Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814
It starts with more outreach into different communities at the minor hockey level.
As more kids from different backgrounds play hockey, eventually more will make it to the show.
Then, the Flames will compete with every other team for their services.
|
Yup, outreach matters and I don't know about Calgary, but Toronto does a really good job of this with an annual event held near lower income areas jointly hosted by the Raptors and the Leafs to get kids out there playing road hockey and basketball and giving them chances to meet their heroes who also attend.
The biggest factor for me though is still the cost for getting into organized sports, but as I noted previously average income of my generation is way higher than our parents who were the ones who first immigrated to Canada and as a result, we're seeing the next generation of minorities being represented more than before in hockey. A sneaky roadblock to having lower income folks in hockey is also the time commitment of parents needed. Those in the lower income space typically don't have the entire weekend off from work when practices and games happen. No personal driver to take the kids around is a reality for many.