Crow River Youth Hockey Association

In Minnesota the winter hockey season is over even though it is still a bit chilly. Congratulations to all teams that participated in post season tournaments at the youth, high school and collegiate levels. With the inevitable season end ing disappointments for all but a few, players and coaches can look ahead to next season and enjoy some time off from the game. Spring sports are firing up and soon we will be out on the grass fields watching lacrosse, soccer, and baseball.  As much as I like the winter season, I really love spring.

Today and Tomorrow

The world has changed in many respects. We had the dot com bubble and the ensuing tech wreck in 2001-2003. We have recently had a mortgage bubble that imploded nearly taking down the economic system of our country and the rest of the world. One only needs to read the news to see what is happening. Belts are tightening, priorities are shifting, and different choices are being made by parents, companies and organizations that provide services. The fact is that there simply is not as much money around as there has been in the past few years. Participation in high school athletics is reported to be dropping at an alarming rate.  Youth hockey perhaps needs to consider some changes  also as the costs to participate has escalated in the past 15 years to the breaking point for many families. We have learned in all aspects of life that more is not necessarily better and it applies to youth athletics as well. We want balanced, happy and enthusiastic kids to play hockey. We want all kids who wish to play the game to be able to participate regardless of where they live and not be deterred by excessive costs and time commitments. We need to address these issues at the local level before we lose any more players. Local associations need to take a hard look at their programs and see where changes can and should occur for the benefit of all players young and old.