Start Up Rink

[coolrider88]

Does anyone know the best way to get a rink up and running with a decent amount of teams to cover costs of place. Looking in the CT area. Any help is much appreciated.

[minutemen]

These days it is very tough to start a new rink. the building part of it is easy. If you have the funds you can build a rink. The tough part is building a league. You have to get people to your facility. If you do not have the teams the bills will add up. (Insurance, Payroll, heat, electricity, etc). If i were you, I would build a one rink facility. The more facilities you have the more teams you need. I hope you are planning to do a roller hockey rink, b/c ice is way to expensive. CT might be a good area the market is really not tapped out there. Good luck with everything, It is a tough business to run. You have your high seasons and your low seasons. It is a non stop battle, trust me. I own the roller hockey rink in Morristown, NJ. Best of Luck.

Morristown Minutemen Pro Minor Hockey Organization.

[coolrider88]

What causes the high and lows? Is it the weather? Is your rink inside?

[minutemen]

the problem that causes the highs and the lows is the sport itself. Your are going to have seasons that you have 100 teams then you are going to have season where yo have 75. These are the numbers at my rink. that is where it is tough. You have to learn to go by seasons. i compare my 2005 winter season to my 2004 season, not my previuos fall season. each season is different. in 2004 winter I had 95 teams. this year I have 76. The reason is because the sport is at a low point right now. Next year that could be different, it will probably go up. It is just a tough business. the key thing to do is fill up your times. This season I am starting up dodgeball. you have to do the little things like tournamenst, skate nights, etc.

Morristown Minutemen Pro Minor Hockey Organization.

[fbr3of4]

For what reasons would you say the sport is at a low point?

[minutemen]

I was not trying to say it is at a low point. the point I was trying to get across was that the sport goes up and down form season to season. Right now in New jersey that sport is in the middle. It is neither at its high point nor low point. But as a business owner you have to expect that the sport could reach a low point.

Morristown Minutemen Pro Minor Hockey Organization. <P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by minutemen on 03/29/05 01:50 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

[fbr3of4]

I understand. With all the tournament series out there, houses leagues, etc. and year-round opportunity to play I could see where there would be burn out.

[minutemen]

Yes, every tournamnet i have been to in the last few months, both adult and youth teams are short handed. Yes people are getting burnt out, and some take time off but they usually come back. Also we are competeing with other sports, football, soccer, ice baseball, basketball, etc. I think we have to offer something new to the Inline community. It seems like tournaments may be getting old. I do not know. But I think something else has to be offered. Tournaments only cater to the top 5-10% of the players in the country. the people other 90-95% are the people that we need to tend to as well.

Morristown Minutemen Pro Minor Hockey Organization. <P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by minutemen on 03/29/05 02:06 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

[coolrider88]

Rink dieing a slow death. A rink I grew up with had over 200 teams steady with two rinks is now down to 1 rink second closed and 24 teams if that. How can I help bring it alive again? Is it possible to bring back the crowd under new management and new name and new style? Or is it too late. Will players most likely stay with the change? They where in business over or close to 20 years. Would love to see it come back strong, but not sure how to get the people back? Any ideas?

[XIHL]

Not to be Mr. Obvious, but you first have to think of reasons why that decline may have happen. From 2 rinks and 200 teams to 1 rink and 24 teams. Why did players stop coming. You need to try and figure this out so you don't make the same mistakes. Maybe cost, rink quality, program quality, location? I've done a lot of studies regarding inline hockey rink viability and there are many areas that need to be looked at. You can e-mail me directly if you'd like more help in this area. (bennyg@inlinehockeyamerica.com)

Benny Gulakiw
Director of Marketing & Public Relations
eXtreme Inline Hockey League

[coolrider88]

I sent you and email. Location is not the problem.