Section 8A 2007-8

[Can't Never Tried]

I just don't know how to make the fancy box everybody else does to quote a recent post.

Just click the Quote tab in the upper right corner of the post you want to quote, and type below it. Now your an expert.

[Media]

Media wrote:

Its simple The cities kids have every possible advantage possible around them, For example, more rinks, pro hockey teams, hundreds of specialized camps, Every event ever staged by usa hockey or Minnesota Hockey occurs at a large population center, corporate sponsors, Income and Job possibilities are higher. This has created an elitism. a jealousy, if you will.

Oh good God! We've been hearing this poor-mouthing from northern people our whole lives. Just a few questions: Didn't someone on this forum just describe the Little Ralph in TRF as THE MOST SPECTACULAR CIVIC ARENA IN THE UNITED STATES? How many millions of dollars has Marvin Windows pumped into youth and high school hockey over the years, along with Blandin, Potlatch, Polaris, Arctic Cat and others? The Gardens in Warroad is a goldarn palace. If you'd ever been in a Ramsey County arena, with tiny locker rooms and cold aluminum bleachers, you'd quit your griping. Apparently 'The Cities' to northerners doesn't include the actual 'cities' of Minneapolis and St. Paul or the modest inner-ring suburbs like Richfield, Roseville, Columbia Heights, Fridley, Maplewood, South St Paul, West St Paul, Crystal, New Hope, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center or Golden Valley, but only Edina, Eden Prairie and Minnetonka. The vast majority of kids playing hockey in 'The Cities' play in small, cold, bare-bones local arenas that Warroad and Roseau residents would be embarrassed to set butt in. Are you telling me that after all the Christian and Marvin brothers efforts and money that you don't have anything to show for it but beautiful ice palaces with all the comforts, whistles and bells? If you don't choose to spend money on development then it's your own fault. Corporate sponsors? Who do you think you're kidding?

Very selective observations of parts of my quote, Not bothering to discuss the over all numbers of players available, School enrollment, By the way as I recall New Hope has a pretty nice rink dont they. Hmm of Course it couldnt compare to the Schwans Super rink whats that up to 6 8 rinks now hmmm. And of course the excell and the Ridder , and the Marriucci those are all just bare bone facilities. Of Course we havent talked about the Herb Brooks Training Center etc etc etc. Nor do we talk about 2-3 hundred miles required to drive to participate in just about anything. Most of the organizations you mentioned have an average work force age of 40 or Greater. Do you know where their kids have to go to find work?So this is not a poor us issue. Its an issue of why things are the way they are.
Its an answer to a question why do Northern girls compete so hard together, and the answer as I said is simple THey have to!

[Central]

Just as you do not want all metro areas to be lumped together as having access to the advantages described, it is important to remember that not all non-metro have the advantages described either.

For example, in our community, the arena has ice from the second week of October until end of March, then about two weeks in the summer only so there is more than a trip across town involved if hockey is going to be played at any time other than that and it is hard to dismiss that for many of the communities, at least in our area. This is NOT a "poor us" comment just a fact and we search for off season opportunities that are do-able within our family's life and that is just the way it is. I think the girls that are very competitive and big rivals against each other during the regular season and then play together off season have a common passion for hockey, etc. and that is in part where the team chemistry comes from, too, which was in part of the question that was being commented on.


Hope everyone has a great hockey season!

[Valley Eggroll]

Media-You seem to be skirting the question at hand. You're not being asked if recruiting is OK. You are being asked which coach you would rather have your daughter playing for. A coach who has new kids on the team, or one that cheats to win. I find this whole recruiting thing nonsense. If everyone who says it's going on were correct, does MSHSL turn their head the other way? I don't think so.

[Media]

You 8A folks fight more than the 1A's...the only thing worse is those of us from somewhere else who are dumb enough (that's me!) to take the time to read your bickering!

The 1A folks usually have a sense of humor and just like to have a little fun. Section 8A is different - the rivalries are pretty intense and their hockey gets personal.

But put a group of Northern Minnesota girls on a "select" team and all of a sudden they share a common bond, become unified against "The Cities" teams and develop great chemistry.

Maybe someone can explain this to me.

Well This is the question I was answering as long we are trying to be acurate here. But to your question, Clearly a team with new girls. Each year every team gets new girls. I dont condone cheating so why would I choose that. NOw where and why those new girls came to the team MAY be a different issue. which I am sure the best I could offer would be an opinion and we all know what those are like cause we alll got them !

[winnings not 4 everyone]

I agree with you on recruiting. You haven't given your opinion on a family moving to a community so their child can play hockey in a better environment than they left. I'm sure you would be in favor of a girl moving from a town that doesn't have girls hockey to a town that does. Either that or maybe you would prefer to leave them in their old town and get beaten up by the boys. If so, I guess that makes you a bully. I'm pretty sure their are a couple girls that moved into your area for just that reason. They were done with boys hockey. Maybe if Roseaus coaches were nice to them, they would be Rams this year.

[Media]

LOL so here is my answer, If you or I condone, appreciate, or otherwise like or dislike a parent/family making that move in my opinion is irrelvant to the question for the purpose, My opinion if you are talking hockey, school, band, or community is in fact not the issue at all. The real question you are asking is does a family/parent have the right to choose to do what they feel is in the best interest of thier child. Clearly in all situation I hope your answer would be yes.This of course is dependant upon staying within the rules / regulations of the governing system. They must also as in all facets of life live with the consequences of thier choices.If that means being attacked on a message board time and again, well they asked for it I would guess would be the common answer.
I go back to an earlier post and say this, the governing body of athletics in Minnesota has failed to manage change and fails to address the needs and in many cases the desires of many of its constituants. I dont think we should blame the users of the system which we have to work with , we should hold those in charge of the system accountable for their inaction.
But long and short, I as will you always do what we believe is in the best interest of our children, would you have it any other way ?

[RoseauWarrior]

I believe Roseau, Crookston, and Warroad all scrimmage each other in Roseau this afternoon/evening. Should be interesting!

[hockeyheaven]

Or known by in some circle as the Holy Then Thou vs. the Cheaters.

Please report on the results. I just have to know how much a difference those recruits make.

[Valley Eggroll]

I don't think the results will mean much. If a team "wins" they will certainly gloat about it. If they were to "lose" a scrimmage, the list of excuses will come out:
1. We were missing some players
2. They had great goaltending
3. We played all our bench players.
4. Not all their girls were born in the local hospital.
5. The other coach "cheated".

Was this by design to only have the top three teams (according to this post) scrimmage. To bad the rest had to stay home. Not enough competition?

[roll4lines]

hey egghead did ginger get a nap today............by the way after excuse #5, #6 could be my cat died

[RoseauWarrior]

Was this by design to only have the top three teams (according to this post) scrimmage. To bad the rest had to stay home. Not enough competition?

I stopped by the arena for a few minutes last night. I know that EGF and LOW were there also. The 5 teams were all I saw, but that doesn't mean there weren't others there.

LOW and Roseau's 14U were playing while I was there. I asked someone in the stands how Roseau, Crookston, and Warroad had done against each other. They weren't positive, but they thought that all of the games had finished in a tie! (Since it was a scrimmage, they don't keep score on the scoreboard, so the fans have to keep track themselves) I hope someone else was there and can tell us for sure.

[Valley Eggroll]

Someone must have been at the scrimmages. Maybe we aren't getting an update because they can't use the excuses in my previous post. Maybe didn't go that well for the BIG three. And for the rest of you, quit calling me EGGHEAD!

[justforfun]

Or known by in some circle as the Holy Then Thou vs. the Cheaters.

Please report on the results. I just have to know how much a difference those recruits make.

Hockey Heaven soulds like Jealously calling both teams names...
and as long as you have so much info on the families and so called recruits then just call them by name...You seem to be good at name calling...
take it for what it is and just tell your child to go have fun.

[winnings not 4 everyone]

Recruits is such a strong statement. It really doesn't apply to the situation at hand. Grab a dictionary and you will see that you probably mean immigration. The free movement of an individual or group of individuals to any area. Thank God for immigration. Without it, there would be no hockey. Oops, I forgot, the only team that would exist, would be the Fighting Sioux!

[roll4lines]

Whats up with all this recruiting talk how come it's so noticed in the north but it's not in the cities where all the private school are and they recruit every day?

[Valley Eggroll]

I guess I haven't noticed any in the north. I have seen people move in and out of towns though. Just the other day, I was noticing all the houses for sale in Roseau. From what I've been reading, this must mean they have been recruited somewhere. Not necessarily for hockey, but if their moving out of their "hometown", it must mean they've been recruited. I wish people would complain about the nursing homes recruiting people out of their houses to go live there. I'm sure it has nothing to do with trying to live a better life. Why can't everyone be born, live life, and die all in the parents house. It would make these message boards obsolete.

[put up or shut up]

I was at the scrimmages up in Roseau on Thursday, and yes the games we're basically a tie, I might have lost track of a few goals here and there but skill wise all three teams (Roseau, Warroad, and Crookston) were about even. Roseau was good and for the most part solid. Warroad is the same team to me, unneccesarily over agressive at time.. but its hockey. As for the new "transfer students"... "recruits" what ever name you apply to them, were not stand out players and do not seem to be a factor helping or working against them. Crookston has some new freshman players themselves and seemed more "stand-out" than the new players on Warroad. Crookston seemed a little shaky to me, but as the season progresses I feel they will step it up.

As for farther in the season it will be interesting to see how the games turn out. If Warroad wins, good for them.. "winning is fun", if Roseau wins I am glad, it will be acheived by hard work, and if Crookston wins they should be proud of their homegrown team and hardwork.

And as for the rest of you. Call it what you may, but Warroad has their new players and they arent going anywhere (this season anyways), the players are not standout and Crookston and Roseau could take them no problem, so lets drop all of this cheating nonsense and PLAY SOME HOCKEY.

[Valley Eggroll]

What about EGF, LOW and Roseau 14U. People say they were there but all the reports are on the big three. Were these three teams totally dominated and need to look at moving to North Dakota?

That would be immigration. Moving to get a better life or opportunity. I will keep anyone informed if I find out these programs are being "recruited" to move to North Dakota. Good thing for all of us watchdogs!

[#1hockeymom]

It will all come down to who recruits the most....

Crookston, Warroad & Roseau will all be stronger than they were last year. All three should be in the top 5 in state rankings.
Now, if it comes down to recruiting.....well.....I guess that leaves Warroad as a shoe-in to the state tournament.

Sue, I was taken aback today to learn that C-town has 3 recruits on thier team this season one from Arizona, another from Fisher and lastly one from Red lake Falls. This should make them a shoe-in A ?


Love,

#1Hockemom

[Hockey112]

The Scrimmages went well in Roseau. Being there, I noticed that the section is definatly up for grabs. None of the " recruits" for teams gave them an advantage, and for the record, the scores were ties of the Roseau, Crookston and Warroad Games. The season should be an interersting one!

[winnings not 4 everyone]

That would put Crookston at a +3 for immigrants. It is my understanding all this hype about Warroad for 1 new girl (who, according to others) will not make a big impact on their program anyway. Warroad is at a +1 for immigrants then I guess. I'll bet there are plenty of teams around the state who are +1 or better on their rosters. Looks like its been a lot a smack over nothing. Play on!! Recruit whiners are charged with a timeout !

[roll4lines]

Amen to that

[Central]

Interesting observation! It may be good advice in the future those finger pointing about "recruits" to make sure those three fingers are not pointing right back at them.

From the sounds of the scrimmages, it should be a very competitive season in that section. Good luck to all of the teams and hope all the girls stay healthy!!

[Undercover Hockey Lover]

Are you people serious about Crookston having 3 "move-ins"? If so, how's that for calling the kettle black. So much for all the "homegrown talent" talk out of the peanut gallery.