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USA: FIH Olympic Aid/World Youth Hockey Day  x12
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| World Youth Hockey Day |
October 25, 2002 
Rebecca Kanter
> Page Views 2458
As the U.S. Youth Representative on the FIH World Youth Hockey panel, it is my job to initiate U.S. participation in the F.I.H. supported World Youth Hockey Day on October 26th.
Unfortunately, after talking with the USFHA, it became clear that the USFHA is not in a position to sponsor a national World Youth Hockey Day program (for example, youth clinics for and by youth—held at major Universities) due to lack of youth hockey organization.
Despite the lack of organization at the USFHA, I did not want World Youth Hockey Day to go unnoticed in a country that needs it most. It is comforting and inspiring to see that the Field Hockey Foundation [of California] took notice of this special day to promote youth hockey awareness in the U.S. If you would like to take part in their event you can view the information at the bottom of this page. However, California is such a small part of the U.S., it is unfair to think that kids did not get an opportunity to discover field hockey for the first time because our governing body is unorganized. How are we to develop and improve youth hockey across the U.S. if this lack of organization continues?
But most importantly, how are we to inspire, motivate, and encourage youth to get involved with hockey if there are no events outside of recreational and high school programs? How are the kids, in states that have little or no hockey, supposed to discover the joy that comes from gripping elephants on a hockey stick? We cannot just depend on the USFHA to magically sponsor events for us nor can we assume that they will do so. If we love our sport so much, then we should be expected to give back to our sport. Kids should be encouraged to coach and umpire, just as much as coaches and umpires should encourage youth to do what they do. All youth should have the opportunity to coach and umpire peers younger than them, not only will it improve their game, but it will give them a new, fresh, perspective about hockey—that may even change their life. While the only U.S. World Youth Hockey Day event will be in California, I urge you to find someone that has never played field hockey and introduce it to him or her. Who knows...your actions might have inspired a new player to our sport. We cannot stop to think about how others might be promoting our sport or how it might be too hard to get a field to play on, we must forget all of this, and remember how thankful we are towards the first person who showed us what hockey was. As the Nike motto states “Just Do It!” This is most certainly true if we are to truly compete at an International level. The youth are the future, and in future, I hope that we remember what future holds.
To commemorate World Youth Hockey Day this forum for discussion has been set up. Please offer your thoughts, comments, etc. regarding U.S. youth hockey development and anything else you would like to share regarding youth hockey. But most importantly, I hope that many people will share anecdotes such as: how you got first got involved with hockey, when you first fell in love with it, why you decided to coach, why you decided to umpire, etc. If kids cannot actively participate on World Youth Hockey Day, I still want them to get a special treat out of Oct.26th—inspiration from others who want to say thank you to their sport.
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World Youth Field Hockey Day
Saturday, October 26, 2002
9:00 a.m. to noon
Celebrate with us!
Participate in field hockey demonstrations and
skill competitions with prizes!!
Field Hockey Sports Center
Moorpark College
8:30 Registration
Boys and Girls from 5 to 18 years of age
Parents are welcome
For more information call 818-992-4172
For Information: Ralf Heuser 818-992-4172
ralfheu@msn.com
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Comments on this article
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Cal is Hollywood "fake" hockey
10-25-2002 8:32 am
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what I mean by this that in CA where I live, they give the appearance of "a lot" of hockey but the TRUE FACTS are it's not really any hockey worth talking about,it all smoke and mirrors and they got most of the country fooled!
A few that are PAID like Shiv are doing the best the can but let face it you can't even get the "so called"national squad memeber to train!
USFHA need to get to person with a true track record of youth development in the USA. hire theses persons and watch it gorw in the USA
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BC Fan
10-25-2002 3:03 pm
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Ever been to CalCup ?
Have you ever been to CalCup ? Certainly you would have seen the "huge" involvement of junior players there... I think your comment was "FAKE" ... get involved and make a difference!
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observer
10-25-2002 7:04 pm
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hockey day
The people in California are to commended for taking the time and effort to participate in this event. I would beg to differ with whoever wrote the "fake" hockey comment. The USA Women are qualified for the World Cup, while the mens program, understandably small because of the absence of field hockey as either an interscholastic or intercollegiate sport, nonetheless was very competitive in their showing at the World Cup qualifier in Scotland. I will issue my own addendum to the good story penned above by Rebecca Kanter...the "leadership" of the USFHA should be embarassed to cash their pay checks. No leadership, marketing, or direction to the growth of the sport at the grass roots level. The non-participation in this hockey day is just one more example of their abysmal performance.
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malcolm Bosnick
10-25-2002 10:05 pm
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USFHA Members Can Vote for Change
If you don't like the way things go at the USFHA, use your vote to make a change. If you are a member you recently received a ballot.
It's your chance to have a voice.
Keep the people who are doing the same old thing with antique ideas or push the flush lever. Could the new candidates make it worse?
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hmmm
10-26-2002 12:35 pm
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change
The only way that there will ever be a change is if the USFHA does what USA Soccer did, and move out on its own to be run like a business (still under the USOC umbrella). Unfortunately, that is too scary for some.
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SteveOverton
10-26-2002 5:53 pm
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Youth Hockey Day, USFHA, ECT.
We need more events like YHD here in the states as USFHA is so lax is promoting at grass roots. We do have new personnel set for development - hopefully they will come through for the west coast. I have long been supportive of leaving USFHA - we do the work at registation wise at Cal Cup and never see them - we support the Mens Team in Moorpark - and never see them, we develop youth/school hockey and never see them, and for my dues, I get a mag every quarter, a sticker, a membership card and never see them... go figure ! Hopefully, this will all come full circle to where youth, adult, and National team development will show major results - with or without USFHA assistance. And yes, I did send in my ballot.......
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LC Hockey & Beach Hockey Fan
10-26-2002 7:58 pm
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USFHA DOES NOT CARE
We have been BEGGING the USFHA for more than 30 yrs to have a national Dir of Youth Hockey & 11+ Regional Directors, all to be paid, of course. My dream on how to spend my winning lottery money.
It has fallen on deaf ears. I'd like to vote for someone who will do this, but I never see it on their platforms. There are a number of great programs out there, who have lasted many yrs. Debbie Lowrance in Virginia Beach has one of the best programs in the country along with Theresa Platte's committment to Indoor/Festival Travel teams& it shows by the number of Beach kids on D1 & US elite teams. They are to be commended.
The Observer is correct in saying the USFHA Admin & Officers should be ashamed to cash their paychecks. Their leadership, or lack of, to improve grass roots hockey has been no existance for over 30 yrs. Now soccer is doing what we predected they would 20 yrs ago - passed us by. An abysmal performance for the Hockey NGB. I hope ST reads these comments.
Maybe we should all withhold our dues again, & put it into a Youth Hockey Trust. Pay Lowrance & TP to travel the US & reproduce their very successful product. Way to go LC Grads!
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fdhkydemon
10-27-2002 5:13 pm
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The USFHA does have regional directors...BUT the regional directors have not done their job (according to my conservations with USFHA people), and that is precisely why we couldn't have WYHD in many states nor have greater grassroots programs. The USFHA won't support many grassroots efforts until all the Regional Coordinators do their job of organizing all the youth hockey in their area. However, they have supposedly had ths job for at least a year, so sadly, I don't believe the Regional Coordinators will ever get their job done (I would do their job in a second! It's not impossible to do.).
But again, as much as we yell at the USHFA for not doing things, since we all realize that the USFHA doesn't do grassroots programs,etc. why don't we take action upon ourselves to start grassroots programs?!?! A lot of people in the hockey community will criticize others for not gettting things done, but yet, we don't even try to do things ourselves.
I don't know about anyone else, but this makes me pretty mad.
Did Debbie Lowrance have USFHA help when she started her program? No.
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cal cup is ONLY a WEEKEND
10-27-2002 5:35 pm
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Tell me what happen THE REST of the season with hockey........nothing is the answer. The can "hype' it up all the want witha web site but the REAL DEAL is very little goes on.
I wish it is it could change but really Moorpark has been in place for how many years? what REALLy has happen in terms of good hockey overall?
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Malcolm Bosnick
10-27-2002 6:45 pm
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Campaign Promises & Platforms Aside
Platforms and promises from USFHA candidates weren't very enlightening, were they?
Too bad we can't get some renegade soccer or youth ice hockey people to run for USFHA office. The Ol' Gal system doesn't cut it anymore. Soccer and ice hockey left the Ol' Boy system behind long, long ago.
The best we can do this time around with the USFHA ballot is to cast it for new blood......and hope.
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Scottish Boy
10-28-2002 11:36 am
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U.S Hockey
After spending some time over the summer in the states coaching hockey to girls from the age of 8 to 18 i could see that a number of girls showed a very high degree of talent and potential. Even though i am only 20 i have played and trained at international level, coached both male and female groups of varying age groups, i saw a number of girls that i coached personaly that would be fantastic players in Scotland. I hope what i saw when i was over there is a taste of things to come from the states, however out of over 1000 girls there was 1 boy that turned up to the camps!! Some of the girls i spoke too had never seen a male play hockey before! What is the state of mens hockey in the u.s? Is there uni teams can u get scholarships? If anyone would like to contact me on any of this my e-mail adress is ritson7@hotmail.com.
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