Relationship between High School and Association Hockey

[Forest Dump]

thought i'd start a new thread on these relationships (High School Hockey vs Association Hockey) since the MV issue has deteriorated into mud slinging and malicious insults and accusations<br><br>curious how other high schools and associations co-exist<br><br>mv is an interesting example of a system that feeds many schools - mv - hm - tg - cdh - and others <br><br>many parents have no intention of ever sending kid to mv, therefore no allegiance to mv <br><br>seems to me that other than small town, Mn and perhaps the johnsons of old - that associations don't put much emphasis on the old "feeder system" philosophy - could be wrong <br><br>looking for honest, thoughtful, in-depth feedback<br><br>let's hear your side<br><br> <p></p><i></i>

[Dusey]

Forest - boy, did you nail that one on the head. I am referring to the MV scene. If the HS was able to keep all the players that went thru that Association thru the years - wow - what a difference it would have made <br><br>Not to say that other High Schools haven't felt the same fall-out <br><br>I don't know about the relationship between the High School and the Association in MV - old coach over there only had so much time to work a regular job - coach football (I believe) and then coach hockey - hard to find time to develop a working relationship with Assoc. - I think a lot of younger Association kids enrolled in his summer camp<br><br>Can someone out there help me out on this one - a family that lives on the border between MV and WB - kids attend MV schools, but WB is their Hockey Association, cause of the way the lines are drawn - now kids want to play in MV hockey association cause all their buddies are there, WB will ok this, but MV Association tells them that they kids must play in bottom rung of their tier - no matter their ability to play higher rung - it's not like they are coming from 4 districts away - they just happen to be caught in the old wandering line crunch <p></p><i></i>

[OFFSIDES GUY]

If the association heads have no clue about hockey it's hard to develop any kind of relationship with the HS. I heard that is the case at MV. Last couple boards had admitedly no hockey experience yet thought of themselves as visionaries and tried to cram their agenda down HS coaches throat. It doesn't work. Reality of the situation is with open enrollment, junior hockey and the strong programs of many privates, the old days of an association filling up the HS with all their players will be the exception rather than the rule. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p074.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUserP ... y>OFFSIDES GUY</A> at: 8/20/05 1:37 am<br></i>

[Lbow7]

If you have no feeder program, you have no future. If you run a business and spend no time or money in training your entry level employees, you will soon go broke. If you depend on survival buy raiding other villages, soon you will be raided. Seems that the concept of "Grass ROOTS" hockey has gone down the tubes. Public vs. Private appears to be a larger issue within the "circle of intellengence" than in the outstate area, yet the outstate teams still remain competitive and the players devloped from these program are still playing beyond their H. S. years. What makes the difference? A kid from "tiny town" Mn gets drafted by the USHL and NHL and has D1 colleges waiting to sign him or paying big bucks to USA hockey or a Prep/Private school to get the same results. The bottom line is that the best bang for you buck still is in grass roots hockey and whats the difference, the kid still got there. <p></p><i></i>

[hockeydad]

The first thing any high school coach should do - in any sport, is to establish a working relationship with a feeder program. That means doing what can be done to work with the youth program, setting up clinics, having varsity players help out with youth teams, setting up youth nights with free admission to kids wearing their youth association jerseys etc. Make the kids want to continue on to their high school program. The biggest problem is there are always parents out there expecting their kid will be the next Gretzky and will be looking to find the best route for their little Wayne to get that edge, and if they don't get favorable treatment, they'll look to the nearest private school or successful public school program, or to a prep school out east or to a junior hockey team a year or two before the kid is actually ready to make that jump. <p></p><i></i>

[BrokenStick06]

HockeyDad:<br><br>I liked the post and the reference to HS getting more involved with the association programs. If my memory serves me right, Jefferson sets aside a night during the hockey season where the varsity and jv players get on the ice with the young players in their association. What a rush it must be for the little kids to be with these players! I'm sure they look up to them like they are in the NHL. Not sure of the details because I'm not from Bloomington, but what a great way to keep kids enthused about hockey. And that's the way to build hockey programs, keep kids enthused and give them dreams to work towards. If they ultimately choose to leave a program for whatever reason, so be it, this post isn't about those decisions. That's the way it is today in any sport. Most kids won't succeed beyond HS in hockey but what a great way to bring kids to their maximum level if they choose and someday give something back when they are adults and further contribute to this great sport. <p></p><i></i>