St. Thomas Bantam B

inthestands · Post by **inthestands** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:19 pm

Not being involved in this specific situation, but having served on many volunteer hockey and other boards I will second SWPrez on this one.

It's all to easy to sit back while looking at the actions of others while criticizing their actions. If you don't like decisions being made, and feel the people making them are not doing a good job, there is a way to change things. It's called volunteering.

Each season there are at least one, but usually more than one team that creates a stir at playoffs all the way through state. That town or city doesn't have an A team, and their B team dominates season games as well as play offs.

How about any level of a team that the town doesn't field an A team is not legal for post season play? Some would say that's not fair, but many feel having them play is already unfair.

packerpuck19 · Post by **packerpuck19** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:41 pm

To be quite honest I have just joined the forum so that I could put my two cents in on this subject.

We all have to understand that these are kids that we are dealing with here, and I am sure that all the kids on this STA B Bantam team are all great kids, but where the problem falls is in the parents. Its the parents EGO that gets in the way here. Why were they allowed to play in MN Hockey? My guess is that they had enough wealthy/"important" people saying the right things to the right people. Everyone else that doesnt make there private school hockey team goes back to there association and play where they have all these years already. What has happened here is that there was enough parents in this group of kids that got sick of going to there kid's games and sitting with blue collar workers, and they thought how much more beutiful the world would be if they were able to go sip on there tea in the stands with all there friends from the country club instead.

My thoughts personally are that this had nothing to do with the kids, because they would have had just as much fun, if not more fun playing with the kids that they grew up with this year. It was the parents that decided to put themselves as well as there child at a higher class than the rest of the world. Whats new? And again we have just let them form this class thing at an earlier age than High school now. There used to be a time that Private High Schools were all in a league of there own and couldnt even make it to state. Private schools were designed for education, and not hockey. Hockey is a blue collar sport and it will always be that way. Now look what we have become.

relax please · Post by **relax please** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:16 pm

it's bantam B hockey for crying out loud. Don't get so worked up over it. There won't be any kids on that team playing for the highschool. They created the team so the kids could play with their school mates. Just like all of you people say is what association hockey is all about. Agree completely that if they played D1 then they should go thru their playoffs.
It should be about the kids and to think that their parents think that they are going from bantam B to highschool is wrong on your part.

love2skate · Post by **love2skate** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:04 pm

relax...

you sure about that? I had heard at the beginning of the season this was going to be the feeder to STA's program... They took 6 of Lakeville South's top Bantam A's, etc....

5thgraders · Post by **5thgraders** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:15 pm

[quote="SWPrez"]Tuna,

I don't think attacking volunteers that run District 1 on this board is appropriate. While some may not like decisions that are made by local hockey association boards, district boards, or even Minnesota Hockey Boards - these are all volunteers whose tombstones one day will read that they made a difference in kids' lives.

Every once in a while I am approached by a parent angry about something that has affected their player. I offer the parent the opportunity to swing by our board meeting to discuss or, better yet to PARTICIPATE in a committee to deal with how to handle a situation better. These parents always disappear immediately.

Minnesota Hockey is not the Tae Kwon Doe Studio, Foss Swim School, or even Dance School --- where you pay a very large sum to a private, for profit business. Minnesota Hockey is expensive, but affordable due to the large commitment of volunteers - from youth coaches to District Directors. I have relatives on the East Coast that write a check for $2,500 before their blades can even touch the ice and the season runs in the $4-5k range because everyone gets paid. Is this where we want things to go?

Please keep this in mind, attend the next District 1 meeting, and take a volunteer position on the D1 board (I believe there may be a few opportunities there). But, please don't rip volunteers that are making a difference in kids' lives doing the best they can do with their limited volunteer time.[/quote]

u_r_no_legend · Post by **u_r_no_legend** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:41 pm

SWPrez wrote:Tuna,

I don't think attacking volunteers that run District 1 on this board is appropriate. While some may not like decisions that are made by local hockey association boards, district boards, or even Minnesota Hockey Boards - these are all volunteers whose tombstones one day will read that they made a difference in kids' lives.

Every once in a while I am approached by a parent angry about something that has affected their player. I offer the parent the opportunity to swing by our board meeting to discuss or, better yet to PARTICIPATE in a committee to deal with how to handle a situation better. These parents always disappear immediately.

Minnesota Hockey is not the Tae Kwon Doe Studio, Foss Swim School, or even Dance School --- where you pay a very large sum to a private, for profit business. Minnesota Hockey is expensive, but affordable due to the large commitment of volunteers - from youth coaches to District Directors. I have relatives on the East Coast that write a check for $2,500 before their blades can even touch the ice and the season runs in the $4-5k range because everyone gets paid. Is this where we want things to go?

Please keep this in mind, attend the next District 1 meeting, and take a volunteer position on the D1 board (I believe there may be a few opportunities there). But, please don't rip volunteers that are making a difference in kids' lives doing the best they can do with their limited volunteer time.

Agreed ... but really what is the issue here? Precedence? Procedure? MN Hockey had to bend over for this team ... but why? Threat of a lawsuit? This STA thing is basically a nightmare for youth hockey and creating way to much turmoil for all of those whom these governing organizations were created to help ... the kids. This non-sense about what is or is not a community ... is tiring. Simply put ... in this case money talks and Richfield took it hook line and sinker ... MH is scared and pawned off the issue to others ... so it looks like D8 is stuck with STA and I am sure the associations that are a part of D8 aren't happy.

hockeydog64 · Post by **hockeydog64** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:46 am

S@$% flows downhill, and apparently District 8 is downhill from the Minnesota Hockey powers that be. But I'm starting to think that there may be some grievances filed on this one before it's all over.

inthestands · Post by **inthestands** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:49 am

Not that it would solve all issues, but if the teams that don't field an "A" team weren't allowed into playoffs this would not be an issue today.

Those kids would have been playing on a team without turmoil. They may not have all been playing together, but......

FREDFLINTSTONE · Post by **FREDFLINTSTONE** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:00 am

If having common sense were required to be a board member, this would not be an issue either.

wildthing · Post by **wildthing** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:54 pm

This deal is very strange. How do you fairly cede a team into playoffs in a district in which they did not participate in ???? It's not fair to the kids on the team to stick them in as a low cede, and not fair to the other district teams to give them a high cede...
Anything that happens should have been communicated to all participating teams prior to the start of the season.

hockeydog64 · Post by **hockeydog64** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:20 am

This is from the 1/30/08 board minutes from the District 8 web site:

Motion: District 8 is opposed to St Thomas participating in the playoffs because they are a Richfield team. Passed.

tunavichy · Post by **tunavichy** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:49 pm

Hey SWPres,
Looks like other people agree about the incompetence of D1 figures they are just saying nicer than I. Maybe I was a little rough on D1 but this kind of stuff follows year after year. Mpls. Park are you still playing in two districts? How about it SWPres (or Mpls Park Pres or St. Louis Park Pres) all the other D1 teams don't get as many league games, or is that incorrect also.
Helping kids is the main reason most do the jobs in youth hockey but it seems in D1 it only applies to a couple organizations it is not a cross the board.

Lowstickside · Post by **Lowstickside** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:10 pm

cancelled

SWPrez · Post by **SWPrez** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:13 pm

tunavichy wrote:Hey SWPres,
Looks like other people agree about the incompetence of D1 figures they are just saying nicer than I. Maybe I was a little rough on D1 but this kind of stuff follows year after year. Mpls. Park are you still playing in two districts? How about it SWPres (or Mpls Park Pres or St. Louis Park Pres) all the other D1 teams don't get as many league games, or is that incorrect also.
Helping kids is the main reason most do the jobs in youth hockey but it seems in D1 it only applies to a couple organizations it is not a cross the board.

Tuna,

Most of these issues were worked on by District reps from the D1 associations. My limited understanding is that D1 did a favor for some commitments made by others in allowing STA to play league play in the district. Based on my limited knowledge I believe that any criticism of D1 leadership is misplaced.

RE: MPLS*Park teams. Our individual teams do not play in two Districts. Where D1 has the appropriate skill levels available for our kids we have teams playing there (I believe that would be BA, BB1, BC, PWA, PWB1, PWC, SA, and two SC's). Where D1 does not have appropriate skill level leagues we have teams in D3 (BB2, PWB2, SB2). Our D1 teams can schedule Scrimmage Games against D3 teams if desired. All of our teams also schedule scrimmage games against D8, D6, D10, etc. when they can.

We did request to play one home and one away game against D1 teams at the Bantam "A" and Peewee "A" levels rather than play D1 teams 3 or 4 times during the season and then another potential 2 times in playoffs (with double elimination). It is my understanding that other D1 "A" teams scheduled a third game this year amongst themselves. We would rather schedule scrimmage games against teams from other Districts than play a D1 team 5 or 6 times in a year. Nothing against D1 teams, but we want our kids to see different teams and different styles of play - just like most programs in the metro. Outside of that, to my knowledge, we get the same number of league games at all of the other levels as any other D1 team.

Hope I answered your questions. Feel free to PM me if you want additional clarification. Again, I do not feel attacking the volunteers at D1 is appropriate on this board when you may be misinformed on the issues.

Lowstick,

See my explanation above. Our D1 registered teams do not play any D3 league games. I am not sure where this rumor started, but it is incorrect and misinformed.

Lowstickside · Post by **Lowstickside** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:27 pm

Lowstick,

See my explanation above. Our D1 registered teams do not play any D3 league games. I am not sure where this rumor started, but it is incorrect and misinformed.[/quote]

I just stated that D1 PWA teams play against each team 3 times, and count only two, because Mpls Park only plays each team twice, and this is because they also have games in D3.

tunavichy · Post by **tunavichy** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 4:06 pm

That is what I meant. Do all the other teams in D1 go and play a round in D3?. I know we don't get that opportuntity. And I don't mean scrimmage games. I asked and was told that was an agreement when the merger happened but how long will it go on? Don't dance around with this. Since the merger Mpls Park does participate in both leagues their games just don't count in the D3 standing. This is not much different than the St Thomas thing.

relax please · Post by **relax please** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 4:25 pm

love2skate The uproar is with the bantam B STA program. Playing distric 1 schedule for the season and then distric 8 playoffs. I agree that that seems odd and unfair. It is also true that a number of Lakeville South bantam A players now attend STA. I do not see an issue with that. Three are playing High School hockey. One varsity and two JV. The other kids are playing on the 93 fire program. They have every right to go to STA for what ever reason.

SWPrez · Post by **SWPrez** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 4:25 pm

Tuna,

I will contact you by Private Message as this is not on topic and you are misinformed and wrong in your assertions.

Ontheice · Post by **Ontheice** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 5:10 pm

It is settled and the District 8 Bantam B playoffs are posted. STA will play in a play in game. 1st against Farmington with the winner playing Northfield in a wild card game.

tunavichy · Post by **tunavichy** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:09 pm

This whole thread was for nothing!!! St. Thomas plays play-off games in District 8 like the original statement that started this.

tunavichy · Post by **tunavichy** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:18 pm

By the way SWPRES if you are on the District 1 board were you one of the guys that made it OK for Highland which has the biggest assocition number wise in the district let the "A" pee wee team take one goalie from Como and the other from White Bear? All Star written all over it. Same as St. Thomas. I think it is time to just make an All Star team from Mpls and one from St. Paul. If you have not looked close I noticed teams in District are not doing very well outside the district.

Lowstickside · Post by **Lowstickside** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:00 pm

tunavichy wrote: I think it is time to just make an All Star team from Mpls and one from St. Paul. If you have not looked close I noticed teams in District are not doing very well outside the district.

How about Southwest and Washburn join associations since both schools combine to make the Minneapolis West Hockey team?

tunavichy · Post by **tunavichy** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 9:43 am

This came to me in a private message from SWPRES:

Not sure what you are asking. The Presidents of the associations got together to discuss a district waiver policy and that both Johnson and Como were not pleased because Highland Central seems to have an open deal to take players from the other two associations.

I told Jeff Vick that Como and Johnson should do what both Southwest and Washburn do....don't grant ANY waivers. I get requests for kids to go to Washburn or even Highland....we turn them down repeatedly.

If I recall, there is some gray area in Saint Paul when Harding and some other associations were folding. That gray area allowed some kids to be "free agents".

The Districts waiver policy dealt mainly with keeping kids within their associations and within District 1. I can't tell you why a Como kid ended up at Highland. If a kid was waiving in from outside of D1, I do not see a problem with that.

Anyhow, Como or Johnson should "Just Say No" to waivers out of their associations like we do on this side of the river.

tunavichy · Post by **tunavichy** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 9:49 am

All I know is what I hear at Como and that Jeff was told by the higher ups in the district that any player from Como that played at Highland last year would be again grandfathered to play there again this year. I don't know why Johnson grants waivers or if they do. I think we need the district to decide open waiver or close it down to everyone. If we close it down we might get a real feel of how low the numbers have dropped especially at Highland where players come from many areas.

hockeydog64 · Post by **hockeydog64** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:54 am

St. Thomas plays a wild card game against Farmington tonight at 8 p.m. in Farmington. It'll be interesting to see what happens if Farmington is eliminated from the play-offs by a team that District 8 membership strongly voted against joining the district.

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St. Thomas Bantam B

from an outsider looking in....