demise

[blocker]

Lots of us have labored hard to develop High School hockey.  In Vermont,  up until a few years ago, that work had paid off. 

 

But, there are signs of a decline. 

 

A lot of the best high school players left to play prep school.   Scholarships are available for good hockey players.  It's a wise move for most of these kids.   Local High Schools can't match the academics. 

 

Because of the loss of these athletes, Vermont high school hockey is on a dip.   I wonder about it's future.

 

We've already seen the damage such practices have with girls' hockey.

 

Vermont girl's high school hockey teams have a hard time garnering enough kids to field teams.  Every year, two or three schools have to combine players to have the numbers sufficient to form a team.  That predicament started with the creation of elite girl's teams.  When the best one or two kids left a program to play at a higher level, their friends stopped playing hockey. 

 

Funny how often our efforts produce results far away from our aims. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Vanflyer]

Lots of us have labored hard to develop High School hockey.  In Vermont,  up until a few years ago, that work had paid off. 
 
But, there are signs of a decline. 
 
A lot of the best high school players left to play prep school.   Scholarships are available for good hockey players.  It's a wise move for most of these kids.   Local High Schools can't match the academics. 

 

I am not sure I would look at that as a failure. I would look at it as a success. Opening the door and exposing youths and giving them an opportunity to player / learn at a higher level is exactly what you want. 

 

In reading your post, while I get the lament about deterioration, I would look at it as an opportunity to expose / give even more kids a chance to play. For each elite hockey player that goes off to Prep school to play, that opens a spot for a kid that may not be as skilled / academically as good to get involved. The hard part is it takes more canvassing / promoting. The work is never done. 

 

Yet, to think it was for naught is a bit shortsighted IMO. Keep up the good work. Get more kids involved. 

[blocker]

Van------I didn't express myself very well.

 

I mentioned the shrinking numbers of girl high school players.  The reason I did that was to voice my fears that the same thing might happen to boys' hockey.