Hopkins/SLP merger for HS Girls?

massalsa · Post by **massalsa** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 11:23 pm

Heard it from my spouse who heard it from a friend who heard it from their kid.

Supposedly the AD of Hopkins showed up at HHS summer training today and said that HHS and SLPHS is combining HS Girls hockey programs...

True or false?

Wonder who is coaching...

Wonder where the "home rink" will be for games and for practices...

SLP had a Varsity team last year (no JV).

HHS had a Varsity team last year and did not have a full squad for JV.

InigoMontoya · Post by **InigoMontoya** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:29 am

Does that make it easier or harder to attract/retain talent that may be heading into 9th grade and deciding between public and private.

observer · Post by **observer** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:05 am

Easier. The team will be better and compete at a higher level. They'll likely be able to field a dedicated JV team and also keep more 8th and 9th grade girls at U14 where they'll have a better experience and development. More girls playing at the appropriate level which is always more fun for all of the players.

Are some/all of the girls youth teams already co-oped?

royals dad · Post by **royals dad** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:10 am

massalsa wrote:Heard it from my spouse who heard it from a friend who heard it from their kid.

Supposedly the AD of Hopkins showed up at HHS summer training today and said that HHS and SLPHS is combining HS Girls hockey programs...

True or false?

Wonder who is coaching...

Wonder where the "home rink" will be for games and for practices...

SLP had a Varsity team last year (no JV).

HHS had a Varsity team last year and did not have a full squad for JV.

Sad that you would post this here, pick up the phone and call the coach or AD if it is part of your decision. If not just move on.

Hopkins has had a great tradition of competing with the top teams in the state and giving opportunities to players to play at the highest level their skills allow. At the same time our teams have achieved highly in the classroom and we have the awesome alums to prove it. This came from strong support of the ADs office and strong coaching staff who built a program with a supportive culture and with an unmatched of work ethic. We had players literally go from the 12B team to Ms Hockey and Senior Goalie of the year. A program with only one team at each level was able to get to the #1 HS ranking and put players on the U18 team. We were challenged when our great coaching staff retired and now have some numbers challenges but our new staff and our ADs office are still showing that they will work for girls hockey at Hopkins and are trying to find ways to still offer opportunities to all of the players regardless if they are JV level or on the National Team. So if you really care about the program call the AD and ask, they are talking open and honestly with players and I am sure would share with you.

There is nothing salacious going on and no need for rumors on internet forums. Obviously it will be a big deal for the players involved if they do make any changes let them work through it with those it affects.

nu2hockey · Post by **nu2hockey** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:12 pm

The co-oping has been conversational fodder for sometime...I personally hope not, since it reduces the number of potential roster spots for girls to play varsity.

wolfman · Post by **wolfman** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:13 pm

Everyone knows if your HS team does not have National campers or never has its a junk program. That's just common knowledge

Racki2016 · Post by **Racki2016** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:29 pm

royals dad wrote:
massalsa wrote:Heard it from my spouse who heard it from a friend who heard it from their kid.

Supposedly the AD of Hopkins showed up at HHS summer training today and said that HHS and SLPHS is combining HS Girls hockey programs...

True or false?

Wonder who is coaching...

Wonder where the "home rink" will be for games and for practices...

SLP had a Varsity team last year (no JV).

HHS had a Varsity team last year and did not have a full squad for JV.
Sad that you would post this here, pick up the phone and call the coach or AD if it is part of your decision. If not just move on.

Hopkins has had a great tradition of competing with the top teams in the state and giving opportunities to players to play at the highest level their skills allow. At the same time our teams have achieved highly in the classroom and we have the awesome alums to prove it. This came from strong support of the ADs office and strong coaching staff who built a program with a supportive culture and with an unmatched of work ethic. We had players literally go from the 12B team to Ms Hockey and Senior Goalie of the year. A program with only one team at each level was able to get to the #1 HS ranking and put players on the U18 team. We were challenged when our great coaching staff retired and now have some numbers challenges but our new staff and our ADs office are still showing that they will work for girls hockey at Hopkins and are trying to find ways to still offer opportunities to all of the players regardless if they are JV level or on the National Team. So if you really care about the program call the AD and ask, they are talking open and honestly with players and I am sure would share with you.

There is nothing salacious going on and no need for rumors on internet forums. Obviously it will be a big deal for the players involved if they do make any changes let them work through it with those it affects.

Why so butt sore Royal ?

royals dad · Post by **royals dad** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:49 pm

Racki2016 wrote:Why so butt sore Royal ?

Not sore at all, if someone leaves I wish them well if they arrive I welcome them. Have been consistent in that for the last 8 years or so that I have been around this forum. Always have been proud of our program and what it has done and tend to be protective about it.

royals dad · Post by **royals dad** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:59 pm

wolfman wrote:Everyone knows if your HS team does not have National campers or never has its a junk program. That's just common knowledge

Just proud of what our program has accomplished, its been good for us. That has nothing to do with you or any other program. I apologize if you took it that way, was not intended.

goaline · Post by **goaline** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:14 pm

What this effectively is, is a nice solution to doing the actual work it takes to build a program, recruit, retain and develop -- lets just coop and "solve" the numbers issues!

massalsa wrote:Heard it from my spouse who heard it from a friend who heard it from their kid.

Supposedly the AD of Hopkins showed up at HHS summer training today and said that HHS and SLPHS is combining HS Girls hockey programs...

True or false?

Wonder who is coaching...

Wonder where the "home rink" will be for games and for practices...

SLP had a Varsity team last year (no JV).

HHS had a Varsity team last year and did not have a full squad for JV.

observer · Post by **observer** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 7:44 pm

No question recruiting 5-6 year old boys and girls is the most important task in most every association. Often not given the attention it needs.

But, 14 year old hockey players don't drop out of trees either.

20 new mite girls each season is the goal for associations the size of Hopkins and St. Louis Park. Get er done.

InigoMontoya · Post by **InigoMontoya** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 7:00 am

On the D3 website, even as a youth co-op, I only see 12A, 12B, and 10B. That is some tough sledding ahead, to build the numbers up enough to feed one high school team, much less two (or 4, with a couple privates in town luring top end talent). Girls programs often take the back burner in strong associations, if neither is directly responsible for the girls, the cracks through which they will fall continue to widen.

Defensive Zone · Post by **Defensive Zone** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 7:39 am

InigoMontoya wrote:On the D3 website, even as a youth co-op, I only see 12A, 12B, and 10B. That is some tough sledding ahead, to build the numbers up enough to feed one high school team, much less two (or 4, with a couple privates in town luring top end talent). Girls programs often take the back burner in strong associations, if neither is directly responsible for the girls, the cracks through which they will fall continue to widen.

I would have to agree. Talking to some parents in Lakeville, the girls youth program numbers are not very good. I was told in 4 to 5 years if these numbers continue to diminish, the high school(s) will not have enough skaters to field two separate teams. If true, this is very sad!

skatez · Post by **skatez** » Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:52 am

I continue to hear the same that girls youth hockey is dying.

So are these numbers fudged, or are the numbers getting better

http://www.minnesotahockey.org/news_art ... r_id=80470

sinbin · Post by **sinbin** » Mon Jun 15, 2015 12:38 pm

Someone on this forum could probably access their historical vaults and look at the trends for number of girls' youth teams the past 10 years (or at least the past 5). I don't have data to back up my sense of waning participation over that time span, but would love to see the numbers. I realize that the number of teams doesn't quite tell the full story, since teams can consist of 12-18 players, but unless someone has access to MN Hockey's membership files, that might be as close as we can get.

jg2112 · Post by **jg2112** » Mon Jun 15, 2015 12:48 pm

Programs that are strong numbers-wise, no matter what is going on in the world:

Edina
Minnetonka
Stillwater
Osseo-Maple Grove
Wayzata
Northeast Metro (Hill-Murray feeder program)
Roseau
Blaine
Andover

Programs that fluctuate based on demographics, the strength of a particular Board's recruitment and retention, and the number of former hockey parents among the membership:

Everybody else

C_R · Post by **C_R** » Mon Jun 15, 2015 1:52 pm

Here is the link:

http://www.usahockey.com/page/show/8393 ... statistics

Historical data by USA Hockey District, age, gender, etc., provided back to 2002-03.

HighSchoolHockeyForums.com

Hopkins/SLP merger for HS Girls?

Hopkins/SLP merger for HS Girls?

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