PIHA Gateway Announces 2007-2008 Tryouts!

[Dave Garland]

August 29th, 2007-St. Louis, Missouri- The Professional Inline Hockey Association?s Gateway Division (PIHA Gateway LLC) have officially announced tryouts for the second season of the professional inline hockey action. All 120+ roster spots are open for the 2007-2008 season and tryouts are expected to draw over 200 of the area?s top hockey players. All players are subject to an evaluation to be eligible for the 2007-2008 Draft. Players can register by printing off a registration form at www.pihagatewayhockey.com or visiting their local rink. Players who register before the first tryout will be given a special discount of $50 while walkups will be accepted for a fee of $60. Tryouts include four skates and to be considered for the draft, players must attend a minimum of one; however, it is in the best interest of players to attend as many as possible. All tryout information (including FAQ and what to bring/expect) is available online at www.pihagatewayhockey.com as well as at all four local rinks.

Tryout dates:
Friday September 28th @ Midwest Sport Hockey 7-9 PM
Saturday September 29th @ Omni Sportsplex 7-9 PM
Tuesday October 2nd @ All American Sports Mall 6-8 PM
Wednesday October 3rd @ Matteson Triplex 6-8 PM

Tryouts are for all four St. Louis based teams (Midwest Tornados, Southside Snipers, St. Louis Cobras, and River City Whalers).

PIHA Gateway LLC was formed to create a highly organized, grassroots-based, entertaining and professional inline hockey league with the goals of developing a loyal fan base, introducing newcomers to inline hockey, growing the sport at all levels, supporting local communities, and bringing inline hockey to the next the level.

-Highly organized
-Incredible presentation
-Fan friendly AFFORDABLE sports experience
-Integrated media approach (Internet, TV, radio)
-Fun entertainment for families and fans of all ages
- High accessibility of professional athletes
-Support of local charities and organizations
-Supported by businesses that want to see our sport and community flourish

[Dave Garland]

Guys,
Make sure to check our website at www.pihagatewayhockey.com and subscribe to our newsletter (halfway down)!

Newsletters during the season offer stories, discounts, promotions, and other fun stuff.

[Dave Garland]

If you have trouble downloading the registration form off the website, email [email protected]

On another note, yes your $50 means you can skate at ALL FOUR tryouts (this question has been asked a few times).

[ISFN]

Heard a rumor that "Pro's" won't be paying anything other than tryout fees this year? Any comment on that?

[Dave Garland]

All players will be paying the same fee as last year which is $400; however there will be three ways of making up this money including:

-Season ticket sales

-Personal Sponsorships

-New Adbook Program


The fee includes jerseys, pants, and some equipment along with a 32 game season, draft party, weekly free practice, and a whole host of other things we can't talk about yet. It equates to less than $10 per hour of rink time which is a great value.

[ISFN]

So is every team getting new jerseys this year?

What about the kids who want/make the same team as they were on last year and already have/bought the jersey's and pants, any discount available for that?

Just asking questions not busting balls, thanks for your quick replys.

[Dave Garland]

Hey no problem. Questions are always a good thing.

This year teams will be getting new jerseys. There are several reasons for this; however, the main two are:

1. We want names on the back of jerseys (printed on and not sewn on) for a more professional look considering players this year will be taped for TV (cable and web TV at some point).

2. With the Pythons changing to Cobras, they will need new jerseys; in addition we want Pro and Minor jerseys to look the same this year.

Any other questions, feel free to ask.