Olympic Outlook not hopeful [Archive]

ianmackie

03-09-2009, 05:03 PM

I agree with you 100% Billy. I think the in-fighting in this sport is what is causing a major problem for it to move forward.

How does in-fighting affect how or what the Governing Body of our sport does? There is only one Governing Body, Player Membership/Insurance by the RHA and USAHIL cannot really do anything here.

I do agree the in-fighting is lame though, but I am guessing they all feel they could do it better. I just hope in the end it gets figured out so that I don't have to get attacked all the time anymore from people that are in the mindset of with us or against us. I am pro-roller hockey...pretty simple.

In the end, I want the games in the Olympics but I also feel that we need to just keep working to get the new players in the game and work together for the greater good.

SPORTSPLEXJEFF

03-09-2009, 08:11 PM

How does in-fighting affect how or what the Governing Body of our sport does? There is only one Governing Body, Player Membership/Insurance by the RHA and USAHIL cannot really do anything here.

I do agree the in-fighting is lame though, but I am guessing they all feel they could do it better. I just hope in the end it gets figured out so that I don't have to get attacked all the time anymore from people that are in the mindset of with us or against us. I am pro-roller hockey...pretty simple.

In the end, I want the games in the Olympics but I also feel that we need to just keep working to get the new players in the game and work together for the greater good.

Not everything is about RHA or USAHIL. My statement was regarding IIHF and FIRS

RichardGraham

03-09-2009, 08:49 PM

Hi Folks,

FIRS and the IIHF were the parallel train tracks of roller hockey/inline hockey that never would meet. Each made noises of working together, but self-interest and self-importance and turf wars and greed killed any real chance of that.

Our sport's "leaders" let us down big time, and the sport has suffered for years -- and probably will suffer for years to come -- because of it.

SPORTSPLEXJEFF

03-09-2009, 08:52 PM

Mlrhnorthfan

03-09-2009, 09:36 PM

Nobody asked you to define how you play inline hockey.

i thought you told me I was poetry in motion jeffy
MEH

DannyG

03-10-2009, 02:56 AM

If USA Roller Sports is the National Governing Body responsible in the United States to the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports, then it is indeed FIRS and USARS who have failed us in this respect.

I was told (in person, by a USARS representative) in September 2007 that inline hockey was going to be a (very big) suprise, special exhibition sport for inclusion in the last Summer Olympics...

I have been told on at least three occasions prior to that incident, again by regional and/or national representatives from USARS that, step-by-step, inline hockey was going to become an olymic sport "in the next few years..."

I am saddened that this now seems to be a dream that will never be realized, with or without the good intentions of USARS and FIRS.

Please note that it is FIRS who has disavowed any interest in promoting our sport in it's olympic proposals, by its own, published admission.

By all accounts that I have seen over the past five years, the present olympic process for including new sports in the olympic family would seem to totally preclude inline hockey from ever becoming included.

I now consider this a moot point.

It is interesting how the presently ongoing World Baseball Classic has done a tremendous job of showcasing baseball as a true world sport, with a parity among national teams that is frankly amazing...who would'a thought??? This, of course, is the main "justification" that critics use to show that inline hockey doesn't deserve to be an olympic sport...it ain't played in enough countries, and there isn't a lot of high-powered national programs in enough countries.

I, for one, hope that we can possibly get a true national voice that will support our sport on the international level, fight for it, and promote it the way it should be promoted. 'Cause until that happens, I'm bummed...

minutemen

03-10-2009, 08:31 AM

Here is one of the criteria for a sport to become Olympic.

A sport must be popular in many countries--75 of them for men's summer sports, 40 for women's summer sports, and 25 for winter sports.

That is why football and lacrosse, which are popular sports in US, but not in the rest of the world. So that is what I think is the major reason why inline hockey is not. It is a great sport but not very popular to the rest of the world. Now I know we question why some sports are olympic sports but many countries play those sports. As dumb as we may think they are they are played around the world. Did you all know that tug of war was an Olympic sport?

Inline hockey has a long way to go. There are many issues that need to be resolved, like mentioned in other post, in order for this sport to become a sport. Honestly, inline hockey would be considered a recreation and not a sport, in the eyes of the rest of the sports world. Reason why, no set national youth organization that does youth travel and house leagues. Not recognized as a High school or College Sport. Not a Pro sport yet, but I think if people work together it can. AIHL has had a great first year and the people just need to keep working to make it better.

PGHhockey

03-10-2009, 09:40 AM

Agreed that inline hockey is just not a global game, nor will it probably ever be one.

I've made this point before, that most of these other sports have either A) huge worldwide popularity and/or B) very low barrier to entry.

Baseball is an old, simple game that needs merely a glove, a field, and a bat. Low barrier to entry.

Hockey is expensive, hard to find, etc. - but it's very popular worldwide.

But, look at the WBC. Baseball is so global that guys usually have a choice of which team to play for. Ex: Randall Simon playing for the Netherlands. He was actually born there.

Now, if we could just get hold of some birth certificates and make sure that the top players in AIHL and PIHA were actually born in Zimbabwe, Brazil, Japan, etc. - we'd be in good shape.

Mlrhnorthfan

03-10-2009, 09:58 AM

All is not lost.

The fact that Mens Inline is at the World games this summer in Tawain is important.

From what I have heard the world games are a stepping stone to the Olympics.

So it may not be soon, but its not a death sentence for the sport.

Drexel63

03-10-2009, 10:49 AM

i thought you told me I was poetry in motion jeffy
MEH

jeffy??? no pillow talk on IHC.. knock it off you two!

GoRangrHky

03-10-2009, 12:03 PM

I
It is interesting how the presently ongoing World Baseball Classic has done a tremendous job of showcasing baseball as a true world sport, with a parity among national teams that is frankly amazing...who would'a thought??? This, of course, is the main "justification" that critics use to show that inline hockey doesn't deserve to be an olympic sport...it ain't played in enough countries, and there isn't a lot of high-powered national programs in enough countries.

But at the same time, baseball has been dropped from the Olympics. Even a sport with so much parity is not being played any more, because in all honesty, it was not a showcase of the best talent in the world. Baseball really had no chance- high level amateurs are hard to come by outside of the United States, because in so many countries, players can be signed at 16, or in some cases even younger. The top level professionals are playing MLB, and they aren't about to stop their season for the Olympics. And a mish mosh of A and AA players does nothing for anyone.

My thought on why it is being held out is because it really is too close to an existing sport. If it became an Olympic sport, who do you think the team would be comprised of? Would it be true inline players, or would NHL/AHLers strap on the blades for a few weeks and go out there? I could see guys like DiPietro, Higgins, Lundqvist, and some others willing to do it. And if that's the case, while from a PR standpoint it's great for the sport (especially to the ice snobs who will never give it a shot), from an Olympic perspective, the difference is negligible.

minutemen

03-10-2009, 12:05 PM

Yes most sports that are denied for the Olympics, have a good chance to play at the World games. I see it as a trial run to see if any of the sports can gain interest in the world view. Inline hockey has along way to go, in my opinion, in order to have a chance at the Olympics. The key is to build the sport in the US. Make sure to have real youth travel teams, not tournament teams, and build your house leagues. Build it so that High Schools and Colleges acknowledge it as a sport. But what worries me that youth numbers in most parts are the country are low and it is not looking that it will get better. The main problems are, parents see no advancement in the sport, it is a second or most of the time a third sport for kids and there are other sports that cost less to play. There is hope but people have to work hard and together to take the sport to where it can and should be.

As for the Elite level, AIHL has done a great job this season. Yes it has its faults but for the most part it is the premier league in the country. But why has it been so successful? The reason is it is not run by a few people but run by each owner of the league. Yes they have the President and other heads to run the AIHL but everyone works together. That is the key and what has been lacking in the sport since it started in the 90's. The AIHL is a good example of how hard work, organization, communication and love of the sport can take the sport to the next level.

Take a look at Lax in the US. in the late 90's it was a big sport in the south and west coast but now it is everywhere. USLax really did a great job building a national youth, Middle and High school programs. Now the problem we run into is there are not a rink in every town like soccer, lax, baseball, etc. Now hockey was the same way back in the day but times are a bit different these days. So yes at first parents and teams will have to travel but hopefully more programs will start and more rinks will be built. Here a look at the northeast, you have mutiple rinks in NJ, NY, CT, MA and one in RI. There are a lot of rinks where if you set division like the AIHL, you can have a real travel league. Now most weekedns you could do tournament style and invite a number of teams, but this system can work for both youth and HS levels. The goal would be to build it up to a point where you have multiple surrounding towns making their own programs and that is the goal the sport needs to reach.

SPORTSPLEXJEFF

03-10-2009, 01:25 PM

i thought you told me I was poetry in motion jeffy
MEH

no I told you what the best thing in Conneticut is

jeffy??? no pillow talk on IHC.. knock it off you two!

Pillow talk....LOL

STEMM

03-10-2009, 02:37 PM

Take a look at Lax in the US. in the late 90's it was a big sport in the south and west coast but now it is everywhere.

Quick Question - What is Lax ?
(I know it can't be the Airport)

SPORTSPLEXJEFF

03-10-2009, 03:23 PM

quick question - what is lax ?
(i know it can't be the airport)

lacrosse .

STEMM

03-10-2009, 03:54 PM

lacrosse ??? (LOL)
Oh Yea, lacrosse is HUGE. Whats the name of their Pro-League Again ? :D

SPORTSPLEXJEFF

03-10-2009, 04:51 PM

lacrosse ??? (LOL)
Oh Yea, lacrosse is HUGE. Whats the name of their Pro-League Again ? :D

For indoor lacrosse it is - National Lacrosse League
For outdoor lacrosse it is - major League Lacrosse

Just so you know

STEMM

03-10-2009, 05:34 PM

Seriously ? There is Pro Lacrosse ? Had no clue.

United Inline

03-10-2009, 11:13 PM

Yep, and it is a very big sport with actual PAID TO PLAY players. While I am a bigger fan of box (indoor) lax, I love both games.

Plus, there are state sanctioned high school lax leagues in almost every state. That's where inline needs to get, soon.

GoRangrHky

03-10-2009, 11:25 PM

Yup. Last year, Colorado (NLL) averaged more fans than 14 NHL teams have averaged this season. Buffalo had more than 4 NHL teams. In MLL, I know that we get around 10,000 per game here in Boston (I am an event manager for them), although most teams are closer to averaging 4,000. Regardless, BOTH leagues get a heck of a lot more than AIHL and PIHA could fathom, and get about what RHI drew. I definitely would NOT be knocking pro lacrosse for what they have done, especially as a niche sport that is not overly popular in many parts of the United States.

The way that they market and run their games is EXACTLY what I always thought PIHA and MLRH and AIHL should be doing. Games are mostly in the afternoon, and it's a party atmosphere. Beer tents, BBQs, inflatable rides- all that jazz. http://www.bostoncannons.com/multimedia/photogallery/index.html?c=27 has some good shots of some of it. I never got why we were playing games at 8:00 at night when we're trying to get families to go.

STEMM

03-11-2009, 12:02 AM

WOW, I'm impressed. From the link posted above, It looks like Lacrosse has Great event atomsphere all the way down to the Cheerleaders and Mascot. Somebody at the Pro-Level of Inline needs to hire their Marketing Manager !

DannyG

03-11-2009, 02:30 AM

okay, since the thread went this way:

Lacrosse and inline hockey both have a major positive factor for kids, especially 10-13 year olds.

If you have practiced dilligently with your lactrosse stick for just a few months, you can already do a bunch of cool things.

If you pracice dilligently so you can skate at least into the intermediate level, then you can do some cool stuff in inline hockey.

In either case, the player becomes self-aware to the point that "Hey, I can do something that the captain of the football/basketball/etc. team can't do." That is a very big personal agrandizement, resulting in very high level of self-worth and self esteem. You can imagine how big that is for the middle school age person.

Check out the u-tube lacrosse "stick trick" videos, these kids are amazing.

We can use this mental factor in inline hockey. Find ways to recognize and legitimately praise kids for all they acomplish on the inline hockey floor. Don't make it fake, make it real, and kids will make inline hockey a permanent part of themselves.

Hockeydevil29

03-11-2009, 08:29 AM

This entire Olympic situation has been going on since the early 90's. Inline hockey could actually have gotten into the Olympics by now but years ago USARS screwed it all up and due to their selfishness of trying to get all of their roller "sports" in they wound up losing it all.

This year baseball, golf, and karate are all looking to get into the Olympics so if you had to guess what worldwide participation is in those sports compared to inline hockey, I doubt you will like the results.

One person on here keeps bringing up how well the aihl league is doing in this topic. No offense but that has nothing to do with getting inline hockey into the Olympics.

It is a good thing that inline hockey is in the World games, but keep in mind it isn't the first time and is probably the highest our sport will get, which is still a pretty cool thing. Instead of worrying so much about Olympic dreams we should just worry about getting more 5 and 6 year olds playing inline hockey at your local rink...that is where the future really lies.

DCbullets14

03-11-2009, 06:20 PM

since inline hockey will never be in the olympics I have decided to give the sport up. I think I am going to pick up speed walking. It takes true athletic abilitly to walk fast .... but not run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2urNVmKnEaQ

DannyG

03-12-2009, 02:15 AM

...in the olympics I have decided to give the sport up. I think I am going to pick up speed walking...

Speed walking has the honor of the most judges in the history of any sport...ya gotta have a judge every few feet or so to disqualify those who cheat, or who can't hack it and actually run for a bit...

So we truly applaud DC14 on his dedication to walk and not run. (and we can add these two posts to the "lotta energy, signifying nothing" category)

Hockeydevil29

03-12-2009, 08:21 AM

We all get very caught up in that inline hockey NEEDS to be in the Olympics or that inline hockey MUST have a pro league...yada yada yada.

Bottom line is this is not true. Look at soccer, it is probably the most popular sport for kids to play in our country. Playing soccer is basically a right of passage for kids of all ages. Every kid seems to play little league baseball and soccer, almost automatically. But look at soccer, yes there is a "pro" league here in the US, but how many of you have ever watch a MLS game? How many times do you see a MLS game on National television? Other than the hoopla surrounding David Beckham coming here to play, you never hear much about this sport. Other than the World Cup that is.

But why is soccer soooooooo popular? Because parents are well aware of the local leagues available, it's easily accessible, and its a cheap (and somewhat safe) sport.

If inline hockey got into the Olympics tomorrow it would in no huge way effect the amount of players that play the game. Yes it would put some money in the pockets of those involved but if our true goal is to get new players into the games and help rinks grow, that isn't going to be a major factor. We NEED to get our sport into the schools, get information to parents of young kids about our local leagues, and help lower initial costs to get more parents to give inline hockey "a chance".

So in closing lets not worry so much about the Olympics or these "pro leagues", lets focus on getting information out to new players and parents about what a great game inline hockey is. Get them to your local rink and get them involved in a learn to skate program or a beginner league!

United Inline

03-12-2009, 08:35 AM

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the reason soccer is popular is the fact that you need almost no equipment to play it. In fact, I play pick up with no equipment. Balls cost $5-30, low end to high end. League fees are like $70 for 12 games recreational and $125-300 for 16 games plus playoffs and tournaments competitive, depending on the team you play for and what level they are.

Also, soccer doesn't need a professional league here in the states because those leagues are in other countries where futbol really matters. South America, Africa, Europe...that's where the sport of soccer really is.

Furthermore, the World Cup is a very big factor in support. In Colorado, we had the most NEW registrations for the fall 2006 season, and it just happened to be caused by the world cup. Soccer has done a great job doing something that inline hockey needs to get done efficiently and that is creating a grass roots system.

One thing that would really make our sport big is a broadcast of the World Cup of Inline Hockey. ESPN, ESPN2 or VS needs to pick these up, and someone with serious marketing skills who knows our sport (cough...cough, David Garland, cough...cough) should get involved with these broadcast agencies and get some games picked up.

Hockeydevil29

03-12-2009, 08:42 AM

United InLine if you actually read what I posted, I stated that one of the major reasons soccer is so popular is because it is CHEAP. That was a major point of my post.

You talk about the World Cup, let me tell you this much from my perspective. I have watched maybe 2-3 soccer games on tv in my 40 years. Both of my boys have played in soccer leagues, but neither of them has ever watched a soccer game on tv or at a pro game. They just played it because their friends were all signing up and we did the common thing most American parents do..we signed them up for it as well. What goes on in European countries has absolutely no baring on what happens here in the US. Ice Hockey is HUGE all across Canada and Europe and that doesn't make it the national pastime here is the states.

You are right about a grass roots system and that is what I was getting at in my post. It doesn't matter about the Olympics and pro leagues (of course both would be nice). What matters most is getting new kids playing and for rinks to do a better job at making their leagues less expensive and more enjoyable for the "new player".

William Bourque

03-12-2009, 09:00 AM

But look at soccer, yes there is a "pro" league here in the US, but how many of you have ever watch a MLS game? How many times do you see a MLS game on National television?

I actually have a deposit in for season tickets for a team that doesn't even exist yet, and have been part of the official fan club long before a team was even officially announced. Go ZOLOS!

Any, back to my point. Until inline hockey is an option in High School's and Middle Schools across the nation, inline hockey will continue to be a stagnant sport. Look at lacrosse in PA. When i was in HS it only existed as a club sport with little to no hope of getting sanctioned by the PIAA, now, a few years down the road, its a PIAA sport.

The sport needs to get knowledgeable and dedicated people into actively growing that section of the sport in order to help fuel growth in the college ranks. PIHA and AIHL are nice, but until there is more growth in the Scholastic Ranks, the Olympics should not even be in people's heads as a goal.

WelshTimeKeeper

03-12-2009, 04:10 PM

In the March 2nd issue of sports illustrated there is a blurb about sports up for inclusion in the 2016 olympics.

Rollersports is one of them, however it clearly states hockey will not be included even if other rollersports are.

Any one else see that?

Thoughts?

I have tried a "Google Search" to read the story in full, Google doesn't seem to have the appropriate hooks. Can any readers track down a "URL" for the item?

John
South West Wales, UK.

GoRangrHky

03-13-2009, 12:52 PM

WelshTimeKeeper

03-13-2009, 04:32 PM

These are the best I could come up with:

http://olympicsportnews.info/2008/11/14/seven-sports-make-case-for-place-at-2016-olympics-sicom/
http://article.wn.com/view/2008/11/14/Seven_sports_make_case_for_place_at_2016_Olympics_ SIcom/

Thank you very much for your help, the most promising lead produced a Page 404 report.

Ahh Well ~ I, like I guess other readers on IHC, would have liked to have seen Inline Hockey selected .. .. .. but .. .. ..

I am a modestly regular visitor to the FIRS website ( http://www.rollersports.org ) and am aware that as recently as November 2008 they released their 'Promotional Video' which they had previously shown (14 November) to the IOC Sports Program Commission in Lousanne. From seeing the quality of the video (11m 31s) ( http://www3.rollersports.tv ) it is clear that Speed Skating has been "In the Frame" for quite a long time.

yeah its pretty pathetic when they will not let hockey or racing in but will consider 'artistic roller skating'.....

I simply cannot believe that after spending 'Goodness knows how much money' on producing what is actually a very well produced video, that the FIRS would now change their preferred discipline to Artistic Skating!!!

AND not mention it on their own website!

Anyway regardless of all that, we shall have to wait until the forthcoming IOC Meeting in Copenhagen later in the year to find out whether or not Roller Speed Skating or any of the other shortlisted sports is selected as an additional sport for the 2016 Olympic Summer Games. It's worth remembering that none of the shortlisted sports (which included roller sports) were selected as new sports in the run-up to the 2012 Summer Games scheduled for London (GBR)

Regards, John.
South West Wales, UK.