Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

[Chris_NH]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

I would refer to as the decline (maybe even collapse) of Massachusetts youth hockey.

I think if 'youth hockey' weren't so expensive to fund, more kids would be involved. I think it is probably the most expensive youth sports program to fund, and deep pockets are needed.

 

[scsutommyboy]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

I think if 'youth hockey' weren't so expensive to fund, more kids would be involved. I think it is probably the most expensive youth sports program to fund, and deep pockets are needed.

With the cold winter we have had in the midwest and northeast kids should be skating outside at the local rinks. The problem is parents don't want to leave their kids at the rink alone. The sad thing is there isn't any more of a chance a kid gets kidnapped now than there was 30 years ago, but parents won't do it. I use to go to the rink almost every day in the winter. Even when I got older and played hockey inside we would go skate all day on a saturday or sunday and then go to hockey. I think this is one of the main reasons less kids play hockey. It was the place to be and the best kid hang out without parents around. Hell now for insurance reasons the rink attendants are adults, not the local high school kid down the street.

nowadays kids do very little without adult supervision. Kids have lost creativity on the ice because they are not at the rink screwing around with their buddies trying new things. Less kids play because they never even learn to skate. Even most basketball players in MN could skate 30 years ago. Kids loved to go to the rink and play hockey, free skate and hang out and they don't now. I have three kids that play hockey year around and they go skate outside a few times each winter. Its sad seeing things change this way......

 

[Hux]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

I think if 'youth hockey' weren't so expensive to fund, more kids would be involved. I think it is probably the most expensive youth sports program to fund, and deep pockets are needed.

Actually, according to a study done by USA Hockey and Hockey Canada, the biggest deterrent to continued participation in the sport past Squirt/Atom (9-10 year olds) is the time commitment. Usually this occurs if there are multiple children (lot of running around and schedule conflicts, snafus etc) or the schedule of games is too heavy (two or three games a weekend) or the travel distances are too far.

In addition to this, and this comes from having talked to parents when trying to recruit youngsters to the Learn To Play program, kids either prefer to be couch potatoes watching TV or playing video games etc. (they were at the rink because the parents were trying to get them to explore sports or activities away from the couch) or have waaay too much going on in their lives (multiple activities like tutoring, music lessons etc.).


That said, I agree economics is the primary factor in keeping attendance levels low during the regular and post-season, followed by our own time commitment constraints/distractions. (DVRs and lots of shows to catch up on) If it isn't us (the college hockey fan) it is our significant others (the non-fan) who, through a process of guilt (either direct or implied), require our presence while catching up on or participating in other "events."

 

[Split-N]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

I think if 'youth hockey' weren't so expensive to fund, more kids would be involved. I think it is probably the most expensive youth sports program to fund, and deep pockets are needed.

+1

Hockey has become a rich man's sport and, IMO, it's strangling to death as a result. The basic cost of keeping a kid on a travel team now approaches, or even exceeds, annual tuition at a respectable private school, even for a Tier II program. And that's before we get into the costs of equipment, travel, and transportation. Then there's the cost of the summer camps, conditioning programs, etc. To put things into perspective, a goodly number of the players on the 1980 Gold Medal team came from blue collar backgrounds. Those kinds of kids are still around but relatively few play hockey because their families simply can't afford it.

 

[PuckLuck81]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Actually, according to a study done by USA Hockey and Hockey Canada, the biggest deterrent to continued participation in the sport past Squirt/Atom (9-10 year olds) is the time commitment. Usually this occurs if there are multiple children (lot of running around and schedule conflicts, snafus etc) or the schedule of games is too heavy (two or three games a weekend) or the travel distances are too far.

In addition to this, and this comes from having talked to parents when trying to recruit youngsters to the Learn To Play program, kids either prefer to be couch potatoes watching TV or playing video games etc. (they were at the rink because the parents were trying to get them to explore sports or activities away from the couch) or have waaay too much going on in their lives (multiple activities like tutoring, music lessons etc.).


That said, I agree economics is the primary factor in keeping attendance levels low during the regular and post-season, followed by our own time commitment constraints/distractions. (DVRs and lots of shows to catch up on) If it isn't us (the college hockey fan) it is our significant others (the non-fan) who, through a process of guilt (either direct or implied), require our presence while catching up on or participating in other "events."

A couple interesting articles.....
These are a direct hit to your comments above about the biggest deterrent to kids just wanting to "try hockey". Truly a sad state of affairs IMO in the "State of Hockey".

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/246970061.html?page=1&c=y

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/114388604.html

 

[Hux]

A couple interesting articles.....
These are a direct hit to your comments above about the biggest deterrent to kids just wanting to "try hockey". Truly a sad state of affairs IMO in the "State of Hockey".

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/246970061.html?page=1&c=y

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/114388604.html

Ironic, because as I understood it Minnesota Hockey was geared more towards town hockey (vs the prevalence of check book club teams in Mass.) and shorter seasons to allow for participation in fall and spring sports. Interesting to note the number of practices. I know in these parts twice weekly is the norm to accomodate the number of teams needing ice (though the club teams are squeezing out the town teams at the non-municipal rinks).

 

[The Rube]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

NCHC would not accept ND's tv demands so the went elsewhere.

Which does not make my statement false. ND was the prom queen everyone was after.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

A couple interesting articles.....
These are a direct hit to your comments above about the biggest deterrent to kids just wanting to "try hockey". Truly a sad state of affairs IMO in the "State of Hockey".

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/246970061.html?page=1&c=y

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/114388604.html

I grew up playing hockey. It was a commitment. It was not free, it took a lot of time, and you spent a lot of time out in the cold. It looks like things are actually somewhat similar...just no cold.

 

[Split-N]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

Ironic, because as I understood it Minnesota Hockey was geared more towards town hockey (vs the prevalence of check book club teams in Mass.) and shorter seasons to allow for participation in fall and spring sports. Interesting to note the number of practices. I know in these parts twice weekly is the norm to accomodate the number of teams needing ice (though the club teams are squeezing out the town teams at the non-municipal rinks).

Your terminology is not only descriptive but also puts a label on what (IMO) is wrong with hockey at the grassroots level these days. Unfortunately, the increasing prevalence "check book club teams" is not limited to Massachusetts.

 

[chickod]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

+1

Hockey has become a rich man's sport and, IMO, it's strangling to death as a result. The basic cost of keeping a kid on a travel team now approaches, or even exceeds, annual tuition at a respectable private school, even for a Tier II program. And that's before we get into the costs of equipment, travel, and transportation. Then there's the cost of the summer camps, conditioning programs, etc. To put things into perspective, a goodly number of the players on the 1980 Gold Medal team came from blue collar backgrounds. Those kinds of kids are still around but relatively few play hockey because their families simply can't afford it.

But I think that was <b>scsutommyboy</b>'s point... It doesn't HAVE to be that way...we CHOOSE for it to be that way. You don't HAVE to have every aspect of your life controlled by someone else. When I was a kid we played baseball in my back yard EVERY DAY after school. I never played Little League, Babe Ruth, or any of that stuff. We usually spent summers "away" so I wasn't even around to participate in "organized" sports. The reality is (and I was a basketball referee for 17 years), only a FEW kids benefit from organized sports - the GOOD athletes who always play. The rest of them just sit there and watch. That's why there are no "skills." You learn skills when you PRACTICE on your OWN - there's no "practice" in organized sports - only games. Because the kids that aren't that good don't play in the practices, either. Nobody (well, maybe my Dad) taught me how to bat, or field, or throw. I learned by watching on TV and them imitating them. I didn't have some know-it-all egotistical coach who tried to force everyone to do everything the same (usually wrong) way. Until kids go back to just having fun and playing because they LOVE it, this decline will continue.

 

[hockeymascot]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

With the cold winter we have had in the midwest and northeast kids should be skating outside at the local rinks. The problem is parents don't want to leave their kids at the rink alone. The sad thing is there isn't any more of a chance a kid gets kidnapped now than there was 30 years ago, but parents won't do it. I use to go to the rink almost every day in the winter. Even when I got older and played hockey inside we would go skate all day on a saturday or sunday and then go to hockey. I think this is one of the main reasons less kids play hockey. It was the place to be and the best kid hang out without parents around. Hell now for insurance reasons the rink attendants are adults, not the local high school kid down the street.

nowadays kids do very little without adult supervision. Kids have lost creativity on the ice because they are not at the rink screwing around with their buddies trying new things. Less kids play because they never even learn to skate. Even most basketball players in MN could skate 30 years ago. Kids loved to go to the rink and play hockey, free skate and hang out and they don't now. I have three kids that play hockey year around and they go skate outside a few times each winter. Its sad seeing things change this way......

It is jaw-dropping at how much money USA Hockey spends to hire previous coaches to initiate the "American Development Model"! In areas or towns where it is cold enough to support outdoor rinks, this should be a part of the town's recreation department's responsibilities to maintain and manage the outdoor rinks throughout the winter. Maybe USA hockey could spend some of their "development" dollars to subsidize such a program.

 

[Split-N]

Re: Why does playoff turnout everwhere seem so low?

It is jaw-dropping at how much money USA Hockey spends to hire previous coaches to initiate the "American Development Model"....

I don't see anything in the ADM that would make it possible for the Eruziones, Craigs, and O'Callahan's of 2014 to afford what it costs to play these days.

WRT comments about unsupervised play, that just doesn't fit with today's concept of helicopter parenting. Although I live in Washington, DC, I grew up in Massachusetts and spent many a winter day skating and playing shinny on the ponds. When I was up there over the holidays, the ponds were largely left to the ducks and geese. Don't get me started on "Netflix Syndrome."

 

[Hux]

I don't see anything in the ADM that would make it possible for the Eruziones, Craigs, and O'Callahan's of 2014 to afford what it costs to play these days.

WRT comments about unsupervised play, that just doesn't fit with today's concept of helicopter parenting. Although I live in Washington, DC, I grew up in Massachusetts and spent many a winter day skating and playing shinny on the ponds. When I was up there over the holidays, the ponds were largely left to the ducks and geese. Don't get me started on "Netflix Syndrome."

And yet...this winter was perfect for the dozen plus kids in my neighborhood who were out on the back yard 40 x 100 sheet of frozen bliss as soon as they got off the school bus. Today they were out in the street...goalie in full gear. All is not lost with today's youth, but it takes a village to field a team.