How to grow the game?

[CSharp]

The only way to grow the sport of hockey internationally is to have other nations that don't have a hope in winning a championship have some hope of winning in the future. If there's only two team that beat up on each other for the past 12 years and only those two teams are the only teams that gets gold and silver every time, what good is the sport? Also, what good is promoting the sport when the gold medal team has a salary that's $300mil compared to the bottom 6 teams which may total less than $50mil?

The only way to grow the sport is to even out the playing field so that everyone gets a chance of winning. What's the use of playing the game when you have only 2 elite teams (women's hockey) or the same 4 or 5 teams (men's hockey) going for gold every Winter Olympics?

What'll be interesting is if the Olympics and other tournaments puts a salary cap for teams having pro athletes entering amateur sport tournaments so that teams can be equalized. I'm mentioning Olympics and hockey as one example, but this can be applied to other venues.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by CSharp

The only way to grow the sport of hockey internationally is to have other nations that don't have a hope in winning a championship have some hope of winning in the future. If there's only two team that beat up on each other for the past 12 years and only those two teams are the only teams that gets gold and silver every time, what good is the sport? Also, what good is promoting the sport when the gold medal team has a salary that's $300mil compared to the bottom 6 teams which may total less than $50mil?

The only way to grow the sport is to even out the playing field so that everyone gets a chance of winning. What's the use of playing the game when you have only 2 elite teams (women's hockey) or the same 4 or 5 teams (men's hockey) going for gold every Winter Olympics?

What'll be interesting is if the Olympics and other tournaments puts a salary cap for teams having pro athletes entering amateur sport tournaments so that teams can be equalized. I'm mentioning Olympics and hockey as one example, but this can be applied to other venues.

So you want to eliminate the best on best competition and think that will help the growth of the sport? No other events (cross country sking)are handicapped as such. Not only that but this will only further seperate the haves from the have nots as Canada has so much depth that a "salary cap" will have a much less effect on "Us" then any of the other countries, and for sure the NHL would be out if this was the case. The Olympics are no longer an amateur event.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I grew up south of Lethbridge, so I know what you mean about the out door rinks. In the 80's we played a lot on frozen dugouts or on the Milk River. However that was very weather dependant.

Minor hockey enrollment is down. However, Pond Hockey enrollment is way up. In a city of 100,000 people, we only have 6 Initiation teams. I think there is about that or more for Pond Hockey. Pond Hockey requires a lot less commitment. One ice time a week and no tournaments. Enrollment fee is half of minor hockey.

Enrollement numbers are down, yet competition is at an all time high, two AAA bantam teams and a National Champion AAA Midget team. As an outsider I would say Red Deer is doing something right when it comes to the growth of hockey, or at tleast the development of players. I know that other minor hockey programs strive for what we see in Red Deer, winning.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Enrollement numbers are down, yet competition is at an all time high, two AAA bantam teams and a National Champion AAA Midget team. As an outsider I would say Red Deer is doing something right when it comes to the growth of hockey, or at tleast the development of players. I know that other minor hockey programs strive for what we see in Red Deer, winning.

I was having this conversation with parents on my son's Initiation team. In Red Deer, Initiation team's play half ice with split squads. So three on three with a different kid taking a turn in net every shift. The squads are supposed to be split on ability, the theory being that every one gets plenty of playing time and a chance to contribute or actually be involved in the play as much as possible.

Some parents on my son's team complain about playing half ice constantly. Before one game, someone was complaining (who's son plays on the weak side of the rink, so playing half ice would give him more ice time and more time involved with the play) , so I pointed out how other communities are keeping an eye on what Red Deer does, and I mentioned the Midget AAA National Championship. Another father couldn't shoot me down fast enough. "How many of the kids on that team are actually from Red Deer? That shoot's your theory all to hell.".