Question for beer league players

[PIMking]

I have finally got back into playing hockey down here in Alabama after four years off. The league that I am in has only enough players to make one league with all the levels in it.

My team is god awful, We won one game with "rented" goalie. The rest of the games were blow outs including a 14-1 game last night. The Goaltender forgot that he is suppose to stop the shots instead of letting everyone of them in.

I don't mind losing since it's a rec league, but I don't even have fun when you spend 90% of the game in your own zone, no one puts pressure on their defensemen, and no one knows how to pass the puck.

I want to have fun and I haven't said anything to anyone else because I don't want to look like a jackass and be the jackass either. Yesterday there was a lot of grumbling on the bench about the goalie, hell we were in mercy time halfway through the game and the ref asked if we wanted to quit.

I wanted to leave after the second period because skating around in a circle isn't that fun when I could do that for $5 in open skate.

Anyone else have issues like this? what have you done about it?

[JonDuke]

Just drink more beer.
It will become more fun that way.

[Temporary_User]

Sounds like you guys may be so bad that even a few practices and coaching sessions won't help much.

Petition the league to hold a tryout session and try their best to create fair teams? Essentially everyone joins as an individual and gets placed on a team.
I know many would want to keep their current team, but they could have a buddy system setup too where you can select 1-3 guys and you come as a package deal to a team.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

Sounds like you guys may be so bad that even a few practices and coaching sessions won't help much.

Petition the league to hold a tryout session and try their best to create fair teams? Essentially everyone joins as an individual and gets placed on a team.
I know many would want to keep their current team, but they could have a buddy system setup too where you can select 1-3 guys and you come as a package deal to a team.

I love playing but when you spend the whole game in you zone getting beat 14-1 takes any bit of fun out of it and will have a lot of guys stop playing because of it.

Heck one of the teams has 3 guys that played for the old Birmingham bulls ECHL team.... talk about fair..

[PIMking]

BTW I scored late in the third last night, I gave their goalie a hug.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by PIMking

I don't mind losing since it's a rec league, but I don't even have fun when you spend 90% of the game in your own zone, no one puts pressure on their defensemen, and no one knows how to pass the puck.

And players were on the bench grumbling about the goalie?

Anyway, you've either got to get the league to make things more fair, or plain old quit. Three former pro* players on one team in Alabama? Are they best hockey team in the state?

*I know it was the ECHL, but they still got paid to play hockey, so they must be pretty good at it compared to beer leaguers everywhere.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

And players were on the bench grumbling about the goalie?

Anyway, you've either got to get the league to make things more fair, or plain old quit. Three former pro* players on one team in Alabama? Are they best hockey team in the state?

*I know it was the ECHL, but they still got paid to play hockey, so they must be pretty good at it compared to beer leaguers everywhere.

They're older but still far better than anyone else. I think they found a southern belle and settled down with them.

[nickerjones]

play in a higher division?

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I was in a league like that in Iowa--all skill levels squished together into one. It sucked--I think the only way to deal with it is to go to the league and tell them that unless the teams are more even, some guys are just going to quit. Rec league is supposed to be fun--when it isn't, it's an awful lot of money to waste on feeling frustrated and aggravated once or twice a week.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by nickerjones

play in a higher division?

Eh?


So his team is getting smoke showed, and you want him to move up to a higher division with better teams?


OP, my old beer league team used to get crushed as well. But then we didn't.

[CaptainCrunch]

Help is on the way, Devin Dubnyk will be out of a job soon.

Hockey in Alabama, that must be interesting.

Have the guys on your team managed to get rid of their chairs yet?

Not much you can do if its an inclusive league, and a team has managed to find three former pros.

Just enjoy the moments.

And for god sakes stop trying to be the Oilers.

[bc-chris]

RougeUnderoos touched on this already....

Originally Posted by PIMking

but I don't even have fun when you spend 90% of the game in your own zone, no one puts pressure on their defensemen, and no one knows how to pass the puck.

I wanted to leave after the second period because skating around in a circle isn't that fun when I could do that for $5 in open skate.

i don't think it's just your goalie that's getting outplayed

one of the guys on my team said this to me a couple weeks ago.... 'you know you goalies have the worst job - if a centerman makes a mistake it's ok becuz there are the wingers to bail him out. if something gets by the forwards the d-men are there to bail them out. but if YOU (the goalie) make a mistake you're screwed! ....so tell me again why you like playing goal??'

my guys don't give me that hard of a time when we lose - it's gonna happen (even the odd blowout). they also know that i would invite any one of them to jump in between the pipes for a night to experience what it's like. i have yet to find any takers


it is tough when everyone is in 1 division. there's not much you can do until the league changes the way they run things. are there other teams that are always losing?? if so, talk to the captains/team reps and see if a number of you can approach the league. i run a team in a spring co-ed league and it's been a similar situation. there would be 10 teams every year and each year there would be 2 elite teams, 6 average teams and 2 teams 'just starting out'. i approached a number of the middle of the road teams and then all of us captains approached the league. as a result, next spring there will be 2 divisions - so that should make it a lot more fun for everyone.

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Eh?


So his team is getting smoke showed, and you want him to move up to a higher division with better teams?


OP, my old beer league team used to get crushed as well. But then we didn't.

He meant play in a (numerically) higher division (i.e. division 13 instead of 2).

and I agree. If your team is getting killed in every single game, then it is clear that you are in the wrong division.

Also, if the puck is always in your zone, it ain't your goalie's fault.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

He meant play in a (numerically) higher division (i.e. division 13 instead of 2).

and I agree. If your team is getting killed in every single game, then it is clear that you are in the wrong division.

Also, if the puck is always in your zone, it ain't your goalie's fault.

Ah read that totally opposite.

[CMPunk]

To me it seems like it's one league with no divisions in it. If that's the case, then I don't think there's much the OP can do about it. One of the flaws of playing hockey in Alamaba I guess. Is there any other leagues in neighboring towns?

[jonesy]

^^
I think the OP said there is only enough players for one division, hence your plan would not work.

oops, a post got between me and intended recipient

[jar_e]

Change teams and play with the winning team?????????

[DropIt]

Yeah, I think you struggle to finish out the year and before the next season starts you campaign to randomize the teams and create some parity

[PIMking]

I know it's not just the goalie, he is just awful! seriously the most basic saves he has a problem with. The rest of the team has issues with basic break out passes, passing in general, and the positions on the ice.

I just dont want to be the dickhead and start speaking up, I want it to be fun too and I have no idea how to bring up this stuff

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by jar_e

Change teams and play with the winning team?????????

there was a guy on another team that I'm friends with that asked me to switch teams, I will not pay $285 for this again.