USARS Announces Two New Members to the Inline Hock

[thebenchman]

For Immediate Release
March 24, 2005

LINCOLN, Neb. - USA Roller Sports (USARS), the National Governing Body for Inline Roller Hockey, is delighted to welcome two of the most prestigious inline hockey groups in the country to the USARS sports family. Ken Gibo of the OC Blades, and Ken Murchinson of the Anaheim Bulldogs, leaders of two of the most successful inline hockey programs in the United States, have now joined USA Roller Sports and grassroots partner AAU in working toward building the most dynamic inline hockey program in North America.

General Manager Ken Murchinson said, ?The Anaheim Hockey Club and the Anaheim Bulldogs are proud to announce their support of AAU and USARS. We as a facility and program are encouraged with the steps already taken and the shared vision that is being forecast for our great sport. Coming together with the goal of growing our game and making it healthy and strong top to bottom is something AHC wants to be a part of. We look forward to a bright future for inline hockey. We will see all of you at the Nationals in New Orleans!?

Ken Gibo of the Orange County Blades says, ?The OC Blades and Coast 2 Coast Inline Hockey Center will support the AAU/USARS national leadership in roller hockey. USARS, with the aid of AAU, is the established and proven athletic organization that can lead this sport to grow at all levels -- recreation, club, travel, elite, and world championships. The steps they have taken to develop a comprehensive vision for this sport have been encouraging to us. We want to join in this vision. Hope to see you in New Orleans.?

These inline hockey clubs, both located in Southern California, are now united with USARS and AAU to help advance grassroots roller hockey toward world caliber competition. George Pickard, President of the International Federation?s (FIRS) Inline Hockey Division congratulated the parties involved by saying ?The United States has had unique success in winning the vast majority of World Championship Inline Hockey Gold Medals over the past decade. With the rest of the World rapidly catching up, with these new allies from Southern California providing a flow of high quality hockey talent, this should guarantee that the USA will remain competitive in World Championships for many years to come. The OC Blades are located at the ?Coast 2 Coast? Hockey facility in Huntington Beach, California. The Anaheim Bulldogs are located at the Anaheim Hockey Club in the city of Anaheim, California.

The AAU National Hockey Chair and USARS Hockey Committee member Keith Noll commented, ?We are very pleased to have two of the most successful hockey programs in the USA join the programs of USARS and AAU. Our visions from the grassroots level of the AAU/USARS to the top elite level of USARS will continue to grow the sport of Inline Hockey while helping the rinks to work together for further expansion and recognition of this sport.?

For in-depth comments from these two West Coast leaders of our sport, go to the web sites of USA Roller Sports (www.usarollersports.org) and/or AAU Hockey (www.aauhockey.org).

USA Roller Sports is recognized by the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as the National Governing Body for Competitive Roller Sports in the United States. For more information, log on to www.usarollersports.org or contact the Director of Media and Public Relations, Kellie Habeeb, at 402.483.7551 or via email at khabeeb@usarollersports.org.

?USARS is dedicated to creating, enhancing and conducting the best competitions and programs for roller sports. We instill the drive to win and be the absolute best?in sport and in life.?


Die hard hockey nut.

[thebenchman]

and NO replies? interesting... actually its THREE NEW members.

as much talk as there is and NO one has a word to say?

Quietness is Deafening!!

Die hard hockey nut.

[DannyG]

yeah, yeah, yeah...

We congratulate AAU on gathering the California groups into the fold. That Californians see the wisdom in participating with a national organization (finally) will only help our sport.

The high powered, coprporate-sponsored California groups that have been the state-of-the-art of club management for over a decade, have never shown an allegiance to anything other than NARCh, and it's nice to see them joining the rest of the world.

That okay, Grimmy? ...and, uh, quietness isn't a word...

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[thebenchman]

Thank you Danny!
It wasnt directed to you, I swear!. I have no beef with you personally or any way. We just disagree. Its HUGE for AAU.

I do REALLY hope all is well with you.

Grimmy

Die hard hockey nut.

[johnny2suede]

Hook, line and sinker. Major fished in!

Gibo and Murchison have an agenda and that is simply to go to the AAU Nationals and kick some major butt. AAU has been the home of the classic ditch. That is, teams that purposely avoid difficult competition and go to AAU and win a wuss title. The OC Blades and Bulldogs will put an end to that.

Now consider that their teams will be even more supercharged than what they bring to NARCh because they won't have the difficult roster restrictions imposed upon them that happens by playing NARCh regionals and Pacific Cup.

All I can say is that if you are an AAU team and have won before, forget it this year. Find another event to hide out. You are about to get whopped.

What is funny by the press release is USARS acknowledging that these two organizations are the two most prestigious in the country. Now what is whacky about that is that they have reached that lofty status by not being involved with either USA Hockey Inline nor USARS.

Just goes to show you, maybe membership doesn't have much privilege.

"Huge"? FUNNY ADJECTIVE, CONSIDERING.

PS. The finest rink organization in the US, bar none, is Dumars.

[Predators13]

Why would they go to AAU to kick some butt, when they have kick many butt in Narch?

I really like your comments about the roster restrictions, they are pretty much the same everywhere you go.

You said that they got their lofty status by not playing in USAHIL nor USARS. So if they got that status from playing Narch and since they have been somewhat responsible for helping Narch to gain their status then what happens when they are gone?

Narch is on a down cycle, all because their leader has made some bad choices, one big one in general "USAHIL"

don't get too caught in that dumars hype either.

Times are changing like it or not.