Hockey Helping Hockey

[zipyaj]

While perhaps a bit dusty, this topic will never really die (and should not!). Regardless of name, its spirit remains. That said, I just received this suggestion through private message and wanted to share it with others - especially those in the scholastic leagues...

The biggest initiative I have for the coming year relates to high school hockey. I am going to pitch to the high schools that all junior and senior players, Club, CIF, whatever, need to spend some time at the middle schools with a roller hockey demo (to 'find their replacement' when they graduate) as well as to serve required community service time. If we had all high school players focusing thier community service time on growing and marketing the sport in their local areas (including coaching rec and middle school teams, giving clinics, etc) -we could really grow the awareness and then the enrollment will follow.


If you gave one idea, just one, that could help another program somewhere better itself or advance the sport, or even be the spark to another idea, then you would be helping hockey helping hockey.

Thanks!

[zipyaj]

Earlier today, I "Liked" and then read in a Facebook post about yet another inline rink that may turning away from the sport to another. When I returned to visit again this afternoon, I read a post there by Jim Curley stating, "I am sorry to say it is too late to save Casey's Hockey."

Facebook: Save Casey's Hockey!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/...&v=info&ref=ts

For any of you who may not know, Jim is a devoted father and dedicated director of the Inline Hockey Association of Arizona (IHAAZ - http://www.IHAAZ.org). I met Jim in August of '08 in Phoenix and have watched as he and others have struggled to build the sport across the state while facing a number of challenges. No doubt that the struggle with the Casey's rink comes as quite a blow.

But there is hope! That's what this post about Hockey Helping Hockey is supposed to be all about.

Maybe... like the Anaheim Ducks have done with their The Rinks program in So Cal, it's the Coyote's time!
Coyotes Hockey, LLC
6751 North Sunset Boulevard, #200
Glendale, AZ 85305
http://coyotes.nhl.com/


Maybe you can help? Maybe you know of someone who knows someone and so on.

HOCKEY HELPING HOCKEY...

Thanks!

[stephentylor]

Hokey is very nice game, but most of the countries only promote cricket but I think every country hokey along with cricket.

[aquariusmediaa]

Great post.....

[aquariusmediaa9]

I am a big fan of hockey.... i am new to inlinehockeycentral..... I am from india...

[RichardGraham]

Welcome, Aquariusmediaa9,

I hope you will become a valued member of Inline Hockey Central.

[Gumby]

Inline hockey is not doing so well here in Colorado. We have one of the largest (if not THE largest) inline hockey leagues in the US, but the owner/director/dictator of that league has a policy of banning kids from his program if they play outside of his league. He's out of Colorado Springs and he's actively trying (and succeeding) to put the last "real" inline rink in Denver out of business so he can buy it. This guy and the director of one of the most successful competitive clubs in Colorado (Kodiaks) are bitter enemies. The latter is banned from the former's rink. Ice hockey does pretty well here, especially considering our size, but 99% of ice coaches actively discourage inline hockey. They conveniently ignore the fact that the lists of top scorers of every division at every age group are peppered with roller players.

My kid started playing both ice and roller at about age 4. He's one of the better players in his birth year in the state in both and I think that has everything to do with roller hockey. I'm passionate about roller hockey and I worry that I might see the end of roller hockey here before my son graduates high school.

In a moment of insanity, I ran for the position of Bantam Director for my son's ice hockey organization. I was the only applicant, so I "won". Our org is low on numbers. We do okay at the AA level, but struggle at A and B because of our lack of depth. Over the years, I've brought at least a dozen roller kids to the organization. Sadly, some of them have become "ice only" and no longer play roller. One of my agendas is to figure out a way for ice hockey and roller hockey to help each other. For the most part, "roller to ice" has been a one way street. There are a few kids who have started playing roller after years of ice, but that's not the norm.

A couple of my ideas:

* "Pond Hockey" sessions. There are very few drop-in sessions available for youth ice hockey players. There's "stick and puck", but that's not quite the same. I'm thinking of drop-in sessions with NO COACHING. Have an adult out there for safety and to make sure line changes actually happen, but let the kids play the way they want. I'm pretty sure I can get rink time at the local inline rink to make this happen. The biggest problem is that few of these ice kids have inline skates and/or indoor wheels.

* "Hockey Lock-ins". All-night inline hockey parties. All ages with an emphasis on fun. Every couple of hours hold some kind of skill contest for prizes.

* Active encouragement from coaches for their players to participate in roller rec leagues during the ice season. Right now, my local rec league runs games on Saturdays, which makes it near impossible for ice players to participate. Tuesday is typically the "night off" for travel teams, so I'm going to try to convince the local inline manager to have a Tuesday night league marketed toward the local ice organizations.

Sadly, I think this is going to be an uphill battle. I brought 4 roller kids to my son's organization last season. 3 made Pee Wee AA and one made Pee Wee A. Yet, I had 3 conversations where I argued the merits of roller hockey with "ice snobs". I'm open to ideas here.

[RichardGraham]

Good suggestions above, Gumby. Roller hockey is definitely facing an uphill battle these days, except in small pockets of the sport.

[Kevin Smith]

Here in AZ, a few of the ice programs have started to see the benefits of roller and have even started entering teams in the local AZ tourney series. Check out Arizona Rubber, there's usually an article or two about it in each issue.

[RichardGraham]

California & Arizona Rubber magazines are quality publications that do support inline hockey, and are much appreciated.

Thanks for the positive post, Kevin.

[michelaudorn12]

Zipyaj you did such a great job..i am not more familiarize Interscholastic Hockey Federation.

but after read your great post i have clear almost every difficulties about the interscholastic hockey federation..

i really want to say you thanks and also want you to please share something more interesting.