Off Topic - NY High School to drop Hockey

[FireKnight]

I know this isn't Clarkson related, but after a couple of state runs (including Himelson's state championship team), there was a lot of excitement among fans about the growth of hockey in Section IX and lower NY. Now due to budget cuts and lack of interest, we are down to just 2 teams in Section IX, down from 6 just a couple of years ago. This one is particularly upsetting, JSB had the money, the ability to recruit, and a spot in NYC's most competitive HS league.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110910/SPORTS31/109100331

[joecct]

I know this isn't Clarkson related, but after a couple of state runs (including Himelson's state championship team), there was a lot of excitement among fans about the growth of hockey in Section IX and lower NY. Now due to budget cuts and lack of interest, we are down to just 2 teams in Section IX, down from 6 just a couple of years ago. This one is particularly upsetting, JSB had the money, the ability to recruit, and a spot in NYC's most competitive HS league.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110910/SPORTS31/109100331Wonder how many JSB students decided to play just travel hockey instead of the HS team? It's happening all over as youth teams pressure their kids just to play for the travel team.

Personally, I like the system in New England where the 14U, 16U and 18U seasons end around 12/1 and let the HS teams take over.

Of course, there are the junior teams which make lots of promises and soon the parents and the player find out that promises <> reality.

[FireKnight]

Drew would probably know better Joe, but I honestly think any kids with any hockey "future" would probably forgo John S. Burke for Trinity Pawling or one of the preps in Western CT. They have a much more developed program than in NY. Unfortunately, a mix of the economy and poor results from the NY hockey teams for a couple of years has really brought down interest in this area. Also, the biggest public ice rink in our area closed due to economic concerns... I honestly have no idea how an ice rink that had 2 sheets running pretty much 24x7 due to the crunch for ice time was losing money.