tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345962750124330515.post5390211144388354993..comments2024-03-28T05:13:45.917-04:00Comments on The Blueland Chronicle : Excellent Read on Race in HockeyMortimer Peacockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04624643069613171619noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345962750124330515.post-30905481388237319632010-09-28T19:24:59.990-04:002010-09-28T19:24:59.990-04:00I didn't mean to disparage off-ice forms of ho...I didn't mean to disparage off-ice forms of hockey. Most of us here in Georgia played floor hockey during PE in elementary school. I have very fond memories of it as the only sport where I was actually decent. Later, in high school, when our negligent gym teacher gave up on inventing things for us to do, we spent months playing floor hockey every day and would spend our lunch break dividing up the teams.<br /><br />Floor hockey and roller hockey are good cheaper alternatives to ice hockey, but nothing really measures up.<br /><br />Perhaps a "baby step" would be to gather equipment and find places to host pick up games and leagues of floor hockey to get kids interested.<br /><br />The Thrashers have a Hockey In The Streets (HITS) program that purports to do just that, but is rarely seen. Kids need to have the option to play hockey whenever they get the notion. YMCA's and Boys and Girls Clubs in the Atlanta area all need a supply of Mylec sticks and pucks, and professionals need to make the rounds teaching kids the basic rules of the game.Razor Catch Preyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03295587180920939928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345962750124330515.post-57482204038563243712010-09-28T19:19:59.902-04:002010-09-28T19:19:59.902-04:00The future of Georgia hockey. Its hard to play wh...The future of Georgia hockey. Its hard to play when the man takes your ball.<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPM5oTBimncthe jointheadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345962750124330515.post-14735729683395194282010-09-28T17:29:31.800-04:002010-09-28T17:29:31.800-04:00Great response to Harrison's original piece. D...Great response to Harrison's original piece. Definitely a big part of establishing a fanbase is providing opportunities for the younger generation to play the game and grow up with the game. Even though I blog about hockey, I grew up playing soccer and baseball because they were far cheaper to play.<br /><br />I wouldn't downplay the importance of ball hockey and street hockey, however. Canadian kids who can't afford to play ice hockey can still play street hockey with just a stick, a ball, and whatever's handy for a goal. It's also incredibly fun and can be a big part in developing a culture that appreciates the game.<br /><br />Ball hockey skills can definitely translate to the ice, as well. The best example of this is the Canucks' own Alex Burrows, who was an international ball hockey star (sometimes referred to as the Wayne Gretzky of ball hockey) before working his way up to the NHL.<br /><br />Numerous NHL stars train in the off-season with a ball hockey variant called <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-Inside-the-Sami-Salo-injuring-world-of-Fl?urn=nhl-257887" rel="nofollow">Floorball</a> as well, which Canucks fans are quite familiar with as it's the sport Sami Salo was playing this summer when he injured himself yet again.<br /><br />In any case, great post. Thanks for reading Pass it to Bulis!Daniel Wagnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14218580923841725982noreply@blogger.com