Rainbow teams/affiliate agreements

ripping1 · Post by **ripping1** » Tue May 08, 2012 7:13 pm

Looks to me like some of the associations with dwindling numbers should consider rainbowing more teams or better yet combine the associations as to make the teams more competitive. An obvious choice would be Hopkins and St Louis Park. Both of those associations have small numbers and have been rainbowing girls teams for years. Many of the slp kids attend Hopkins schools as do Minnetonka, and Edina. I know there are parents that are worried if this were to happen their kid would not make an A team but if they were being honest they would know their kid probably doesnt belong there in the first place. Make these teams more competive which will help keep the kids in the programs making their HS programs stronger. Both these associations lose a lot of kids to private schools Blake, Benilde and Breck mostly. A number of these kids would prefer to stay with the kids they have grown up with but until the HS teams can truly compete they will continue to lose their top talent to price and public schools that have a decent HS team.

trippedovertheblueline · Tue May 08, 2012 10:23 pm

to try compete with the super powers and have less programs?
richfield/mpls
owatonna/faribault
apple valley/eastview
jefferson/kennedy
mound westtonka/orono
buffalo/waconia
new prague/shakopee
mankato/st peter
brainers/pequot lakes?
alexandria/ fergus falls
hibbing/grand rapids
s st paul/sibley
n st paul/cottage grove
- but i suppose many want to stay independent of others

observer · Post by **observer** » Wed May 09, 2012 7:05 am

Then they could have AA teams.

DrGaf · Post by **DrGaf** » Wed May 09, 2012 8:23 am

I have a question:

Why does Osseo / Maple Grove combine? Different high schools ... should be different youth associations. Some ridiculous number of something like +100 squirts last year I heard.

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Wed May 09, 2012 8:49 am

Maybe NSP/Tarten. FL/CL/NB... This could be interesting.[ Roseu/Warroad

]

D3 Fan · Post by **D3 Fan** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:41 pm

When you talk about OMGHA (Osseo-Maple Grove), you also need to throw in NMYHA (North Metro), which is Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Fridley and Columbia Heights (I think). North Metro barely fielded 2 teams at each boys level the past two years (no A teams). Only one (small) team at each of the girls levels.

If anything, Osseo and Brooklyn Park should merge at the youth hockey level, which is already being done this year at the High School level this coming season. Maple Grove is big enough to go it by themselves. I believe Osseo originally merged with them because they were struggling with numbers. Not sure why they didn't merge with Brooklyn Park at that time. I'm sure politics had 100% to do with it. Probably close to half of the boys at the Bantam level at North Metro attend Osseo Jr. High already.

North Metro might be the weakest association in all of D3.

SWPrez · Post by **SWPrez** » Wed May 09, 2012 11:12 pm

@D3 Fan - Osseo and Maple Grove are in the same school district. Osseo is older with less affluence = fewer and fewer hockey players. The number of Kids from Osseo is way down. Ultimately, whether it is three years, five years, or ten years....Osseo will not have a high school team and the Maple Grove High School team will be co-oped between the two communities through the same school district. Splitting Osseo kids to play with North Metro is a non-starter in my opinion.

To an earlier poster who posted re: Minneapolis joining with Richfield. There still seems to be an opinion that hockey is declining or has disappeared in Minneapolis. We have record numbers of kids playing and continue to grow by 5 to 10%.

Minneapolis Youth Hockey Association (formerly SW and Washburn) = 700 players.
City of Lakes (formerly Edison and a "C-Only" program in District 1) = 80 players.
Minneapolis Park Board Hockey = ~400 Players.

Minneapolis (Storm) Youth Hockey has grown from approximately 420 players (SW and WAHA) in 2004 to an estimated 725-750 for 2012. These numbers place us in the AA category and larger than most associations in the state.

Minneapolis pumps out a lot of hockey players and has to serve both the public school team and many privates (our 'alums', if on one high school team, would compete with just about any high school team in the state!)- thus, perhaps there is a perception that is out there that hockey is on the decline in the city.

the_juiceman · Post by **the_juiceman** » Thu May 10, 2012 1:09 am

SWPrez wrote:@D3 Fan - Osseo and Maple Grove are in the same school district. Osseo is older with less affluence = fewer and fewer hockey players. The number of Kids from Osseo is way down. Ultimately, whether it is three years, five years, or ten years....Osseo will not have a high school team and the Maple Grove High School team will be co-oped between the two communities through the same school district. Splitting Osseo kids to play with North Metro is a non-starter in my opinion.

To an earlier poster who posted re: Minneapolis joining with Richfield. There still seems to be an opinion that hockey is declining or has disappeared in Minneapolis. We have record numbers of kids playing and continue to grow by 5 to 10%.

Minneapolis Youth Hockey Association (formerly SW and Washburn) = 700 players.
City of Lakes (formerly Edison and a "C-Only" program in District 1) = 80 players.
Minneapolis Park Board Hockey = ~400 Players.

Minneapolis (Storm) Youth Hockey has grown from approximately 420 players (SW and WAHA) in 2004 to an estimated 725-750 for 2012. These numbers place us in the AA category and larger than most associations in the state.

Minneapolis pumps out a lot of hockey players and has to serve both the public school team and many privates (our 'alums', if on one high school team, would compete with just about any high school team in the state!)- thus, perhaps there is a perception that is out there that hockey is on the decline in the city.

Columbia Heights, Brooklyn Center & Fridley, all part of North Metro, have their own school districts. Park Center which is Brooklyn Park and parts of Champlin, also part of North Metro, is in the Osseo School district, so school districts should'nt have any thing to do with co-ops. No reason osseo should'nt be part of North Metro--at youth & HS. They do it at Girls HS. With the numbers & population MG has, they don't need the Osseo kids...North Metro does.

VicKevlar · Post by **VicKevlar** » Thu May 10, 2012 11:48 am

Old subject.......but Osseo did come to BPYHA (now NMYHA) years ago and ask to merge. They were turned down by the Executive Board at that time (very very dumb even at that time).

Details from past about this:

http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic. ... ht=#527854

http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic. ... ht=#552548