2AA/6AA Doubleheader Reflection

[mnpuckster]

The place was still pretty darn full for a high school hockey sectional.

At the end of the edina-burnsville game, majority of the seats were full.

Maybe instead of commenting on how small the crowd is while you are watching the online stream.....come out to the games once in a while.

Maybe too busy watching those great WHL rivalries on the web

[karl(east)]

I think the match-ups may have played a role in the somewhat smaller attendance. That's three years in a row now of Edina-Burnsville, and while the games have been competitive, the same team also always wins. In 6AA Benilde is a smaller school that (judging by the reactions around here, at least) no longer has the level of goodwill they had last season, and Wayzata is relatively new to the big-time HS hockey scene, and doesn't have any standouts who have really made names for themselves for casual hockey fans (yet...several probably will in time).

[Doc Holliday]

Question: Anybody know why they weren't showing replays or had the video board with action going?

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

As soon as the single class era ended, attendance at section games dropped off. In the 80's, sections 1 and 3 played Friday nights and sections 5 and 6 played Saturday afternoon at the Met Center. Section One often featured some combination of Burnsville and Apple Valley or John Marshall. The Bloomingtons played in 5 and Edina and Minnetonka were in 6. Typically, the building was close to capacity for the third period of the first game and for the first period of the second game. I don't recall official attendance figures, but accounting for some turnover between games, crowds of 13K to 16K must have been common.

Soon after the second class was added, the Coliseum was adequete for the Section 5Aa and 3AA finals (one session). Other sections saw a similar drop off.

It's anecdotal but I've noticed a drop in attendance at regular season games the last few years.

I think guys "watching" on the web is part of it. I say "watching" because it's like 1950's quality broadcasting. Falling or stagnant middle class incomes and high gas prices may contribute to and reinforce watching from home. Stagnant incomes and employment could certainly be effecting attendance for section games. They cost a bit more, so maybe instead of a whole family going, it may be just the kid(s) in high school and one parent instead of three kids/two parents. I know this time of year I don't mind that much if one of my kids decides to forgo a game.

I'm not sure about Facebook, etc., effecting attendance. Social media could help to create a buzz about going to a game. If the MSHSL were savvy (they are not and may never be) they could work this angle some how.

Holding the 2AA/6AA games on Friday or Saturday may help attendance. The Met Center is long gone, the X is holding the wrestling tournament, the Target Center has no atmosphere, and the Coliseum is too small and is worse than the Metrodome. If the U were able to and agreed to have the Golden Rats play out of town that weekend, 4AA/5AA could be held Friday night and 2AA/6AA could be held Saturday at noon.

As an aside, I'll bet many of the users of this forum are unaware that at the Girls AA tournament last weekend, ticket prices were the same as they will be next week for the boys! $17 for adults, $11 for students. That's right, $56 for a family of four. Way to grow the game, MSHSL!!!

Depending on the adult/student ratio, another 2,000 tickets sold to last nights games would have meant around $18,000 to support non-revenue generating sports and activities.

[The51]

As soon as the single class era ended, attendance at section games dropped off. In the 80's, sections 1 and 3 played Friday nights and sections 5 and 6 played Saturday afternoon at the Met Center. Section One often featured some combination of Burnsville and Apple Valley or John Marshall. The Bloomingtons played in 5 and Edina and Minnetonka were in 6. Typically, the building was close to capacity for the third period of the first game and for the first period of the second game. I don't recall official attendance figures, but accounting for some turnover between games, crowds of 13K to 16K must have been common.

Soon after the second class was added, the Coliseum was adequete for the Section 5Aa and 3AA finals (one session). Other sections saw a similar drop off.

It's anecdotal but I've noticed a drop in attendance at regular season games the last few years.

I think guys "watching" on the web is part of it. I say "watching" because it's like 1950's quality broadcasting. Falling or stagnant middle class incomes and high gas prices may contribute to and reinforce watching from home. Stagnant incomes and employment could certainly be effecting attendance for section games. They cost a bit more, so maybe instead of a whole family going, it may be just the kid(s) in high school and one parent instead of three kids/two parents. I know this time of year I don't mind that much if one of my kids decides to forgo a game.

I'm not sure about Facebook, etc., effecting attendance. Social media could help to create a buzz about going to a game. If the MSHSL were savvy (they are not and may never be) they could work this angle some how.

Holding the 2AA/6AA games on Friday or Saturday may help attendance. The Met Center is long gone, the X is holding the wrestling tournament, the Target Center has no atmosphere, and the Coliseum is too small and is worse than the Metrodome. If the U were able to and agreed to have the Golden Rats play out of town that weekend, 4AA/5AA could be held Friday night and 2AA/6AA could be held Saturday at noon.

As an aside, I'll bet many of the users of this forum are unaware that at the Girls AA tournament last weekend, ticket prices were the same as they will be next week for the boys! $17 for adults, $11 for students. That's right, $56 for a family of four. Way to grow the game, MSHSL!!!

Depending on the adult/student ratio, another 2,000 tickets sold to last nights games would have meant around $18,000 to support non-revenue generating sports and activities.

I really like your idea of having friday be 4/5 and saturday 2/6. I agree it would do a lot for attendance. And we all know much better to have your season end on a friday or saturday than a wednesday

[Slap Shot]

The reason attendance has been going down for decades is two-fold. The increase of options for today's high school kids...face it, 20-30 years ago, there just wasn't much to do compared to today's culture. Second, high school hockey in MN is not as big of a deal as many of you think it is. It's just another thing kids do...not the end all, be all. I think the MN Wild campaign to become "the state of hockey" when they came back in 2000 has brainwashed the MN hockey cognescenti that the whole high school hockey "experience' is a lot more special and important than it really is.

lolwut