually made a profit to help keep the doors open. (Did I hear someone say B-I-N-G-O?) The highlight of the weekend came during the 11th round of a sudden shootout of a 10U semi final game when a first time player from my program (and the last kid on the bench) walked down the rink as if he were walking on stilts praying not to lose the puck in front of packed arena and buried the game winner while his grandmother covered her eyes because she couldn't bare to watch. And the unlikely hero brought the fans to their feet...YEAH!!! The very next week he was in the pro shop ordering a yellow helmet because that's what all the good (travel) kids wear. This kid's hook for life now and a STAR in his own mind is born! We just need to find more like him and give them the same opportunity...or else, this sport will continue to be on the decline!

Sorry, so long winded...but it's 6am on a Saturday morning and I have nothing better to do and a couple of hours to kill before having to head to the rink for our Saturday morning house league games...and that's my take.

RAT

RichardGraham

03-10-2007, 03:16 PM

growl89

03-10-2007, 03:55 PM

i think that the elite levels are thriving indeed, but the grossroots, the house leagues are getting smaller and smaller... growing up i played at ISCA in NJ and when i played Bantams and Juniors in the house leagues there was both an A and B division for each with 10+ teams in each, now looking at their website, they have 4 teams in the league, only one division. It's not that ISCA has done anything differently, it's the the kids stopped playing and stopped signing up. Another Problem also is that there are too many rinks all over the place. This not only spreads out the talent, but it spreads out the numbers of players. I think also most parents do not see a future for roller hockey for their child compared to ice hockey. Playing both all my life and working at the local ice rink, there is no respect, still, for the roller hockey world. I dragged a couple of my teammates from my college ice team that were against roller hockey, to a PIHA game and their opinion changed instantly. How do we market roller hockey better? sure there is top end merchandise that is promoted, but if i was not a roller hockey player and knew where to look, i would have no idea that these things; PIHA, NARCH, TORHS etc, even exsisted. It's actually sad to see some of these regional tournaments that used to sell out almost instantly, now they struggle to put a division of 4 teams together. Also, in the NJ area anyways, we can all remember the weekend tournaments at the coliseum. These used to sell out and they werent even regional qualifiers, now it's hard to even find a tournament at all to play in. What can be done?

STEVENSDANEYKO

03-10-2007, 04:29 PM

Among 18 And Over Inline Players, I Do Not See Much Decilne. However There Are No Kids Playing Roller Hockey Anymore. Over The Past Few Years Three Rinks That I Played At In The Ny/nj Area Closed Down. Sportsfest On Staten Island, Rexplex Exit 13a Off Nj Turnpike, And Rumored To Be Closing At Year's End Center Circle In Rahway, Nj. If The Sport Was As Popular As It Was In The Mid 90's They Would Be Making Money, And Who Would Shut Down A Money Making Business?

RINKRAT

03-10-2007, 06:19 PM

I think also most parents do not see a future for roller hockey for their child compared to ice hockey.

Thank you for saying that. Believe it or not, even down here in South Louisiana (where hockey is still relatively young), we have our own home grown "Little-Wayne-Gretzkys" that are on their way to the BIG SHOW. In our city, the ice program puts more effort into recruiting kids from the roller program versus trying to develop younger players of their own. I don't have a problem with kids playing both. My kid enjoys both. I just wish that our ice program would contribute to the cause by going after "new blood" rather than seeing how many roller kids they can convince to try "real" hockey. I personally take the time to introduce soccer, basketball and t-ball players to inline. I help them find used gear, offer some free lessons or rink time, tell them how exciting the game is compared to other sports and eventually get them involve with our house league program....knowing that if this kid sticks with it and develops enough, he will be approached by an ice parent/coach one day about coming out for the ice travel team.

Another issue is the ice hockey magazine that my roller players receive from USA Hockey for being a USA Hockey "INLINE" Member. It does not help the cause either that majority of the issues hype up the kid from MINNESTOTA or BOSTON College that is a top NHL prospect or who is a shoe-in for the Olympic Team. Again, these such players are the minority of the sport...ice or roller. To me, it promotes a false sense of realistic opportunity. Personally, I'd rather read about what area has the most new players in their house league and what they did to find these kids or how to get equipment companies to donate out dated gear to house league programs to keep the intial costs of joining the sport down. I believe that USA Hockey is sending the wrong message to these kids. What should be emphasized is that the reason why you play hockey is because it is the best game in the world....plain and simple! It's FUN and there is nothing else like it. And most importantly, it brings families together like no other sport. I tell people this all the time because I truly believe it. It's the most exciting game on earth, BAR NONE...Sorry to break it to all of you World Cup Soccer Fans. I've brought this concern up to USA Hockey about publishing a "Roller" magazine for the inline members and was told that the majority of their members were significantly ice players so it was not even an option. That's understandable, but frankly, I would prefer that they stop sending them anything at all. So, thank you Tim & Jason with Statewars and Daryn with Narch for stepping up to the plate. I mean, Let's be real here. Most of these kids that convert over to ice at the age of 10 or 12 just to chase the dream often end up guitting by the time they're 15 or 16 once reality sets in. If they are playing because they love it, then great. But if they are playing for the NHL contract or picture on the Wheaties Box, then they are playing for the wrong reasons. I am 30 something and born and raised on good ol' American Football. Played in the backyard, in the streets after school, at the neighbors house, pop warner, junior high and my freshman year in high school until I discovered...well we won't get into that right now. The reason I played was because it was FUN, FUN, FUN! Now, I WAS going to be the next Joe Theisman when I grew up and played in the NFL. Then of course, around that time, the ROCKY Movies came out and I quickly set my sights on the Heavyweight Boxing Championship Belt instead. Needless to say, I never got a call from the NFL nor my title shot with "Clubber Lang" (or Mr. T for those readers that aren't old enough to remember), but I have no regrets about all the time I spent playing in all of those after school backyard superbowl championship games when I was kid. My point is, it's ok to let a kid dream, but let's make sure that the real reason they are playing is because they are just having FUN...and as parents, we need to be ok with this and ignore all the voices inside our heads.

Ok, I'm done

RAT

Berry_Bramble

03-12-2007, 01:19 AM

It is nice that kids 17 years and older have tons of options on where to play....but what are people doing to get not only kids 6u or 8u but even 10u's playing roller hockey...roller hockeys identity seems to be thru tournaments for competative play...but there are only a handfull of people trying to put together 8u teams every year....not only are the numbers dropping in 8u every year tournament wise but they are dropping in house leagues too. It has been like that for the past couple of years here on LI, can't speak for the rest of the country. So what happens when the kids reach 14 or 16u. Having 4 team divisions in house leagues that used to have 12 or 20?

Defense1st

03-12-2007, 01:32 AM

To all who have posted:

Great posts right on the money in most cases.

I could go on for about 3 hours on this subject. But I have done that in the past as Danny G can attest (as has he) and nothing has changed. Most of the time I end up with phone calls or emails from "people" who want to know why I said what I did in a public forum, threats they are going to sue me, or or at best those people who are most influential in our sport wondering why I would "dis" them since we are friends, and have known each other for years, and so on. My son and I are known pretty much in every rink that has held a tournament in the last 5 years, east of the Mississippi, so I am not just some nut with a big mouth; and I never hide behind a name on a message board.

The bottom of the pyramid is getting smaller even in "HockeyTown, MI." Although we do have programs on the East side of Michigan for 6u's, 8u's and 10u's.

Rat, I do have a ? for you: in your last post you said the following:

"So, thank you Tim & Jason with State Wars and Daryn with Narch for stepping up to the plate."

What exactly do you mean by that? What is the reference? To me it infers that they have done something recently, out of the ordinary, to build the base of the pyramid everyone agrees needs to be built (6u's up to 12u's) for this sport to grow.

I am very interested in your explanation of that statement as it applies to this topic.

Phil Steur
Michigan

DannyG

03-12-2007, 01:46 AM

Phil, please allow me to extend my neck a little here...

Presently there is not a single inline hockey program for under-12's in my local area. There are about 60 ice players under the age of twelve in the local USA Hockey-sanctioned ice program. As a lot of you know, a while back I was transferred from my Parks & Rec admin job at our local facility. Five months ago, I took my pension and quit my cushy government job of 18 years. I am now (as of this week) opening up my own facility, small floor, small sided games. Five sports, each along the lines of Ozzie Ice in Phoenix.

I am about to embark on a month-long recruitment program to attempt to create from scratch a new bottom-of-the-pyramid inline hockey program. My experience with this age group in other programs shows me that the 7-8 year olds are a strong group in terms of the "try-something-new" attitude. I anticipate u-8's, u-10's, u-12's as a target set for divisions of play for my new program.

I am going to every school and PTA meeting over the next thirty days (except that school is out for spring break this week. My goal is to have 40-50 kids playing inline hockey by April 15th.

If this does work, my recruitment methodology can become a model for anybody else to follow. If it doesn't work, then we'll try something else.

I will let you know how it goes...

Defense1st

03-12-2007, 02:06 AM

Danny,

I have no doubt you will make it work; it may take longer than you would like.

As you know, I ran in inline hockey and soccer facility in Lexington, Ky; after that I ran a Children's Athletic Training School in NY (this school was for 18 months to 6 year olds only) and then moved to Michigan to run a 3 rink facility, now closed, that had soccer, inline hockey, volleyball, camps/clinics and the 2 most dedicated youth inline teachers (Michelle Hernandez and Stephanie Robertson) I have ever met.

One of the most important things you need to remember to be successful is:

Girls, ages 6-12 can play every sport you can offer in your rink, and most of the time it is NOT about the competition but the socialization.....introductory level at all costs is essential. Statistics show that girls in that age group have a higher propensity to being overweight, shy, and EAGER TO LEARN and GROW. They are also a larger body of opportunity then boys, who percentage wise gravitate to sports automatically (usually pushed by their parents who need to relive their past through their children).

Good luck to you Danny on a wonderful chance to do a lot of good for your area's children.

Phil Steur
Michigan

RINKRAT

03-12-2007, 01:51 PM

Rat, I do have a ? for you: in your last post you said the following:

"So, thank you Tim & Jason with State Wars and Daryn with Narch for stepping up to the plate."

What exactly do you mean by that? What is the reference? To me it infers that they have done something recently, out of the ordinary, to build the base of the pyramid everyone agrees needs to be built (6u's up to 12u's) for this sport to grow.

I am very interested in your explanation of that statement as it applies to this topic.

What I was referring to was the new RHT magazine published specifically with Roller Hockey in mind in contrast to the monthly Ice Hockey magazine that features one paragraph in the entire issue that highlights the "inline team of the month" while the other 70 pages of articles focuses on Ice Hockey only. I would rather my kids read the RHT magazine so I applaud Tim, Jason & Daryn for their contribution.

As for doing something to build the base of the pyramid...NOT AT ALL what I was referring to! Infact, I don't know how much any of our industry leaders can and/or will do to help. The pyramid is upside down and we're trying to balance it on it's tip. Sometimes I think these companies/orgranizations believe that just by offering a lower level division at their Nationals that they've found the solution to the problem. That may help them get more teams to their naitonal events short term, but long term the pyramid is going to eventually tip over on it's side. And it doesn't matter how many Team USA Tryouts there are (North, South, East, West, Northeastwest, Southnortheast, Southwestsouth or whatever other region I left out) or how many Conference Championships (SBC, MAC, KFC, ABCDEFG) that anyone offers, the problem is not going to be solved by just offering more divisions. So, to all of you tournament companies, stop wasting your time coming up with MORE divisions...PLEASE!!! I'M BROKE ALREADY! I mean, even if you solved the problem of kids being able to attend a National without getting mercied in the first period, most parents of kids at that level of play are not quite ready to make a commitment to flying or driving halfway across the country, paying for tournament fees, 4 days of lodging & dining expenses, while taking off of work for a week. What we need to do is find ways to introduce NEW kids to the sport instead of trying to find ways to recycle the ones that have already sold their souls the game. Here are some suggestions:

Equipment Companies: Help us (youth programs) keep the initial start up cost down by donating out dated gear to local house league programs or offer it to them at a discounted rate. What do you do with it anyway? Does it just sit in a wharehouse somewhere collecting dust while your paying for storage space? Do you sell it on ebay or to a company like HockeyGiant? I've always wondered about that. If it helps a kid get into the sport, than chances are you probably have another customer for life. When a kid has to invest at least $400 - $500 (equipment, league fees, USAHIL or AAU Membership Fees) just to get started, it makes it impossible to compete with $60 and a pair of shin guards for soccer.

Tournament Companies: Please stop scheduling so many tournaments on top of each other. Doesn't make sense. I know this subject has been beat to death on here as well as other message boards, so I'll spare everyone. I do respect your passion for the game but ask that you respect mine and stop over saturating the market. Just recently our rink restructured their pay scale and tournament host agreement policy. Included was a new hourly rate pay scale that is based on the amount of time rented. A deposit is required 30 days prior to the event to protect the rink owner/league should the event be cancelled after reserving the rink for the weekend. Also, incase the recruiting process doesn't go over well, the rink does not have to be concerned with the tournament company calling them 2 days before the event requesting that they put a bunch of kids together from the house league to fill a division or else they may have to combine age divisions or even worse, cancel the tournament. Well, as a result of the policy, we will not be hosting an event this year that has been at our faciltiy since 1998 because they (whom will remain nameless) are trying to keep entry fees down and are hoping that we reconsider. What confuses me, was that the rate that they are requesting this year is the same rate that they have been paying each year since '98, however, their tournament entry fee has gone from $325 per team in '98 to $495 per team today....HMMMMMM! Doesn't anyone in here have a calculator? We we're told that expenses have gone up...well duh!!! So has ours. Let's see...lights, water, facility staff, concessions, pro shop, liability insurance, property taxes, waste management fees, facility maintainance and repair expenses, etc, etc, etc... And I didn't even mention having to deal with the parents (rink rental rates should triple just for having to deal with the parents). Just more reasons why so many rinks are closing.

Rink Owners/League Directors: I definitely do not have all the answers but would suggest a place to start is with getting new players (4-12yrs old) into the sport. If anyone has any creative ideas on how to do this, post it here whether it's been proven to work or not. Maybe we can all learn from each other. Also, once those new players are in the program, don't exclude them from special events (camps, clinics, tournaments,etc). Find ways to get them involved and allow the poison to set in. I do believe that changes in the sport have to start at the bottom with us (rink owners & league/program directors). Obviously, no one "above" us is going to do it for us.

My Rant for the Day,

RAT

RINKRAT

03-12-2007, 02:31 PM

I am about to embark on a month-long recruitment program to attempt to create from scratch a new bottom-of-the-pyramid inline hockey program. My experience with this age group in other programs shows me that the 7-8 year olds are a strong group in terms of the "try-something-new" attitude. I anticipate u-8's, u-10's, u-12's as a target set for divisions of play for my new program.

I am going to every school and PTA meeting over the next thirty days (except that school is out for spring break this week. My goal is to have 40-50 kids playing inline hockey by April 15th.

If this does work, my recruitment methodology can become a model for anybody else to follow. If it doesn't work, then we'll try something else.

I will let you know how it goes...

This is AWESOME! I am very interested in how this turns out and will tune in here to learn more. I'm particularly interested in how receptive the school system is to you (or hockey in general). In our city, we have to get a authorization letter that has to be signed by the assistant super-intendant each year in order to distribute newsletters at the public schools. And even then, each school has the right to decline to distribute. Now we do get several phone calls as a result of the newsletters, but more often than not, the cost will scare them away in addition to the fact that it is not a "true" school sport. Do you plan on forming a "hockey club" at each school? Myself, I've thought about approaching the schools about offering it as a course for Gym Class. I remember when I was in school we would do stuff like bowling for a whole 6 week period and would take a test for an actual grade. Our parents had to sign permission slips and waivers. We had to learn the rules and scoring system and even go to the bowling alley to play. That's kinda what I had in mind with hockey. Or go out to each school and do a 30-45min demonstration during Gym Class and hand out literature about our program. GOOD LUCK with this!!!

Keep us posted, please!

RAT

DannyG

03-12-2007, 11:23 PM

Do you plan on forming a "hockey club" at each school?
RAT

I plan on using the schools only as a conduit to get information into kids/parents' hands...schools here are much like you described, with the real decision as to how you can disseminate info being made by each individual principal...in fact, the PTA route is the place to go...here is an entire meeting of parents that care enough about their kids to get involved and show up at the meeting. They are pre-disposed to be looking for things that benefit their children.

I have player equipment ready for every little kid. Although, in my small floor case, that's only about 20 sets of gear I need. My player fee is $49, less discounts for report cards. Kids can play additional sports in our program's rotation (basketball, soccer, baseball, lacrosse) for no additonal cost above the $49 fee. I am confident we will get "spill-overs" playing hockey from the other sports, and vice-versa, it's a two-way street...

In all cases, every player signs up as an individual, we make all the teams, and re-make them each season, with an eye toward maintaining consistent team balance. This way, even the new kid can have some successes, and enjoy the fact that each game he accomplishes something good; that keeps them coming back, and hooks them on the sport.

Okay, blah, blah, blah, I realize that I am preaching these things to you guys who already know them.

Next two weeks are introductory, and we go to a "regular season" in April...I will definitely keep all apprised of progress, thanks for asking.

RichardGraham

03-13-2007, 06:47 AM

Danny,

Keep up the good work of trying to keep costs low. The sport needs to continually bring in new players to stay healthy and vibrant. I salute your efforts.

T_J

03-13-2007, 08:18 PM

I happened onto this place a few months, while looking for statistics on some of our local Hockey events, so I guess I'm more of a "lurker" than a poster. I'm not sure about elsewhere, but here in AZ, I attribute the decline to coaches/facilities concentrating on "elite" travel too much, along with other sports. Here in AZ, pretty much all of the "Inline" facilities host indoor soccer programs, & seem to allocate a lot more time to that than Hockey. I really cannot blame them, since Soccer seems to bring in more $$ than Hockey, but it does disturb me a bit. My kids have played out of "The Rink", in Mesa, AZ(now-defunct), & I saw this trend there as well, before it closed. As far as hockey around here goes, we evidently are following the same trend as the rest of the country, because the older teams have lots of talent, but at the younger level, it's almost non-existent. My 9 year old son plays in a 12U house league becuase they don't have anything else in his age group/skill level to play in. And they don't even have a 10u Travel program, even at the local level. My older son plays 14u travel & has played on 4 different teams in the last four years...not because we've had any problems, or because he didn't like his teamates/coaching/etc, but because the programs keep dying. Much of that too, is because coaches of certain programs "recruit" all the talented players for their teams, & leave the other teams to try & scrape up enough kids to make up a team...only to get crushed by the "elite" teams, which then discourages these less-talented kids & they move on to other sports, or to ice. We may go to ice next year simply out of convenience. We drive 70 miles one-way 3x a week (uphill, in the snow(just kidding))to play hockey beause that is the closest Inline facility to us. AZ seems to be well-represented in the "Elite" tournaments, but the house leagues are suffering all over, so I wouldn't expect that trend to continue. At any rate, I applaud your efforts, DannyG, & hope it works out for you...//TJ

Breakers Hockey

03-14-2007, 12:28 AM

Well....

I'm no expert on this subject......

I'm just having fun coaching my son's Rec team and looking forward to going to Detroit with him and his team this Summer for the AAU Junior Olympic Games.....

With that said, we have what appears to be a thriving inline program here in Huntington Beach, CA.....

Coast2Coast Inline Hockey Center
www.c2chockey.com (http://www.c2chockey.com)

The program is well run and consistantly farms many new 4-5 year old's every 12 weeks.....

My son is in his 3rd year playing here....as are most of his friends....

I would estimate that the youth Rec program with 8 divisions has about 500 kids....

The youth club division has about another 100 kids.....

The mens program with 7 divisiions has about 300...

And the womens program has another 200 or so....

That's over one thousand people skating each week....

This number doesn't even take in to account the 4 local High School teams....

Is this program an abhorration ???

I would like to know.....

Regards,

CJG
:)

DannyG

03-14-2007, 02:28 AM

The program is well run and consistantly farms many new 4-5 year old's every 12 weeks...over one thousand people skating each week....

Is this program an abberation???

well...yes and no...since the Paradise Beach Boys wrote the book in the late 90's, Huntington Beach has sorta been a West Coast Mecca for inline, que no?

It is therefore not surprising to see that the C2C program is flourishing, but I believe this is abberant from the nationwide norm. I for one am interested in what recruiting media/vehicles they use to get the younger ones to try out the sport.

Could you give us any insight yourself, or contact info to those who might?

TAYLOR

03-14-2007, 11:42 AM

Hi Rinkrat,

Great post. What you and Danny mention has been a concern of mine for years. I've always thought it a shame that the two or three best players were taken from house-league teams and put onto all-star teams that can compete at the high-end events. What about the 10 or 12 players on the team left behind? What are they thinking when their best friends are chosen for the travel team and they're not? I think that this emphasis on the very best players, at least at the youngest age levels, is a mistake. If you don't build the bottom of the pyramid, how is the sport going to grow?

This is the exact reason I left the sport in my early teens. I lived in a very small town in Iowa which was infected by the roller hockey craze in the early/mid 90's. Any given day after school it was a rush to the basketball court to play street hockey where you would find a crowd of about 30 kids. I was fortunate enough to have my parents drive me the 45 minutes to the nearest rink to play in an in house league. It was very "clicky" I guess you could say and the downside of this was that I was not the best player on the team, so it seemed as though, I was never given the time of day. I dont think my coach ever said more than 5 words to me. It was the two "stars" of the team who were given the attention. To me it seemed very unwelcoming. I would walk in, play, and walk out and I felt like a ghost. I continued to play and improve on my own to the point where I felt as if I was a better player on the team, but after 5 years of playing it got to the point where I didnt want to go because i just felt so unwelcome.

Now as an adult, its just going and playing for fun with a group of guys, but as a kid I guess your perspectives are a lot different.

RichardGraham

03-14-2007, 04:47 PM

Hi Taylor,

Unfortunately, your experience is not unique. Tell someone they're not good enough long enough, especially at a young age, is devastating. It happens to older players, too...

The very best players at the beach parking lots in Santa Monica would take over the best part of the parking lot and form "all-star" teams who could rarely be beaten by a random group of waiting players, and then these same 10-15 guys would play against each other all day long. Eventually, the majority of players, guys who got tired of playing on the rougher surfaces, just stopped coming. The elitism of a few killed a vibrant scene. It's hard to contemplate such selfishness. Now I hear that the "elite" guys have moved to a nearby rink and are working on killing off that scene as well.

TiftonHockey

03-14-2007, 06:06 PM

well i can tell you

next year if we dont get enough players here we will not have a team next year. I am 16 years of age and in my age group we were able to get 2 teams. That is no good. The kids below us, games that i refed, there were only 3 teams. so they say that they wont support hockey next yr. at our local YMCA, at a complex me my brothers and my father put together.

Breakers Hockey

03-15-2007, 01:21 AM

well...yes and no...since the Paradise Beach Boys wrote the book in the late 90's, Huntington Beach has sorta been a West Coast Mecca for inline, que no?

It is therefore not surprising to see that the C2C program is flourishing, but I believe this is abberant from the nationwide norm. I for one am interested in what recruiting media/vehicles they use to get the younger ones to try out the sport.

Could you give us any insight yourself, or contact info to those who might?

I don't know if I have the correct answer, but I would have to say its a combination of a few things....

1 - Siblings of current/older players...
2 - Current players farming at their elementary schools....
3 - Word of mouth from satisfied parents....

Many of the very young Rec teams have kids who "request to play" with their friends.....

You guys really have me thinking now.....

Why is C2C such a success ???, beyond "my" thoughts of why they are...

They have quite a bit of competition.....near perfect weather, some of the best beaches in the Country and competition from the BIG-4 outdoor sports, baseball, football, basketball & soccer......

Maybe its because all of our Rec leagues are during the week, not on the weekends........All we have to contend with are the week day practices of the BIG-4....

We have another Inline/Ice rink location, "SkateZone", which is only a couple miles away that will be closing it's doors at the end of the month.....

$10 to 15K loss per month for sometime......

Sad....This is where our 8-10 year old Rec team practices each week.....

Now we don't know where we'll go....

I would say you should talk to Jeff Prime, the Hockey Director at C2C, for some real insight...

[email protected]

714-901-2629 X230

www.c2chockey.com

Later,

CJG
:)

CUDangled

03-15-2007, 08:49 AM

RINKRAT

03-15-2007, 12:39 PM

People mentioned the pyramid is upside down, etc...which I agree with. However, if you remember about a year or so ago "PuckWhacker" posted a message on here to promote their "rec level" tournaments and they were blasted with "not another tournament series" comments. Isn't this hypocritical? Puckwhacker was/is a concept that certainly doesn't appeal to the elite travel player...I think they play in parking lots with border patrol. Yet when it was discussed, people bashed it. Why? If there is a venue for entry level players to enjoy the game in a competitive (relative to ability) tournament environment, what is wrong with that? Players, regardless of ability, need to get a taste of what play is like at the next level to encourage them to strive for that level. The future of our sport depends on the "ankle benders" of today. But the short term business end of our sport relies on the elite players. Entry level players aren't buying $500 Mission skates. At least they shouldn't be. So to keep our sport strong, we need to harvest as many new players today...to blossom into the elite players of tomorrow.

I don't have any affiliation with Puckwhacker...so don't think I am defending them in particular...just defending the concept.

I definitely agree. Infact, the project that I am currently working on is trying to create interest in a dek hockey (No Skates) program at our facility. Like Danny G's endeavor, I plan on getting information into the schools and targeting the youngest athletes (ages 4-10). Similar to puckwhackers, I'd like to try to bring the game back to it's roots and offer a low cost beginner friendly program to attract NEW players. I'm also considering an investment into an outdoor "Border Patrol" temporary rink system to do demonstrations at schools and other areas around town. Just sitting back the other day thinking about how I got to where I am today with my involvement with this sport, I rememebred how 10-12yrs ago every other house in most neighborhoods in our city had a homemade hockey net in it's driveway. And all the pick up games around town at every tennis/basketball court, parking lot, etc....Long gone are those days. It wasn't just kids either. It was fathers and sons out there learning how to play together while chasing the little orange ball all over the asphalt "hockey rink." Some games were with skates and others were with tennis shoes. What made it so fun was that it was new to most and everyone was learning together and pretty much on the same level. Looking back at it now, it was some of the most fun I've ever had in Roller Hockey. My objective is to offer that experience to the new generation of youngsters and see if I can somewhat recreate the glory days of street hockey madness. The concept is to offer a "stick and ball only" program for first timers at a low cost (under $60). All they would need is a pair of tennis shoes, shorts, t-shirt, water bottle and a need for FUN! The idea is to teach the basic skills of stickhandling, passing and shooting without the difficulties of learning how to skate while learning all the rules of a new sport. This will immediately level the playing field. The next step is for these players to go from an instruction only program to actual game play through organized pick up games and eventually into our dek hockey house league program. Now that they're looking for more, they may be more willing to invest $$$ into some start up gear. Without having to purchase skates and some help from my inventory of used gear in the rink storage area, we should be able to differ much of the intital expenses for these players. Obviously, the final phase is to lure them into some skating lessons and eventually into our inline house league program (so that the ice program can have more players to recruit from...LOL...just kidding). Yes these kids would be years away from winning the platinum division at Narch, playing for Team USA or making their Statewars team but so what...I'm just getting tired of all the kids in our house league program that seem to get lost in the shuffle beause they're not in the clique. Time for a change. That change is to take the game back to the roots of where it all began. A stick, a ball, tennis shoes, a net and a whole bunch of people just looking to have some fun.

Now let me get back to work,

RAT

DannyG

03-16-2007, 12:02 AM

...I rememebred how 10-12yrs ago every other house in most neighborhoods in our city had a homemade hockey net in it's driveway. Looking back at it now, it was some of the most fun I've ever had in Roller Hockey....

Obviously, the final phase is to lure them into some skating lessons

RAT

That is absolutely tremendous! Just for consideration by whoever is reading this thread, I note that we are going to try the exact opposite approach, but we will ironically use the exact sequence:

1. learn-to-skate program, with a stick in your hand, but no emphasis on skills.

2. stick-and-ball play, with emphasis on fun drills, relays, etc, deliberately designed so everybody succeeds at something.

3. fun game play...

Then we can get into actual, even if only recreation format, roller hockey.

And, on this nostalgia wave, I really want to go back to calling it "roller hockey," rather than the pronomial "inline." I think the Stanley Mug, the local(now) 12 year old trophy that has the name of every player who has won it (over 50 seasons since october '95) refers to the champions of the sport of "Roller Hockey." (the top decoration of the trophy is an actual stainless steel thermal mug, made by the Stanley Tools Company - says "Stanley" right on it!)...

Keep up the good work, Sr. Rat!

RichardGraham

03-16-2007, 04:03 PM

Hi RinkRat,

Great post. Go for it!

RichardGraham

03-16-2007, 04:06 PM

Danny,

Then you don't have a nice rhyme: Inline on the decline.

Seriously, I lobbied for inline hockey over roller hockey many years ago to differentiate our new sport from the old ball-and-cane quad skate version of the sport. I think both terms work, but I sure wouldn't want to go backward after all these years. The inline skate is what made our sport boom, and I think the name of the sport should reflect that.

CUDangled

03-16-2007, 04:25 PM

I have found that when you say "Inline Hockey" people either know exactly what you are talking about, or they have no clue. But when I say "roller hockey", sometimes they think street hockey. I don't know which is worse... :cool:

RichardGraham

03-16-2007, 08:48 PM

viking33

03-17-2007, 02:20 AM

These have all been great post and it seems like everyone is saying the same thing. Build hockey between 6-12 year old kids.I understand that we need to bring the cost down for house leauges and equipment but then we need to think why do kids play ice. It cost a hell of alot more. I think its because of the NHL. Not just becausethey want to make it to the pros but they just see it more. How is a kid suppose to get exposed to inline hockey. I think going to the schools is a great idea but we also need to boost the pro league. If we show kids that their is a future in inline hockey then they will want to join.

P.S. sorry for the spelling mistakes. Its getting really late

AZHockeyGuy

03-28-2007, 03:54 PM

To add my two cents in here I believe that Inline Hockey is in a transitional period. In the past rinks just had to open the doors to let the customers beating on the doors in. Now, Inline Hockey is moving into an area of business where this is no longer the case. Leagues and Rinks must now perform like other sports that have been around a while, and pursue their customers. The rinks that cannot adapt are folding and those who can survive under such conditions are thriving or now coming into fruition.

I think another issue has to do with property selection and placement. I have observed two trends. 1) After rinks have been built the property value increases crazily. Rinks cannot afford the property taxes with limited cash flow (Rink owners will admit, rinks are not cash cows) and are forced to sell or close. 2) Rinks that are able to stay above the red from the elevated property taxes they sell the property down the road for a huge killing on the increased value.

There are so many other factors but from a business point of view these are a few of the largest points.

CUDangled

03-29-2007, 11:45 AM

In the past rinks just had to open the doors to let the customers beating on the doors in. Now, Inline Hockey is moving into an area of business where this is no longer the case. Leagues and Rinks must now perform like other sports that have been around a while, and pursue their customers. The rinks that cannot adapt are folding and those who can survive under such conditions are thriving or now coming into fruition.

I agree with this completely. You are also seeing a lot rinks fold that were run by people who were completely clueless in the business world. 5 years ago when people were "beating down their door" they could pull it off. Today, they need to be business savvy...

A love for hockey and deep pockets doesn't mean you can run a business. Unless of course, you are "running it into the ground".

ECHOHockey

04-03-2007, 11:11 AM

While it is entirely possible to conclude that a lack of interest in the 8U division is a sign that the sport is in a decline, you would then have to explain why the 10U is not disappearing 2 years later since these would be the same kids that didn't play 8U two years ago. And since people have been using the low turnout for 8U levels as a sign of a decline for MORE than 2 years while 10U seems to still be pretty strong I think we have to look deeper into the issue.

Yes there is a cycle and inline may be "down" for the moment, but I am sure it will bounce back. In the last year or so, I have seen MANY positive signs that things are turning around.

Also, as CUDangled mentioned, rinks folding is a sign of bad management just as often as it is a sign of a weak market. Especially in cases where one rink folds and 15 minutes away another rink opens shortly after.

RINKRAT

05-11-2007, 11:35 AM

Also, as CUDangled mentioned, rinks folding is a sign of bad management just as often as it is a sign of a weak market. Especially in cases where one rink folds and 15 minutes away another rink opens shortly after.

I just think it's so funny how ECHOHockey agrees with himself (CUDangled). Is this kinda like a split personality thing going on here, Jason? Just wondering.

As for the 8U decline, look at your last 2 events in Texas and Mississippi. Neither one of them had enough interest for an 8U division. All of those 10U teams at both events that played were all playing in the 8U division 2 years ago and have now moved up. There's just not enough younger players coming up from the lower divisons to replace them. That's why that poor 8U Mississippi team had to play up against 10U's last weekend and got absolutely slaughtered for $465. Not your fault, it's just the state of inline hockey today. I just hope they comeback and don't quit playing all together. You may not feel the immediate effects of this situation at the tournament level but us "rink management" people sure feel it at the house league level. You're right though, bad management does take it's toll, which is why I believe that all of the rink owners and managers need to get together and run their own tournament series and limit all the tournament organizations to a handful of weekends instead of competing against each other every weekend like we are doing now.

RAT

CUDangled

05-18-2007, 08:35 AM

I just think it's so funny how ECHOHockey agrees with himself (CUDangled). Is this kinda like a split personality thing going on here, Jason? Just wondering.

Friend of mine, yes. Same person, no. What makes you think this? Sometimes I post things for Jason when he isn't by a computer, but I leave his name/signature at the bottom so it is obvious who the message came from. Another friend of mine is a rink manager and I post messages/annoucements for him from time to time (on this and other boards). Does that make me "him" also? ;-)

No different than when Richard posts messages for people...

RAT-If you haven't been in the inline world long, you will learn soon enough that it is a VERY small world. Everyone seems to know everyone...and those looking to grow the sport, rather than knock it down, will take the extra time to help each other out.

RINKRAT

05-23-2007, 12:57 AM

RAT-If you haven't been in the inline world long, you will learn soon enough that it is a VERY small world. Everyone seems to know everyone...and those looking to grow the sport, rather than knock it down, will take the extra time to help each other out.

Been involved in the industry since '95. Not sure if that's long enough by your standards. I've definitely done my time and continue to do so until this very day. You see, I'm one of the guys at the bottom trying to help the grassroots of the sport stay alive by recruiting first timers to the game and helping them develop their skills to the "travel hockey" level so that tournament directors like you (oops...I mean like "your friend" Jason) can continue to make a living off of them. ;-)

RAT

Stampede#11

05-23-2007, 03:40 AM

Is it the same in the US as it is in the UK .... we have leagues at U10/12/14/16/18 that are packed with teams. As soon as players hit 18 they find "other" interests and seem to drop out of the sport. Also so many good young players get to senior level and can't change their game to suit the style of play.

I know it has been said a thosand times on here, so don't want to go over old ground, but the factionalisation of inline hockey is what really limits the the growth. From what I read and folks tell me; the PIHA seems to be giving some focus on "one league" and the minors system gives guys something to strive for. I wish we had a similar thing in the UK, as although the standard of UK hockey today is far better than it has ever been (and leaving me behind I fear!!!), I still prefered it when there was one set up, where all teams played and one national finals that meant who ever won the championship was undisputed. National finals now just seem like another tournement these days.
With the different factions, people get in there ownlittle power circles, which they have given up considerable ammounts of their own time and at their own expense to get there, and don't want to let it go for the good of the sport.

The job the guys at the IIHF GB team are doing is awesome with the involvement of young guys .. although I personally will never play for GB (the hard earned beer with the boys after playing keeps the fire burning for me) the kids really do have something to strive for that seems achieveable for them.

Just my two cents from across the pond .... in short ... same s%$t with hockey growth, just different accents.

ECHOHockey

05-28-2007, 11:29 PM

Seems to be pretty much the same here. After ~18 the interest starts to thin in many of the markets we visit. It could be "other interests" as you mentioned, or the fact that mom and dad don't pay for hockey anymore? :)

Plus, I am still amazed at the number of players that I run into that don't realize there are competitive leagues to play in AFTER you turn 18/graduate high school. The college league in the US (http://www.ncrha.org (http://www.ncrha.org/)) is growing every year and as you mentioned PIHA offers options instead of/beyond college.

Alvare71

05-30-2007, 10:04 PM

I tell them I play hockey, They say "oh Ice hockey".......I say "no on wheels". They say "street hockey"....... I say "no inline hockey, its on sport court". They say "whats that"...... "I say an interlocking plastic floor". You get the idea.

rrrhockey

06-01-2007, 08:39 PM

Inline/Roller Hockey appears to be growing again after many years (around 6-8 years) of decline in Alabama. Like many areas, it seems like the sport grew/evolved enough to allow players who stuck with the sport and who wanted to compete at high levels the opportunity to do so with the advent of NARCH, TORHS, and the MANY other tournaments around the Nation catering to the *all star* or *elite* teams. How many times have we seen strong local teams have the desire to win Nationals bring in some semi-pro ice hockey players and make it to and do well in the Nationals? It's happened around here a time or two.
As many have said before, as we practiced for tournaments such as NARCH, etc., the rink time once allocated for "drop-in" for beginners was being used for those wishing to prepare for said tournaments. We lost site of the fact that we should still have "drop-ins" or clinics for beginners/intermediate players and should continue to look at ways of promoting the sport in school systems and other venues.
Another issue we face here in good old Alabama is quality facilities (with boards/sport court).
Anyway, the sport appears to be growing slowly in Central Alabama or more specifically, River Region Roller Hockey Association in Montgomery Alabama (http://www.rrrhockey.com). I hope the organizers around our State and Region can learn a lesson from our previous years/mistakes and continue to have rink time for beginners, and learn that stacking teams to win the Nationals is not necessarily the smartest route to take when trying to "grow" a program/sport.
We have many fine people involved with our league(s) and I hope we can continue to grow this exciting sport for generations to come.

Jon Niola

06-01-2007, 09:11 PM

Good post.

I think there are certainly some mixed messages on what is going on so it is hard to get a good read on things. I also think that some regions might be doing better than others, but without some kind of numbers it is hard to say where the sport really is. For example, revenue numbers from all inline hockey products, total number of players enrolled in tournaments, and total number of members of USA Hockey InLine might give you a better answer.

Like you say, there are certainly a lot more equipment options and these manufacturers would not spend the money tooling factories to make this stuff if there was not a market. And aside from Airhs folding (still don't know the full story there) there are more tournament options now than there were when Rich and I founded this site in December 1997.

But then on the other side of the coin, here in New Jersey I have see a couple of once thriving places close down over the last 3-4 years - Extremes and Rexxplex (which both had really FUN leagues) so personally it seems at least here in NJ the sport is reeling some.

And don't forget the loss of the RHI. Even though it did not last, it to date put in what in my opinion was the most pro-quality pro league, especially in California. The Bullfrogs and the Blades seemed to have faired the best sometimes drawing pretty respectable crowds in the big arenas like Great Western Forum.

Where will the sport be in 10 years from now? Who knows, but I see only upside. More and more scholastic programs are popping up. I think the only thing keeping the sport from jumping to the next level is that no one is getting rich off of it yet. Money can be the root of all evil, but it can also be the catalyst to force action. You can bet if a pro roller hockey league was able to consistently get 10K tickets sold per game and the players started making some real money that the sport would attract more attention and even more talent, and would only fuel the sport's growth from top to bottom.

Only time will tell. A lot can change :)

Just to show you how much things can change here is a screenshot of the IHC home page from March 1998 hehe.
http://jon.mediavortex.com/jon/ihc_home.jpg

Jon Niola

I constantly hear people saying "The sport is on the decline"... Is it really? Does anyone have any evidence to support this? We have all heard of rinks closing their doors, but I hear about rinks opening as well. Perhaps the rinks that are closing are getting edged out of the business by newer, more efficiently run facilities? Just speculation...

I know people say it is on the decline, but with all the positive things that I see, it is hard to believe.

-State Wars come virtually our of no where and puts together a great event, returns the following year and does the same...and now working on year 3.

-NCRHA (college inline hockey) seems to be growing stronger every year

-PIHA and MLRH coexist

-Narch, Torhs, ECHO, Topcat, 2Hot4Ice, etc...the major tournament series seem to be growing and growing...

-Equipment manufactures and making more and more "inline specific" equipment (Mission, Tour, etc.), where several years ago you were either using the Franklin street hockey gear or jumping to ice gear.

Maybe I am just made ignorant to reality by my love for the game.

Does anyone have any stats? USAIL enrollment down? Narch entry numbers down? Something like that...

I read a post on another board about this topic...and someone made a great quote...
"Roller hockey is like most endeavors, the future is controlled more by those who form the present, do not live in the past and have a vision for the future. The status quo is never acceptable if an activity is to grow and thrieve"

RichardGraham

06-02-2007, 02:03 AM

Hey Jon,

Great post. Didn't know you were still alive! ;)

Good to hear from you.

I agree that the growth of inline hockey is hard to gauge right now.

Pretty cool screen shot from the old days ;)

If I ever get the time, I'll try putting up old articles from Roller Hockey Magazine and InLine Hockey News... at least, the ones I wrote. I guess the rights might have reverted back to me after all this time. Lawyer up! ;)

zipyaj

01-26-2008, 12:51 PM

I may be a later-comer to this thread (and hopefully the concerns within have not died), but I am also a solid believer that the bottom of the pyramid needs help!

Building the Youth Recreation Leagues is the future for roller and ice hockey alike. It was Wayne Gretzky who indeed helped to excite the youth program in Southern California many years ago and it was devastating to many when he withdrew his name from rink operations here. Then, new sponsor-driven programs gobbled the up the in-house rec and club players into travel teams and those foundation programs were nearly destroyed - from full to empty parking lots on rec and club Saturdays in a few short years. And this in the So CA hotbed of roller hockey.

The sport needs more heroes and more programs to help excite even more new skaters who will grow to fill the rinks as these recreation players grow into club, high school, collegiate and the tournament players that drive our sport.

Earlier in this thread was mention of various campaigns to the local schools on the part of league developers. Indeed working with schools and districts can be challenging, especially when it comes to an "alternative sport" such as roller hockey and the implied liabilities that the districts inherently have. But there is hope!

While heroes like Gretzky have long since left So CA, there are others who can reach those elementary school youngsters and fill their imagination and spirit with hope. And I don't mean getting the NHLrs away from their busy tours (although that would be great!). Consider if you will, high school heroes. Yes, high school!

Remember what it was like when you dreamed of playing for your high school Varsity team as a youngster? Then imagine what if your local high school roller hockey team were to assist in the youth hockey program by conducting demonstrations for the local elementary or middle schools by having a uniformed street hockey scrimmage on the tennis court or playground? Getting kids to hold a stick or shoot a ball or puck into a net or even a barrel. Seeing those big kids in their team hockey jerseys and having some fun could be very stimulating to those 3rd to 6th graders.

Having your local high school league help out with learn to skate programs in the summer or Saturdays can also breed dreams to grow into the sport. And some high schools offer community service credits to students for programs such as this.

And there are other spins on programs for taking your current talent downstream to those elementary school-aged kids.

Local communities and municipalities offer a variety of after school and summer activity programs - an easy one for rink operators to work with athletic directors on entry level youth programs from broomball to street skating and roller hockey.

Just think about the prospects of Roller Hockey becoming an Olympic sport in 2016 and the middle school-aged youngsters today who will be competing for a spot on that team tomorrow. Now there's some dream material for heroes in-the-making!

This forum can gives rink operators and league directors new ideas to help excite and introduce new skaters to join the ranks. And I for one am grateful to those who have contributed in this important thread. Please keep up the good work and thank you for your ideas.

Best of luck with all of your programs!

Jay Piz
www.IHF-HOCKEY.org (http://www.ihf-hockey.org/)

DannyG

01-27-2008, 07:05 PM

Glad somebody has resurrected this thread...I promised to keep people apprised of my new program's progress in recruiting young, first-time players, and I haven't done a very good job to date regarding such apprisal...

Since June, the previous entry date on this thread, we went through the summer with free, learn-to-play hockey lessons, and "pond hockey," all-comers open play, for kids ages 4-12. Got about 35 kids interested.

Started an age group set of "league" games in the fall. Have progressed through the winter. Now have about 85 players...U-6's, 8's, 10's, 12's, minimal 14's, 13 & up can play in the adult games...Masters-Novice (learn-to-play adults!) has started to get going.

free use of starter equipment, free hockey school, game play on Saturdays have all worked, albeit slowly. get 'em interested, then most of 'em really like it. Anybody wants to bring a friend to Xtreet Sports Neighborhood Recreation Center to try hockey has permission to do so. Lots of players do this, so word-of-mouth referral has a lot to do with it.

Schools have been a crapshoot as to getting the word out. Local newspaper has a weekly anouncement section that has helped.

we have no coaches. the volunteer game official directs traffic, referees, encourages and supports the kids (on both teams) verbally throughout the game. Kids are encouraged to make the line changes, match lines ("Levi and Eli need to play against each other, gang.")

I am still about 60 days away from financial solvency with this facility, and I've been saying that for about 6 months now.

If I am writing a follow-up to this on April 1, then I will probably be in business for the rest of my life. Good luck to me.

I will try to let everybody know a little bit more frequently than only every 6 months, from now on.

Best of the New Year to everybody, may '08 be your best year ever!