Womens Hockey

[1233]

Why do top organizations like Narch and the Olympics not promote women's hockey? It seems to me that the top dogs are trying to get the all mighty buck instead of growing the sport. That is understandable, but if you are into the money than market where you are not. Did they not see when the USA Women's soccer team win the world cup? I believe that launched a nation wide frenzy for little girls wanting to play soccer. That means increase retail sales, league entry's, and tournament play. Why didn't the Olympics have the womens ice hockey final on prime time? I got home at 5 or so and the game was almost over. I know several Canadians that went for the first time and it was the best experience of their life. If you promote women's hockey, the sport will grow faster than anyone can believe. Those are just my thoughts.

[missionhockey21]

Inline hockey is not in the mainstream in terms of sports for americans, heck even ice hockey is not even up there in terms of viewer ratings with the nfl, mlb, and nba. I think as a whole they are just trying to introduce the sport to the public and get kids in general to want to play. Personally I've played in house leagues since I was 8 and travel since ten and on those house teams I can remember playing with one girl on a team, and I remember playing against one all-girl team in a tournament, other than that I have seen a few women playing in adult leagues. So in other words I have seen very little interest in inline hockey from women. At a local rink I remember a few years ago them trying to get together an all women's league and they could only get I think 19 women to play and this was from ages 12 and up. But during the last few years I have started to notice more and more little girls who are skating around the outside of the rink with one of their brothers old sticks so maybe in 5 or so years they will be playing in leagues and then orginizations like Narch would have women's divisions and start promoting he sport more to women.

[flyersindc]

MLRH is still trying to promote women's inline with W-MLRH. There was a season this summer and there may be another this winter.



http://www.mlrh.com/images/MLRHlogo.gif

[Rebecca]

Why do top organizations like Narch and the Olympics not promote women's hockey?

Are you for real?? NARCh has a great women's division, and the Olympics promote the heck out of womens ice hockey. I know this for a fact becasue my sister is headed to the Olympics and our family has been involved with women's ice hockey for a decade now. As a woman roller hockey player and the sister of a future start athelete, I can tell you thar roller hockey is not a priority sport for women. It has been hard enough getting us to the high level in other sports, but roller hockey has been an extremely difficult venture for business people and very hard to recruit female roller hockey players. I could give you dozens of reasons for this. However, NARCh and the Olympics are definately promoting women's hockey. Give me a break.

It seems to me that the top dogs are trying to get the all mighty buck instead of growing the sport. That is understandable, but if you are into the money than market where you are not.

Unfortunetly, the nature of this sport has been competition amongst the organizations. Many growing organizations have their hands tied with trying to keep atop of the programs they already have that are getting large, and although there is a market in women's hockey, it is not a huge one in terms of roller hockey. The top roller hockey organizations all are addressing women. You sound as if you are not at all up to date with this industry if you feel this way.

Did they not see when the USA Women's soccer team win the world cup? I believe that launched a nation wide frenzy for little girls wanting to play soccer. That means increase retail sales, league entry's, and tournament play. Why didn't the Olympics have the womens ice hockey final on prime time? I got home at 5 or so and the game was almost over. I know several Canadians that went for the first time and it was the best experience of their life. If you promote women's hockey, the sport will grow faster than anyone can believe. Those are just my thoughts.

I saw the game on TV so I don't know what you are talking about. The market was crazy after the game. Can you say Cami Granato? She was everywhere. Roller hockey is still unfortunately regarded as ice hockey on wheels. Its been hard enough to recognize the men in roller hockey. The women who excel at it and are looking for serious sports and futures in sports, are playing ice. We hardly have a future in the sport for men? What is there to offer the women?

Also, many parents are still telling their little girls that they cannot compete and sports are too 'tough' for them or that they will get hurt playing with the boys. This bugs the heck out of me, especially when I actually here a mother saying this to her daughter. I have heard this more from the mothers then from the fathers. Women are also still taught to be the care takers so as adults many women are doing more important things like feeding the children, doing the homework, and working rather than going out to the local hockey rink for a game. For adult men, this sport is a huge bonding thing and they make it a priority as if they live for that one hour game every week. They play at local rinks and that one game becomes life. Women are smarter than that.

Well, I hear your point, but I disagree. MLRH offered a women's league this season and everyone can blame Bill Raue all they want for any problems with it, but I was there and it was a huge lack of committment and interest by the women themselves. It was very dissapointing to see the extreme difference. Some women, few, were so committed that they got on planes to come play, (regardless of their skill)while others couldn't even be bothered with notifying their coach that they weren't coming. I watched Raue work his butt off to promote that women's MLRH and the women themselves just were not totally into it. What a travisty for those who are working to promote the ladies. Lack of support from your fellow woman.

Boy you got me on a roll!

Cheers!






Rebecca

[1233]

Rebecca,

All I wanted to do is start a discussion about womens hockey. I have seen womens hockey grow over the last few years with USA winning the gold and silver medals. I just think that companies and organizations need to start promoting womens hockey a lot more than they are. Narch does not promote womens hockey. It's not really up to them, but every national final they feature players like Sheri Pipper, Sammy Joe, and Manon. So, why not promote them playing in the biggest roller hockey tournament in the world?

That bugs me as well that Moms tell their girls they can't play because it's too tough to play with the boys. Hockey is a rough sport, but I have seen more girls get hurt from softball and gymnastics than hockey. Every sport people will get hurt, but that is just the nature of sports.

Hats off to Bill for promoting womens hockey. I am sorry to hear that there was no commitment from the players. What happened for them not to come and play? Money? Travel teams are really had to get since sponsors normally don't pay for the team.

[colohockeydad]

Rebecca,
I completely agree with your observation about mothers not wanting their daughters to play hockey. My 13 year old daughter is about 5'6" and needs a soaking wet terrycloth robe to tip the scales anywhere near 100 lbs. plays roller hockey. Everytime the subject comes up with other parents of daughters, they get this look of horror on their face and almost act as if I'm committing some sort of child abuse by letting her play in a sport she loves. I'm not going to say she has never been hurt, but she's been hurt more seriously playing soccer than she has in roller hockey.

[calihockey]

a lot of the girls that play in the tournaments are talented and tough. i can understand why parents may be concerned by i read something about where a group of parents here in orange county found a doctor who was willing to testify before the CIF-SS board that there is a higher likelihood for a high school golfer to get hurt than a high school hockey player. i thought that was kind of dumb, but i know my old high school's girls golf coach (his sons played high school roller) and he said he wouldnt doubt it.

ps- colohockeydad congrats to the program you guys have going out there. obviously have kyle in net for some of the teams doesnt hurt, but you guys always seem to be getting better and better

[JohnHockey1798]

1233 I would have to agree with you gymnastics can be very hard on the body. Look at all those girls with bad knees and ankles. My moms knees bother her and she all did gymnastics in highschool. All sports are rough, hockey just has a reputation as being ruff. Most of the women players I play with are tougher then some of the guys. But you are right they need to promote it more then they do. Maybe there needs to be a women only tournament. Just a thought.

John

[Rebecca]

1233:

Thank you for starting this thread. It is a great topic. I have a lot of energy to burn since I am really pumped up for the start of the COLLEGE roller hockey season.

No offense meant to anyone, just me going on a tangent :)

Cheers!

Rebecca

[HockeyFan]

It's 1233 with a new name.

Thanks for the message. Hockey does have a rep for being a tuff sport, but parents need to see that women are involved in the sport and it's only growing. Out of the 11 years I have been playing, I have seen about 10 serious injuries and that's it. I think that's pretty good.

Topcat Hockey (www.topcathockey.com) out of Southern Cali puts on a womens only tournament about once or twice a year. Not only is this a great tournament series, it's ran by a lady who wants to grow the sport of roller hockey. I have not seen that many directors actually wanting to grow the sport more than bringing in the dollar. The Hyper Crusade in Vegas next month is going to be a blast.

[HockeyFan]

Coolhockeydad,

I think that's awesome. I dated a girl that plays both ice and roller and I saw nothing but support from her dad.

How do you think that we could get the message across to parents that hockey is an awesome sport to play and more and more girls are playing? If they think that hockey is too rough, why don't they look at the parents starting a fight at their son's little league game. I think that's worse than a kid getting hurt in a hockey game.

[missionhockey21]

It's only a fact of life that kids who play any sport is going to go through getting hurt. I've played several sports and have been injured from time to time but my sister had injuries at least 2x as bad playing soccer. She survived those and still play today. I am not sure if this is true anymore but a few years ago I heard the most injuries and even deaths for children in sporting activities happened in soccer, and not one of the "aggresive" sports such as football or hockey.

[oak_83]

hi

first off i am all for women playing as i feel that any sport should never be a single sex activity.

what might be intersting to ye is that here in Ireland our club - <A HREF="www.ucc.ie/students/socs/inline">University College Cork .... </A> has maybe 50 members who we see on a somewhat regular basis (perhaps every second or third week).
we promote the club as a friendly atmosphered socail gathering to have some laughs and play some sport and that really works. we have a serious mens team that competes against other teas in the national IIHL league.

i think that what we can attribute our numbers of females (who often out number males at weeknight training sessions ) is that women in our college are open to a new activity that they wouldnt really be used to and its a bit of experimentation ofr them. one which they often get drawn into.

i think the best place to often recruit new players is on campuses

anyway thats jsut my thought.
all the best

Steve from Ireland

[Huck]

Women's roller hockey? It'll happen.

My feeling is that one of the next explosions in the growth of roller hockey is women. Either something is going to happen at the youth level, or women's college roller hockey will take off.

It's not a question of if, but when.

Huck

[missionhockey21]

I agree 100%, it will take some time but probably ten years from now having youth teams for girls will be just as common for boys.