MOVING TOO FAST

[umroller]

I would have to wholeheartedly agree with Mike Burke. Lindenwook recruits players and gives them scholarships. Isn't that what players in collegiate roller hockey have dreamed would happen for years now? Isn't that what we are all working toward?

I understand the argument that Lindenwood is the only one giving "free rides" and that no other schools are close to doing this yet, making it a little unfair to have to play a team full of recruits who are exceptional players. But, think about the following. The school administration and NCAA may see that a school has started to give out scholarships for roller hockey (even though it is a club sport). Maybe, just maybe, other schools will follow and start doing the same thing. The best thing to do is to promote what Lindenwood is doing dirctly to the schools.

One last thing. In order to mitigate the above counter-argument that Lindenwood is just picking up ringers for their team by offering them scholarships, the CRHL should amend their eligibility requirements. Already, the following Enrollment Requirements are in place by CRHL:

-Players must be eligible to participate in the respective club sport/student activity at the college/university they are representing.
-All players must be currently enrolled, with the following minimum enrollment requirements, in the college/university they are representing:
-Players competing on Division I teams and Division II teams must be enrolled with a minimum of 6 undergraduate credit hours or currently enrolled as a Graduate Student in a Graduate Program pursuing a Graduate Degree.
-Players competing with Division III Members must be enrolled with a minimum of 3 undergraduate credit hours.
-Minimum enrollment requirements shall be waived for the following circumstances:
-Players who are fulfilling a full-time, official, university required or university recognized internship.
-Players who graduate from their college/university during the season.
-Players who are currently full-time employees of a college/university.

The amendment I propose, although it may be difficult to enforce, is that all students must be enrolling at their college or university, regardless of whether it is a Division 1 school with 40,000 students or it is a community college with 300 students, to pursue a degree in good faith. This means they must be there not only to play roller hockey but with the intention of obtaining their degree within a reasonable amount of time. Keep in mind the words of the ECRHA, "EDUCATION, Dedication, Motivation." With emphasis, as you can see, on education.

Ben Picker
Founder of the U of Maryland Roller Hockey Team/Club
Advisor for the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (ECRHA)



http://members.aol.com/umroller/images/benecrha.jpg

[cakeuneke]

I could not agree more. The problem with what Lindenwood does is just pick up people that otherwise aren't going to school. I'll give an example.

Let's say I'm Mr. Roller Hockey, the best player in the world, and I live near St. Louis. I've been in every league known to man. I hear the CRHL is a very organized league, and that the competition is pretty fierce. I've even heard that most teams are better than most "pro" teams. Lindenwood says, "hey, why don't you enroll in 6 hours at the school and we'll pay for it." I'm thinking, so I don't have to even go to class, and I can play in the CRHL, and I don't have to pay, that is awesome. However, this kind of situation goes against what college sports are really all about. I think most DI schools are good at not doing this. Many schools, like MSU who has been a powerhouse, actually have players on their team that go to school for a reason. Other national champions have 15 "sophomores" listed in their program all majoring in mechanics, it really just doesn't make sense.

[purduepimp]

I can't agree with anyone more that what Lindenwood is doing is a huge step in the world of the CRHL, but Roller Hockey at Lindenwood is not a club sport, it is a regular sport to them, otherwise, they couldn't give scholarships. Furthermore, I think it would be great if other schools would follow the trend, but the truth is that will never happen, our school got 500 dollars once for NCTII. We don't even have sport court to practice on and our school wants to kick us out! The fact at hand is that what Lindenwood does, no one will ever get to do because College Roller Hockey is a "Club" Sport and is not big enough for them to give full rides. Another thing, Lindenwood is a small school probably with minimum Tuition Fees. Purdue costs almost 25,000 out of state, with housing of course, so it would be insane for Purdue to invest in a sport such as college roller hockey. If this scholarship thing is going to happen, the players should have to maintain "Full-Time" status, with a minimum GPA requirement. When I see most of Lindenwood is like Sports Management and most of my team is Engineering, there is a big difference. There are some weekends where we miss players because of school, and that is fine with us. All I am saying is that scholarships will not happen here at Purdue, that is a fact, and they probably won't happen at any other Big Ten University, so why should a little University in St. Louis get to do it?

[paddymac]

Lindenwood giving out scholarships is a great thing. However by roller hockey being a club sport nationwide they have found a loophole. In varsity sports where scholarships are given students are required to pass through the NCAA clearing house. The NCAA clearing house requires a certain path of study out of High School and those who have not met it are ineligible to play until the requirements are met, whether at the University they are going to attend or some other school. If Lindenwood is going to give out scholarships that's great, but I think the CRHL should hold them to the same standards that other scholarship giving schools are held to. I don't know the minimum amount of credits or GPA, but I think these should also be enforced.

[John_S_Osborne]

I agree totally. I think this really does wonders for college roller hockey in the long run. Problem is, there's really nothing coming from CRHL to control this sort of thing. purduepimp is right, you generally won't see this out of NCAA DI institutions, who have other things to worry about than recruiting for a club sport. So, in actuality, it's pretty much an advantage that Lindenwood holds over all other schools in being able to provide such perks for their players.

All in all, I think CRHL member organizations must agree to some new and more stringent eligibility rules. Maybe minimum GPA requirements? You have to remember, all these restrictions and rules create work and a stack of paper, and with a largely volunteer staff running CRHL and its regions, such new requirements might be painful to implement.



- john

[cakeuneke]

Well, more strict rules would be great, no doubt, but I think the CRHL struggles to enforce the rules as they are, so I would be hesitant to add more rules, when it seems like they don't get the current one's right.

[MDE3]

I believe it was with you I spoke back in May or June of this year when I asked about the future of scholarships in roller hockey at the collegiate level, having interest for my son's future. It was then that you explained that there were none available as yet, but that Lindewood was using a grant system of some kind to help their players. You also mentioned their recruiting intentions - re Junior National players, as well as the up-coming formation of the "Premier League" and your hopes that other universities would follow suit.
We talked about the effect of one team being able to recruit talent by having financial incentives and what effect this would have on the future of college roller hockey. Well here we are.

Two things can happen - other schools can step up to the plate to even the playing field, or Lindenwood can be restricted from competing because they have an unfair advantage. I know you have been gambling on the former and I hope you are right - from a purely selfish point of view, as well as for the future of the sport at a college level. This was a gutsy move on your part being aware of the upcoming turmoil this situation was bound to create.

However I do understand the frustration of players at other schools who are putting out all their efforts without hope of subsidy and feel like they have been shortchanged when playing against the recruiting practices of Lindenwood. I have not yet seen any of their games, but would not be surprised to hear of a cocky/elitist attitude born by players who have competed successfully for the only subsidy money(that I know of) available to college roller hockey.
It is IMPERATIVE that Lindewood who now carries this "torch" for the future of subsidized collegiate roller hockey be perceived as a paragon of good sportsmanship and class athletics. Any failure to do so will only hurt their program and the future of any other program trying to do the same thing. If they do hurt this opportunity - not by winning, but by winning ingraciously, then they will all find themselves back where they started.

Remember most collegiate athletic programs are subsidized by a few very profitable athletic programs within the Universities as well as by the image projected by the school to maintain high levels of enrollment - and image is at least as imortant as winning. Hockey of any kind has a perception as a "rugged" sport to put it gently - not all of the patrons who hold the purse strings at the University level look upon the sport as "Image Supportive". In order to acquire the support of these patrons, the notoriety of the first "subsidized" program ought to be squeaky clean. Lindewood can be the champion of this new direction or the wailing wall for the failure of collegiate roller hockey to ever be more than a club sport. Carry the torch with a little dignity boys.

[LionsFan]

On the subject of "free rides" and not having to study or taking a token number of classes your dead wrong. I'm curious where your information came from.
In regards to funding for athletes it's my understanding the Lindenwood coach presented an outline for the teams future, requested the funds to make it happen, and sold the idea to the people that could make it happen. It's not an original idea. I'm sure that if asked the coach would be more than happy to explain how he did it.

[oldie006]

I would have to agree. Although Lindenwood would not ever be my first or last choice of colleges to attend, if they offered me a scholarship to play, back when I played, I would have accepted for financial reason as well as for the opportunity to play with other great players. One on one there are many teams that have the talent to beat Lindenwood, it is the fact that they dont have 12 players of the same capapcity. if you took the four best players from every team and had an iron man tournament, one would see the greatest roller hockey the CRHL has to offer. So for those teams that dont have 12 great players, cut the players that cant hack the level of competition and get on with your season.

[nala]

You would not make the team.They have 12 strong players.
That can play against any team.

[oldie006]

Thats what I meant!!! Lindenwood has 12 strong players or what have you and ever other team may have like 4-7 strong players and the rest are all mediocre. And I would make any team out there just for your knowledge.

[LionsFan]

Oldie, I don't belive there's a team out there that has four players good enough to beat Lindenwoods best four,granted I'm biased, but I do believe there's some teams that could make it a great game. I'd sure love to be there to see it. As to the premis that those teams are going to have to make the tough choice of competing with their best players or excepting mediocrity I could'nt agree more.

[umroller]

You said you would attend Lindenwood. But unless you are from the St. Louis area and would be staying there to find work after college, how much is that college degree going to be worth? I'm not sure how good a school Lindenwood is, so if it is a great school academically then I am wrong. But, I know I had never heard of them before last year so how much would a degree from there be worth out of the state of Missouri where no one has even heard of the school? I'm not bashing Lindenwood, students there may get a great education, but a person should not go to a school just because they have a great roller hockey team. Go to college to get a great education that is going to get you a good job afterwards. If your optimum school doesn't have a team yet, start one up and help the sport!



http://members.aol.com/umroller/images/benecrha.jpg