The Future Of Our Sport- "Project RH"

[Superstar9]

Well, I am having one of those Jerry Maguire moments….I’m about to write what could potentially save the sport from house league to the pros and put us back on track OR, it could piss off every manufacturer, rink owner, league owner, rep, tournament director, and pretty much get me black-balled from the sport for life. Well here goes…..

The sport is on a decline. The pros seem to be in chaos lately, house league numbers are down, and select people are making money while not seeing the big picture and realizing that their golden egg is rotting from within. All because they are in one way or another in a power struggle for supremacy in their particular field whether it be local rink, pro shop, equipment lines, tournaments, pro leagues, or governing body of the sport itself. Before I go on with any solutions, I want to say that I believe ALL of you care about the sport or you wouldn’t have invested your time and money in it. Below is a list of each type of person I believe is involved in our sport be it through business or pleasure, followed by a short description of what is wrong and what you can do to help OUR cause. Before anyone attacks me on my credentials or my intentions, I want 2 things to be known…I am working on a NON-PROFIT and It will require the help of many of the people I’m about to point out flaws in and possible solutions for. I have run rinks, played pro, and lived all over the country so I’ve seen many markets first hand. My life is 110% ROLLER HOCKEY.


PROBLEMS:
Rink Owners: your rinks aren’t getting the numbers you used to, entry level players are scarce and you know as well as I do that they are your future. The biggest problem you have is that the average kid doesn’t know anything about your sport. You can blame this on the fact that there is no HIGH level pro league on TV reaching out to the average American. You can also blame this on the fact that it costs a kid $100+ dollars to try a league or class in your building and it’ll cost them $400+ in equipment.

Tournament Directors: your customer base is even smaller than the rink owners because your customers are generally the elite 10% if not less of the house league player pools. If they keep shrinking, you’re only going to shrink as well until eventually the 80’s generation ages out of masters and you’re finished, hopefully for your sake you’ll retire before that happens.

Manufacturers: you guys are mutli-million dollar companies, you should know better by now that the sport is shrinking because I’d like to think you have people being paid to research the sport. You want to sell expensive equipment, GREAT…top level players will buy it. Trust me, I’m an idiot and buy $80 wheels every month and that $200 stick every couple weeks because they last as long as a loaf of bread. I can’t live without them. That’s all good. But you would make a lot more money if you sold more quantity and for that, you need more players to get into the sport and grow up and buy the expensive gear. That means they had to try the sport and not bankrupt their parents before they get old enough to buy the high end stuff.

Pro Leagues: Simply stop spending money on things that don’t help your overall product and image not to mention things the teams don’t NEED. You need to get on TV someday or the sport will never go main stream. You’re never going to get on TV without a great product. It needs to be professional looking from your top team down to your worst expansion club. It needs to be a UNIFORM PRODUCT. You’re only as strong as your weakest link. People aren’t talking about the amazing CS Thunder or Midwest Tornados…they’re talking about the Marple Gladiators not showing in CT last weekend or whatever the latest no-show by a team or ref was. We have to raise the minimum standard before we worry about the extravagant single events or players. After all, the masses of your league are flipping the bill, not the elite stars or final 4 teams.

Governing Bodies: I’m not quite sure what you guys do for the sport. You have good intentions with your insurance and all but really, I don’t know what exactly you help with. All I really know is that you charge X amount of dollars for a player to somewhat be covered and you send them a magazine. I don’t know what to say but this isn’t exactly my strongest knowledge category. I’ve pretty much managed to steer clear of this part of the sport all together because I’ve never seen much from them at the local level.

Pro Players: you are the nation’s elite roller hockey players. Congrats. Right now that’s worth about as much as a cup of water to a guy who’s on fire standing on the beach. Nobody knows about it and the people who do, don’t care that much. The majority of the players do ZERO other than help by showing up to play. You want your paid league or the satisfaction of being able to look back and say you did something? HELP OUT! Read your section below on how you can help. Maybe we’ll get that league before you collect social security.



I am starting a NON-Profit called “Project RH”, the company is geared toward building up the entry-level portion of the player population nationally. We need to build that because as everyone knows, it is the problem that will eventually kill the sport if it is not resolved. I will be calling on each and every one of you to help our cause and save our sport. Basically you’ll have 2 choices. Support us in saving the sport as well as the future of your business by contributing or participating in our programs that cost you little to NO money OR…. you can continue to suck the life out of the very thing that supports you and give nothing back. Please know that we will publicly make it known by starting an “Evil Company List” that we ask all players nationally to boycott. People have choices and they’re going to choose what helps them the most. Especially if they know that the company made the choice not to help even when it cost them very little or nothing. We are not playing around, we mean business. You all had your chance to do these things on your own and look what has happened. Now that time is over and the future must be secured for our sport before it is too late. Expect to eventually be sent a package explaining what “Project RH” is, how it works, and how you can help. You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution.

NOW….below is a list of things each type of person in this sport can help out with that will actually make a difference. It will help you and it will not cost much money if any. The list also contains things that you can do to help the sport outside of “Project RH”

[Superstar9]

SOLUTIONS:

Pro Leagues:
Instead of spending money on things that no one sees like travel, spend the money on marketing and ways to help your teams appear more professional to the public. The better your make your customer aware of and interested in your product, the more money you will make and be able to grow. If you grow and get in the public spotlight, the entire sport will benefit hugely.

How Can You Help Project RH?
Show support by simply giving us advertising, we know the current financial situation and think you can best help by making your league a better product.

Rink Owners:
Make the public more aware of your sport, go to the schools and offer some rink time to the gym teachers for field trips. Kids could then at least try roller hockey at no major cost. 1 in 10 kids will likely be interested and tell their parents. That’s a good start. With Project RH, you’ll have the equipment to let them try a season for basically nothing. Most of the kids that try inline hockey stick with it and love it.

How Can You Help Project RH?
Become a “Project RH” rink. This program is designed to put FREE equipment in your building to help build YOUR customer base and it costs you nothing. What do you have to lose here?

Equipment Manufacturers:
You guys have the cash and make all the money. You are the make or break point in this sport. Keep your prices where they are on the mid-high end gear, the players want the new cutting-edge performance and that costs money to research and develop. Create a new line of entry level gear. Bare minimum specs, bare minimum prices. Sell it as a package, make NO money on it, do what it takes to get the kids playing. They’ll move up to the expensive stuff eventually and you’ll have more players so that means YOUR volume will go up. Your competition will have to follow suit or they’ll look bad. Give something back while saving your own future.

How Can You Help Project RH?
Sell equipment packages to us dirt cheap so our money stretches further and we can outfit more rinks and kids. Throw us some free stuff even. It’s helping you because it’ll get more kids playing and guess what, their 1st set of gear will be your brand and as you know, kids tend to stay with what they are used to and like. Their next set will likely be that more expensive line you’re pushing as the next hot thing.

Tournament Directors:
With entry level players and building the bottom of the pyramid being the concern and focus here, there isn’t much you can help with. Having said that, if you keep catering to the upper level players and not putting any money back into the league level kids, there will not be tournament level players down the road, at least not enough to keep you running well or growing. So you have to help somewhere. Unfortunately, I think money and/or advertising is the only way you can help grow the base of the player pyramid.

How Can You Help Project RH?
Donate money to help us buy more equipment. It’ll be a tax write-off because it’s non-profit. You can also give us exposure by giving us advertising at your events and on your websites. Maybe some rich travel parent will find out about us and give us a bigger donation, who knows. Either way, it’s in your best interest to help build the grass-roots of the sport. Helping us will do just that.

Pro Players:
You all want this sport to go somewhere, there’s no doubting that. You are what the kids already playing look up to and what the new kids will be amazed by. Set a good example to them. You also can help a ton by making your league look more professional. Your team owners could use your help. They are very busy week in, week out making sure you guys are taken care, home games are ready to go, and trips are planned out to a tee. Take some time to offer to help them with something. If each player in your organization took on ONE single small 5 min job each week, your GM would have time to improve things and come up with new ideas to make your product better. This will in-turn draw more fans and eventually help you play for free or get paid. Help out OFF the rink!

How Can You Help Project RH?
Join our sponsored player program. Buy a Project RH t-shirt, become a billboard for “Project RH”. Talk to your local rink about us. Help the cause.

Governing Bodies:
Keep doing whatever it is you guys do. Try helping the sport by going to the schools. Spend some of that cash on a tv commercial or two instead of useless conferences and meetings. The kids in the mainstream need to see ANYTHING about the sport and they aren’t going to do that any other way. Get an inline commercial on during an NHL game on versus or something. Quit worrying about who has control over world championships and Olympic rights. We don’t need multiple national teams, we need EXPOSURE. I live and breathe this sport and I’ve never seen Team USA play.

How Can You Help Project RH?
Focus on what I just wrote above…and stay out of our way. We know you have some programs to help enrollment but if I don’t see them at the rinks, the kids you’re targeting damn sure don’t because they aren’t IN the rinks or at your conferences. They’re sitting at home watching TV or playing XBOX.


What is Project RH?
It is a NON-PROFIT company whose only goal is to build the sport of Roller Hockey without taking from it. We plan to do this by seeking the help of those companies who profit from it or depend on the sport’s future for their survival. We will do this by supplying rinks with FREE equipment so that they can offer new kids the chance to try roller hockey without the cost of purchasing startup equipment. The rinks will be enrolled in “Project RH” and with that will come equipment and as well as print materials to distribute throughout their community to draw new players to the sport. It is designed to help EVERYONE in the sport from the equipment manufacturers all the way down to the first time players. We will make this possible by seeking funding, advertising, and/or supplies from every company involved in the sport because in the end, they are the ones who will benefit from it in the long run. As time progresses, we will also seek monetary sponsors via Corporate America. We plan to take to the streets and enroll every rink we can from coast to coast. We welcome any volunteers that wish to help us in any way possible. We will soon have a website online and announcements will be made shortly. The future of the sport is in danger. We wish to change it from the ground floor. Support the cause, support PROJECT RH. If you wish to receive any more info on Project RH, join the movement, or add ideas…. contact [email protected]

Thanks and let’s make something happen!

[Superstar9]

uh oh.....ok, nobody said a word, now I'm a little worried....somebody has to have an opinion on this subject right?

[zipyaj]

Chris,
You've got some great ideas! I am going to contact you offline to extend my thoughts and share more with you.

THANKS for going out on the limb!

Best regards,
Jay

Interscholastic Hockey Federation (IHF)
Jay Piz, Dir. Media Relations
Irvine, CA

[PGHhockey]

You'll have trouble getting any kind of meaningful funding at first until you've strongly established yourself, your brand, and your charity. That's a given with any 501(c)3 organization.

Have you looked into the legalities, business structure, and accounting necessary to form and operate a 501(c)3, both federally and on the state level? It's not easy...

Also, you may want to consider putting in a decent sum of your own money first. Not only is it another PR mechanism to get your name out there, but it also helps establish trust with your prospects.

[PGHhockey]

Basically you’ll have 2 choices. Support us in saving the sport as well as the future of your business by contributing or participating in our programs that cost you little to NO money OR…. you can continue to suck the life out of the very thing that supports you and give nothing back. Please know that we will publicly make it known by starting an “Evil Company List” that we ask all players nationally to boycott.

If you do this, you might as well not even bother forming the organization.

I know you don't know me at all, but trust me, if you do this, your organization will die a miserable death.

Do you see St. Jude blacklisting any companies/individuals because they didn't contribute? United Way? Red Cross?

These hockey companies also have more cash, leverage, and legal/political power than you could ever dream of. Should your organization gain any traction, and then you "blacklist" one of these manufacturers/companies - they will destroy you. Personally, legally, financially.

Please, do NOT do this.

[Superstar9]

The whole blacklist thing I mentioned I was really iffy about posting. I understand what it could possibly bring on me but, worst case...the manufacturer could become angry and instead try and show me up and do better than us. How does that hurt? It may hurt Project RH but it would help the sport in the end because it would be more that is being contributed as a whole. I'm still not sold on that idea and probably wouldn't do it. It was just a thought honestly. As far as the non-profit, accounting, and business structure....that is one department we are extremely strong in. I have family connections with people that have been top 10 execs with companies like bank of america and they are helping me with that stuff.

[RINKRAT]

Chris,

Great Post! But I have at some point suggested just about every idea that you did on here and never heard a single peep from USA Hockey or AAU and I deal with both groups. Nor has there ever been a response from any of the Manufacturers or State Wars, Torhs, Narch, etc...) - and I know they all read this board. I've even talked to some of these "tournament directors" personally and it's like talking to a brick wall.

From a rink operators position, I am in the process of doing much of what you mentioned with the schools and the equipment program and our league has definitely benefited from it.

Good luck on your mission!


RAT

[RichardGraham]

Hi Chris,

Anything (within reason) that gets people talking about and thinking about how to repair the great sport of inline hockey is all right by me.

I agree with you that the sport has serious problems at the moment; fortunately, there are good things happening too, and we still have a lot of passionate inline hockey advocates working hard to build the sport back up in their areas. I will try to highlight more of those bright areas in the coming weeks and months in stories on IHC's Home Page.

[quick_dry]

great posts Chris (sorry to hear about the other crap)

I agree with what was said about not having the list of 'Evil non-Supporters', rather than shaming those who don't help, heap praise upon the people who help out.

The 'give us your gear or else' approach doesn't seem as likely to get a good response from the people you're trying to get free stuff from - who do you want to help more? the standover man, or the organisation saying "we're building something great, and we want you to be a part of it - and you'll make money from it too"

Catch flies with honey not vinegar.

Good luck

[indiangoalie33]

well after RHI (years) roller hockey has gone down but what i believe is that it has gone up in the last 2-3 years with such revenues as statewars and NARCH having the most teams ever this year (i believe) rinks are closing but better ones are takings its place like here in Colorado xpress sports sold there business even though they were making a profit, but then a new parker rink sponsored by the government opened this rink is awesome quality everything! Getting on TV is huge but i really don't see a feasible way unless ESPN will change there mind and i really believe the only people who can do that is either Richard or the Yoders. but creating a organization is a good start

[sdcopp]

Chris,

I think it's great what you're pursuing here and I wish you the best of luck and offer my help as many others here will as well. I think you've hit on some points that really need to be addressed, but I think we're talking on one side of the fence vs what the new players are going to see.

There is an outdoor rink here in Colorado Springs that is frequented by old and young, beginner and experienced, ice guys just tooling around, inline only guys playing on non-league game nights, fanatic players who play both ice and inline, etc. etc. etc.

The big key to it's success? It's at a decently busy intersection on the corner of a large park that has b-ball courts, tennis courts, an indoor pool and water slide, soccer fields and a disc golf course. Right place, right facility, and five minutes away from the Tour Arena.

We have another outdoor rink of a similar setup, tucked away behind a business park that no one knows about with a Lacrosse field and some batting cages around it. This rink rearely gets used, barely ever gets enough people to play a game, etc.

We need more locations like the first in city parks, community activity centers, etc. For all the leagues and tournaments and all, getting people outside (remember we have an obesity epidemic in the country too) and playing on a pair of $20 Target skates with a $10 stick is what made roller hockey grow a decade and a half ago. I said it before somewhere else on these boards; where are the kids who used to play street hockey with cheap skates, cheap sticks, a lousy net and a plastic ball or dead tennis ball?

My call to action would be:

-Players: find the newbs. Play with them, teach them, encourage them. I've seen too many good players stroke their own egos by killing new guys in pick-up games. Take those skills and help these guys out, they'll keep coming back that way. Inform them also about leagues, many just don't know and think ice is all there is for organized hockey.

-Rink Owners: facilitate hockey as much as possible if it's something you're running already. Some rinks don't, but find the places for the interested people to go to if you don't have it.

-Manufacturers: give us cheap gear. $100 is the bare minimum for entry level skates, people can go to Target, Walmart, etc and get a $20 pair of inlines. Even if it means going backwards in technology and using a plastic/nylon frame instead of aluminum, and low end bearings, etc. Let's see a $30-$50 skate. The old Tour S274 was a prime beginner skate, and by todays manufacturing standards it should be cheap to build. No carbon fiber, no Clarino leather lining, no aluminum chassis, etc. Franklin, Mylec and the gear Rollerblade made were all prime examples of perfect beginner gear to get people swinging sticks and sinking goals. Those three are all but dead (Rollerblade doesn't do anything hockey related anymore, but certainly not dead) because they couldn't compete at a higher level, and in all our progression of the sport forgot how a lot of people started.

-Tournament directors: While NARCH, TORHS, AAU, State Wars and all the others are great, where's the parking lot tours like the NHL breakout tournies from a decade ago? We need parking lot tournies at shopping centers, malls, something to catch the attention of the uninformed. We aren't getting TV time, so we need to hit the streets, literally. Get a sponsered event with some manufacturers low end gear and an almost festival like atmosphere. Prizes for shooting a ball in from half court, fastest shot, etc. for the passers by while players have a mini-tourny. While there is cost associated, work in conjunction with the businesses around, get some sponserships, charge a nominal fee for a ball hockey tourny, etc.

-Governing bodies: You're job is tough. You have to swallow your own brand pride (which is not a bad thing to have) and WORK TOGETHER. Get on the same page. Get your publications to the rinks to the Play it Again Sports, the Big 5's, the ****'s, The Sports Authority's, etc. Get your word out of the hands that know the game and into the hands of those who don't know but might want to.

-Pro Players: Just get out to schools, youth groups, outdoor rinks, skating rinks and play when you can at pickup games and such. Your job is both easy and hard. The easy part is just going and playing, the hard part is working with the new people to fire them up and not get frustrated at first. It's tough to teach people to play, the whole game is unnatural movement for us as humans.

That's my .02 on it. Start before the league level, get people playing anywhere, anytime.

Run learn to play programs that teach the game a little before ever putting skates on. Hell, just go evangalize the game and then work on mini-workshops for new players.

Like I said, we don't have meida coverage on TV. Let's get some video cameras out there and do viral online videos. Let's get some sort of summer parking lot festival type things going and get the local radio stations. As sexist as this may come across, get some cheerleaders and do a carwash with them wearing PIHA colors or something along those lines, it's actually effective, just let them pull in the customers as there's the draw for those car washes. Buddy up with the local hockey shops to get newbs a 10% discount on gear, hell equipment packages heavily discounted for first time players.

Something, anything to just get the word out.

[RichardGraham]

Hi Shaun,

Wow, there are some great ideas in your post! I particularly agree with you on the need for outdoor events where people can see the sport again, and about the "good players that stroke their own egos by killing new guys in pick-up games."

I saw that happen in Santa Monica. The top 15 guys would rotate three teams on and off the best portion of the parking lot, so the newbies stopped getting a chance to play on the best surface. Eventually, there were only about 15 guys playing... total.

I think the NHL needs to be more proactive with inline hockey, too. A few teams are, but I think it needs to be a league-wide effort, led from the top down. If the NHL leadership can't see that growing the inline game grows the ice hockey player and fan base as well, then they need to be replaced with people who can.