Thank you PIHA

[CoachClipboard]

It is amazing to see how in just two years the PIHA has successfully pulled off an amazing schedule held across the nation, and a series of divisional playoffs in just one weekend no less. Two years ago there was just one division within one general region. Last year the Rocky Mountain was added with complete success, and it only became better for them. This year the MidWest division is added and with the help of Dave Garland and a very strong supportive management group, brought to PIHA a great example of how to market and promote your division. They from all accounts I have heard, had great attendance and strong fan support, and they have built some amazing web pages and blogs, as well as brought us some of PIHA's first game video through the use of the internet. The new Northeast division has been a huge welcome to the league as well, with many new faces and ideas from veteran team managments such as Anthony Flynn and Justin Silvia they pulled together a strong competitive division with teams joining from MLRH and it was proven that the two leagues can co-exist together to make this sport strong.

Think about this for a moment...The league is spread across from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains with teams spotted here and there throughout and yet every game was played and every score was posted. Information via the interenet was for the most part given in a timely fashion, and all the league could keep tabs of what was going on. Sure there were some glitches, both in management and with teams. The occasional bad judgement of boneheaded players that brought suspensions, and there will always be controversy concerning certain games, no matter how good this or any league gets. But look at what we have to work with in terms of money as a team, as a league. It is still in its infancy and it was so successful. Was it easy? of course not, nothing good is, but it was fun, wasnt it? Watching things develop this year, getting to go on the road and play in front of fans, even if it was just a few. Wow! you cant get that in a house league. The competition this year is incredible and the players are some of the best there is.

Now were having the playoffs, and all the teams did one entire division in a single weekend? and pulled it off? Amazing, although it needs to be done in two weeks next season. Then you can go home, get on the computer and see how the rest of the league did in the playoffs! Great stuff! The games have been close, competitve and exciting.

I want to thank all of you that manage your teams, the division and the league for making my time that I enjoy in it an incredible experience and for making things go as smooth as they do across the league. It can only get better. I also thank all the players league wide who help make this possible, many of you are management as well and that is why this works! What an awesome league this has become, and will become because of everyone involved.

[TheSnake22]

Despite the many complaints and negative posts, some of which by even me, when you look at the things this league has accomplished in such a short time, you can't help but be impressed. Is the league perfect? Of course not, but what is. The pluses of PIHA far outweigh the minuses. Congrats to all of the players, coaches, managers, owners, league officials and even referees lol for making this year a success and setting the stage for next year to be even better.

[cus32]

Well spoken Todd. The league is becoming outstanding. There are some negatives, but the positives by far outweigh them. Just look what PIHA has accomplished in the past 3 years, expansion to Colorado, expansion to the Northeast, expansion to St. Louis, and next......well, we will keep everyone is suspense, but we know it is good. Charlie has done a great job juggling all the new teams, players, coaches, and refs in this league. If we could only clone Charlie and his passion for the game. Todd has been been our leader in the Mason Dixon, if you ever see Todd out, shake his hand and say thanks.

It is difficult to satisfy everyone in the league, things will get better each and every year, nothing gets resolved in a 12 minute period or half a season, but PIHA will learn from every small mistake as they have and will become stronger for it.

I can say that this league has given many players the opportunity they never would have had to play hockey on a stage in their hometowns. To that I am grateful, because I am one of them. Thanks to the grassroot players that set out years ago to start this league. And a special thanks to Charlie.

Encourage all to tryout and play PIHA in 2008, cause it will be great!


Marcus Neffield
# 32 Scottdale Inferno
"Don't believe the Hype" P.E.

[C Cleveland]

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the players, managers and staff members that have made the PIHA a world class organization. Keep up the hard work.

When passing out thanks, remember the kids who come to the games. These are the in house skaters as well as the travelling kids who wear uniforms like the pros, look up to the pros as role models and are the not so distant future of the league.

Thanks for a class act!

[isleshockey29]

do these players get paid?

[minutemen]

Thanks Todd for the nice comments. I tried to give as much advice to the news teams as I could. It was a great year for PIHA, everyone involved made it a great year. Unfortunately I will not be with the Minutemen next year. The team will still be in the league but with my wife and I trying to start a family, so I will need to take the year off. I am still letting the team play out of my rink and will still be an owner. I am going to attend the scheduling meeting to help the new managers of the team. But after that I will just be a spectator at some of the games. I will be running the Sande Northeast Muntiny, a new tournament team for the Sande Hockey Company. I should be back the following year. Best of luck to all teams in the off season. I will be holding some tournamnets at the rink, and will post them when I have the dates. Would like some of the teams to attend. If any of you have any tournaments, please contact me. I will make sure to try and send a team or two.

[whjs416]

i think the piha is awsome and i hope that it continues to show improvement it just shows that inline hockey is not falling off as some would say as a player i love the direction that the piha is going and am excited about more teams being added im from ct i know a few guys from the pro and minors teams one of my good friends plays for both and he loves it there is alot of good competition and lots of fun the way the league is run is extremely professional and smooth i just hope it keeps moving in the right direction and more roller hockey players like myself and more fans keep showing there support for the piha keep up the good work

[Leaferguy]

I witnessed how hard it is to build a team and keep the ship upright with Mr. Basquill and the Gladiators. I can only imagine how hard an entire league or division must be. Hats off to all who deal with the boring stuff so we can play.

It's cool to know that there'll be something to come back to next year. Thanks!