Benny_Gulakiw
02-03-2003, 01:32 PM
Contact: Benny Gulakiw
716.741.1276 or 716.491.2656
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: January 20, 2003
WELCOME TO INLINE HOCKEY AMERICA
A New Roller Hockey Nation is Born
Welcome to the new roller hockey nation. The much-anticipated arrival is finally here. What is Inline Hockey America? Inline Hockey America is a nation without geographic borders. It is a nation created FOR roller hockey players BY roller hockey professionals. It is a land of opportunities. It is a land of hopes and dreams.
Inline Hockey America (IHA) is a full-service roller hockey consulting, promotions, marketing, and development organization. It is the creation of Benny Gulakiw (Clarence, NY), the long-time Vice President of Operations for the Buffalo Wings Roller Hockey Club. Gulakiw, the President of IHA, left the Buffalo Wings in October, 2002, to work full-time on this project. ?IHA is a result of many years of study and effort,? says Gulakiw. ?After working in the roller hockey business since 1994, it appeared to me that something was missing, something that would help take the sport of roller hockey to the next level. After consulting with roller hockey players and executives from every level and every sector of the sport, the idea for Inline Hockey America was born.?
IHA?s efforts will be initially based in the Great Lakes region, in most cases specifically the Western New York area including Buffalo, NY and Rochester, NY. However, Inline Hockey America will work with any roller hockey club, team or rink in any part of North America. Once a regional base has been established, the geographic scope of IHA will be expanded.
IHA is divided into four segments: Travel Leagues, House Leagues, Services and Player?s Association. Each segment is interconnected and will be cross-promoted. In the area of travel leagues, Inline Hockey America will create leagues on four levels. IHA-Elite will be a semi-pro league operating during the summer months with teams initially based in and around the Great Lakes region. There are currently no leagues in this area providing opportunities for players to compete at the highest level in a traditional geographic league format. IHA-Junior will be the kid brother to IHA-Elite with teams operating in the Western New York and Southern Ontario area. Games will also be played during the summer months with players restricted to age 19 or younger.
IHA-Collegiate will host leagues consisting of club teams with players representing the college or university that they are attending. The first IHA-Collegiate league is the Western New York Collegiate Roller Hockey League (WNYCRHL) where schools from Buffalo and Rochester will compete for a local area championship. IHA-Collegiate leagues will be affiliated with the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (ECRHA) and the Collegiate Roller Hockey League (CRHL). IHA-Scholastic will operate along the same lines as it?s collegiate cousin, but will consist of teams with players representing their high schools. The Buffalo High School Roller Hockey Association (BHSRHA) is the first high school roller hockey league playing under the IHA-Scholastic banner. Talks are currently under way to create high school roller hockey leagues in Rochester, NY and Columbus, OH.
The second segment of IHA will be its work with various house league programs throughout the region. IHA will perform a variety of services to help these leagues become more profitable and help them offer their participants more opportunities to play at the most competitive levels available. The Buffalo Wings Roller Hockey Club is one of those organizations, which will take advantage of the services being offered.
The third segment involves those services available to any roller hockey club, team or rink. Many of these organizations are run by individuals who do not have either the experience, the knowledge or the time to do the things necessary to make their club, team or facility more profitable. Some of the services that IHA offers include consulting, branding, logo design, web site design and maintenance, marketing, promotions, public relations, event management and rink management.
IHA can also help any organization in their efforts to build their own inline hockey rink through the IHA Sports Center program. Inline Hockey America has been developing a program to construct and operate sports centers where inline hockey would be the primary activity. Specific geographic areas have already been identified where an underserved roller hockey market can benefit from the placement of a premium sports facility.
The IHA Player?s Association (IHAPA) is the fourth segment of Inline Hockey America and is the vehicle that ties all the other segments and activities together. IHA encourages all roller hockey players to become citizens of the new roller hockey nation by joining the IHAPA. Members of the IHAPA receive the right and privilege of participating in any IHA event. Members also receive a quarterly newsletter informing them of events taking place throughout the nation. IHA players can use their membership cards to receive discounts on fees for IHA events such as tournaments, camps, and clinics as well as on the purchase of merchandise and equipment. More information about Inline Hockey America and all of its programs can be found on the official web site of the new roller hockey nation, www.inlinehockeyamerica.com. Please check the web site regularly as new information is constantly being added.
Benny Gulakiw
President
Inline Hockey America
716.741.1276 or 716.491.2656
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: January 20, 2003
WELCOME TO INLINE HOCKEY AMERICA
A New Roller Hockey Nation is Born
Welcome to the new roller hockey nation. The much-anticipated arrival is finally here. What is Inline Hockey America? Inline Hockey America is a nation without geographic borders. It is a nation created FOR roller hockey players BY roller hockey professionals. It is a land of opportunities. It is a land of hopes and dreams.
Inline Hockey America (IHA) is a full-service roller hockey consulting, promotions, marketing, and development organization. It is the creation of Benny Gulakiw (Clarence, NY), the long-time Vice President of Operations for the Buffalo Wings Roller Hockey Club. Gulakiw, the President of IHA, left the Buffalo Wings in October, 2002, to work full-time on this project. ?IHA is a result of many years of study and effort,? says Gulakiw. ?After working in the roller hockey business since 1994, it appeared to me that something was missing, something that would help take the sport of roller hockey to the next level. After consulting with roller hockey players and executives from every level and every sector of the sport, the idea for Inline Hockey America was born.?
IHA?s efforts will be initially based in the Great Lakes region, in most cases specifically the Western New York area including Buffalo, NY and Rochester, NY. However, Inline Hockey America will work with any roller hockey club, team or rink in any part of North America. Once a regional base has been established, the geographic scope of IHA will be expanded.
IHA is divided into four segments: Travel Leagues, House Leagues, Services and Player?s Association. Each segment is interconnected and will be cross-promoted. In the area of travel leagues, Inline Hockey America will create leagues on four levels. IHA-Elite will be a semi-pro league operating during the summer months with teams initially based in and around the Great Lakes region. There are currently no leagues in this area providing opportunities for players to compete at the highest level in a traditional geographic league format. IHA-Junior will be the kid brother to IHA-Elite with teams operating in the Western New York and Southern Ontario area. Games will also be played during the summer months with players restricted to age 19 or younger.
IHA-Collegiate will host leagues consisting of club teams with players representing the college or university that they are attending. The first IHA-Collegiate league is the Western New York Collegiate Roller Hockey League (WNYCRHL) where schools from Buffalo and Rochester will compete for a local area championship. IHA-Collegiate leagues will be affiliated with the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (ECRHA) and the Collegiate Roller Hockey League (CRHL). IHA-Scholastic will operate along the same lines as it?s collegiate cousin, but will consist of teams with players representing their high schools. The Buffalo High School Roller Hockey Association (BHSRHA) is the first high school roller hockey league playing under the IHA-Scholastic banner. Talks are currently under way to create high school roller hockey leagues in Rochester, NY and Columbus, OH.
The second segment of IHA will be its work with various house league programs throughout the region. IHA will perform a variety of services to help these leagues become more profitable and help them offer their participants more opportunities to play at the most competitive levels available. The Buffalo Wings Roller Hockey Club is one of those organizations, which will take advantage of the services being offered.
The third segment involves those services available to any roller hockey club, team or rink. Many of these organizations are run by individuals who do not have either the experience, the knowledge or the time to do the things necessary to make their club, team or facility more profitable. Some of the services that IHA offers include consulting, branding, logo design, web site design and maintenance, marketing, promotions, public relations, event management and rink management.
IHA can also help any organization in their efforts to build their own inline hockey rink through the IHA Sports Center program. Inline Hockey America has been developing a program to construct and operate sports centers where inline hockey would be the primary activity. Specific geographic areas have already been identified where an underserved roller hockey market can benefit from the placement of a premium sports facility.
The IHA Player?s Association (IHAPA) is the fourth segment of Inline Hockey America and is the vehicle that ties all the other segments and activities together. IHA encourages all roller hockey players to become citizens of the new roller hockey nation by joining the IHAPA. Members of the IHAPA receive the right and privilege of participating in any IHA event. Members also receive a quarterly newsletter informing them of events taking place throughout the nation. IHA players can use their membership cards to receive discounts on fees for IHA events such as tournaments, camps, and clinics as well as on the purchase of merchandise and equipment. More information about Inline Hockey America and all of its programs can be found on the official web site of the new roller hockey nation, www.inlinehockeyamerica.com. Please check the web site regularly as new information is constantly being added.
Benny Gulakiw
President
Inline Hockey America