The Professional Look of PIHA

[hockey4ba]

Let me start by saying I dont want to start a whole other argument about whether PIHA is actually professional or whatever, but I would just like to make some suggestions about the overall look of PIHA. I will be playing this season for the Chicago Untouchables, and before I have even played one game in PIHA I can tell you that this league is 100% more professionally organized than MLRH in which I played in last year. The things that Garland is doing with the Gateway division, their website, sponsors and video promos are huge steps towards improving the professional apperance that PIHA wants to portray. If you havent had a chance to check out the new website, please do and you will see what I mean.
In the other division, the Philadelphia Growl, in my opinion, have done a great job presenting themselves as the most professional looking squad in PIHA east. Their website is always up to date with pictures and info about past games, player profiles and other things that fans look for when the are interested in a particular team. This brings me to the point of this thread. While the growl are doing a great job with their website and presenting themselves as a professional organization, I think that a teams uniforms are a very very important part of looking professional. While the growl have some of the nicest looking uniforms, I was looking through some game recent game photos, and I think that nothing screams "unprofessional" louder than a team with nice uni's but all sorts of mixed and matched gloves and helmets. I know teams and players dont have a lot of money to spend on equipment and stuff, but I think it should be a league wide rule that every team must have matching helmets and gloves. I know that our team is working something out through tour to get matching gloves and I am hoping we will all at least have matching black helmets. This is getting long and I'll let some others comment on this topic, but I would also like to quickly throw in there that I think full face shields should also be banned from the pro level, as it just decreases the professional look and makes games seem more amateur. Sorry for the long post, but i am interested to hear peoples thoughts. Good Luck to everyone this season.

[William Bourque]

This is getting long and I'll let some others comment on this topic, but I would also like to quickly throw in there that I think full face shields should also be banned from the pro level, as it just decreases the professional look and makes games seem more amateur.

I was on board until i read this. I don't think that banning full face shields makes sense on any level. Some players may prefer to not expose themselves to facial injuries, possibly to the eyes, for something that they are not being paid for. I personally wouldn't wear a face shield if i played. But i don't think that option should be taken away from other players in the league.

As a whole i agreed with everything that you said.

[ACCCT2]

ABSOLUTELY DEAD-CENTER ACCURATE and RIGHT-ON POINT with what "professional" should at least look like at a bare minimum (that is, if it isn't or can't actually 'be' paid-to-play "professional")...

Shields are a personal, player-by-player issue/decision (and always should be)...

[Dave Garland]

hockey4ba: Great points and thanks for the nice comments. Creating a professional environment (on and off the floor, in person and on the Internet) is of the upmost importance. I agree with you about the helmets, gloves, and jerseys. Our jerseys this year are awesome (I will have photos up soon) and each team is wearing the same pants, gloves, and helmets with no exceptions in St. Louis. We even talked with the refs to make sure they enforce these rules.
In terms of the website, what you are seeing now is the “skeleton”. When the site is fully done (about two weeks or so), it will be spectacular. Some of the features will include:

-Rotating news stories on the front page (like the NHL sites which will feature recaps, previews, promotions, interviews, and a featured sponsor).

-Podcasting (online radio show) and blogs.

-Forums for players to get important information (and other forums)

-Comprehensive information about PIHA, PIHA Gateway, and all of our teams.

-Breakdowns of the six Gateway teams along with photos and other fun features.

-Photos, game updates, links to www.thepiha.com, schedules, promotions.

-Features on community events and our partnership with our children’s charity.

-Kids Club

-PIHA Gateway TV: Clips, television interviews (already being uploaded now which were on local TV), promo videos, game recaps, and a news show.

-PIHA Gateway Store (Credit Cards accepted)

-New creative online advertising program.

Furthermore, we are now focusing purely on game promotion here in St. Louis. We have a new comprehensive print program that includes newspaper ads (St. Louis Post Dispatch and Suburban Journals near the rinks), 10,000+ pocket schedules to be distributed all over town, 10,000+ 1/4 flyers to inform people about PIHA Gateway). We have a street team that will be hitting up local malls, movie theaters, random events, outside Blues games, etc.

The key is that we are creating a replicable program. This can be done ANYWHERE in the country, takes more creativity than money, and is something I can help teach. We are learning here and it is fun process to see what works and what doesn’t. Most people fail before they succeed but I am confident that we can help shape the future of this sport.

Kudos to the Growl and Anthony Flynn for what they do up east. He isn’t the only one by any means, but he knows how to put on a show and make sure the image is correctly branded with the product.

We all gripe, etc. about what should and shouldn’t be done; however, as an realist/optimist I think this sport (at ALL levels and throughout this country) has a bright future ahead of it. Roller hockey (or inline), like Rome, was not (is not) going to be built in a day.

[Leaferguy]

As a player, it's a lot easier to play your best when a lot people are watching. I can easily say that playing at the Growl's home rink was a great experience. It may sound stupid, but if attendance grows, I think the level of play will, as well.

[joisyan]

i dont know if you guys were instructed otherwise out in the midwest, but it is a rule for PIHA to have matching gloves and helmets. color at least, not necessarily the same make (as is the same in NHL). as for full face shields/cages. i personally wear a visor. i didnt until i was hit in the eye w/ a stick in the MLRH a few years back (of course, wait until after the fact eh?) but i have guys on my team, and that i've played against, that need to wear a full face cage/shield because they've had their eye or teeth damn near knocked out of their head. one of our guys was cross checked in the mouth. whether it was done on purpose...you can judge it yourself. but a stick can get up under a visor pretty easily also. so i understand and can comiserate w/ anyone wearing a full cage/shield. i just personally dont like full face cage because i feel it restricts breathing a little bit.

[growl89]

Justin, i agree with you, our games saturday were VERY intense, and lots of crowd noise helped this along. You guys had a nice amount of fans come there along with the support of your minor league team it made for a very nice atmosphere to play in!! I think you will agree that an instant, intense rivalry was born saturday night haha

Hockey4ba, Lots of good points here, i agree 100% about the helmets and gloves. I think that the teams should have to have the same color helmets and gloves or they should not be allowed to play. I understand that teams are not rich and it costs money to do this, but most hockey players have black helmets and getting a cheap pair of black gloves is not hard. The facemask issue is one that we were actually just talking about this past weekend at our games. While it should be up to each person, especially since there is no compensation, i think it does take a little of the Professional look away from the game. But, i do not think there should be a rule, just yet, about this issue.

Garland, you really need to get a social life j/k buddy everything is looking good so far with you guys, once again. I wish our division could get everything together like that.



I am also glad to hear that the rest of the league is starting to notice our website and stuff.... I know there was a ton of work done in the off season to try and make ourselves one of the most professionally run teams in the league. I think it is only going to get better. If any of you guys are in or around the Philly/South Jersey area, i highly urge you to come out and see a game. Anythony Flynn has set up one of the nicer pregame introductions in the league. It's nice to be a part of and im sure it fires up the other team a little.

[GROWL]

Our pre-game is pretty sweet. haha. I will release our intro video later in the season, otherwise you have to come to a game to see it.

Flynner

[nummer55]

As a European the internet is the only way to follow the PIHA. What I'm concerned about is why the Gateway division is doing so much 'on their own'. Don't get me wrong it all looks good, but why do they need a separate website, separate sponsors, etc.? Gives me the impression that the league as a whole is nothing more than a name. Are there are special reasons to do this? Personally I'm also always trying to make our team and our league look more professional. Take a look at http://www.eindhovenrhinos.nl/index2.htm - matching gloves and helmets on our elite team We've also started to broadcast game videos. Remarks are always welcome.

[Phantom305]

This message is for nummer55; i was wondering why your goals look so small. they look as if they where 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. I also was wondering why you don't play with the US regulation size goals?

[Dave Garland]

Nummer55: It is like a student doing extra credit work. We have some different resources here, a full business model, etc. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Phantom305]

Hey Dave, whats the url for the gateway division?

[ACCCT2]

Honestly (and this is not a knock in any way), I think that a truly "professional" league should be about much more than just a dedicated few (like Dave and "Growl") doing "extra credit work" ("on their own") at their very local levels...

A real "professional" league would 'look' it and 'feel' it across the entire league and spectrum of its teams and marketing strategies, in its on-court presentation and game-product, as well as in its off-court sponsor/media programs and community impressions/involvements (and FULLY-matching uni's are a basic just to start!) -- presently, this is absolutely not the case ("across-the-boards") here in the USA...

In my opinion, I've seen a lot more evidenced "professionalism" (in every way) in more of the European teams and leagues than those here stateside. Again, this is not a knock against anyone's efforts or passion, just an experienced player, fan and traveller's frank opinion based upon evidenced experiences...

Frankly, I think that whatever leagues that are presently out there should "professionally" create and "professionally" fund a full-time ("paid-to-create") marketing/media position and hire someone (say a "Dave Garland"?) to create and implement a truly "professional" and "league-wide" sponsorship/advertising/marketing/media program -- effecting an "on-point", "one-voice" message of league continuity, opportunity and "POP" reward for everyone concerned. Have this ("Director of Marketing/Media"?) position be funded by a specific dollar-amount that would (and should?) be included in any league "franchise fees" (with PIHA for instance, rostering 42 "pro" teams alone this should be very easily financially do-able if there were a $1,000 - $1,500 USD per-team marketing fee). If anyone 'at' the league HQ thinks this unreasonable, not feasible or too expensive, then (in my opinion) they're not really serious or capable of 'growing' the league and game the way it could and should be "grown", as paying $42K - $63K (plus incentives?) to get an effective, creative and passionate marketing/sponsorship/advertising/media guy (like "Dave") to do what they "do" best is EXTREMELY cheap by industry standards, especially when someone like that properly "turned-loose" might bring in million$ of league-wide sponsorship/media support...

But then again, what "do" I know, eh...?!?

[Dave Garland]

www.pihagatewayhockey.com

Like I said, the "full" site will be out in a couple of weeks but enjoy the few features up now.


ACCCT: Right on with your comments. I agree 100% with everything said.

[Leaferguy]

If I make a team out in the Gateway Division, can I have free Pepsi? I really like Pepsi.