November 2007

 

by Frank Seravalli

In terms of their daily schedule, the jet-setting CEOs of the world have nothing on the average high school hockey player who also plays club hockey. The schedules of players today are completely booked. Players can be on the ice seven days a week and sometimes multiple times in one day.

It is not uncommon for a player to practice with his club or junior team, drive to their high school practice, participate, and finally end up at home around 10 o’clock at night absolutely exhausted. Not only does the player not have much time or energy for his studies, but he also does not have time to socialize. His Friday night is dominated by a high school game and his Saturday evening is consumed by a “must win” game. He may have a game Sunday morning or afternoon, and then feel the need to rest afterward, or simply decompress watching football.

Both players and coaches are put in a difficult spot. Conflicts are unavoidable. Clearly, each coach is going to want the player to prioritize his team, and it's often left to the player to decide which program or set of teammates is more important to him. Some players don't make a single decision, opting to decide as each conflict arises. But this approach risks leaving his team in limbo, and may create a dilemma for coaches: should the player be penalized for not making all practices or games? Should he even be allowed to switch back and forth and play for two teams at once?

Rather than putting himself in a tough situation, many players that are skilled enough to play at the highest club and high schools levels often choose to focus on just one. Statistically, high school hockey has lost out on these players. But does it have to?

For years, the talk of designing a “split season” system that would allow a player to comfortably participate in both the highest levels of club and high school hockey in the Delaware Valley – has been just that: talk. However, as more and more districts and regions begin to adopt the split season format, the prospect may be becoming more realistic.

Massachusetts may have the simplest split season format in the country. Club teams (both AA and AAA) begin their season directly following the Labor Day holiday. This allows the latter half of August or all of August to be used for practice and non-league exhibition games between the clubs. The club season is then condensed into an intense eight- to ten-week season, with all of the games played on weekends. Around the beginning of November, the club teams begin playoffs and hold their regional tournament. Since Massachusetts is its own district in USA Hockey, the winner of their regional tournament is their representative in the National Tournament. After the regional winner is decided, the club season figuratively ends. From late November through March runs the high school hockey season. In Massachusetts, and other regions such as Minnesota, during this time all of the best players toil exclusively for their high school teams. After the state high school playoffs conclude in March, the winning club teams prepare for a week or so before heading to the USA Hockey National Championships.

It seems intuitive that the lack of continuity would hurt the chances of club teams at nationals. Historically, however, this has not been the case. Last year, the Massachusetts representative in 18U Tier I, the Boston Jr. Bruins,won the National title. In 2005, Minnesota's Shattuck St. Mary's won the National tite - they are also a product of the split season. Evidence from the 2004 Nationals might say the most - teams from Minnesota and Masschusetts met each other in both the Tier I and Tier II national championship gamse.

The club teams have a chance to practice and play in exhibition games over holidays, and it is not as if the players have stopped playing; they are still getting growing and developing as players with their scholastic teams.

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In the Delaware Valley, club hockey is king. Players, for the most part, are much more concerned about their club team and organization, and aim at getting to the top of the hockey chain. Their hopes of making it to an NCAA program and rely largely on their performance in club hockey. A split season system may help them achieve this dream in just the same way. But club teams will be opposed to the split season: for the most part, they lose out. Clubs will fear not only the lack of continuity in the season but also a diminishing of meaning for the playoffs and ultimately Nationals.

Breakaway! Scholastic gathered the opinions of various members of the high school hockey community in the Delaware Valley to weigh in on a possible split season.

“The split season has to be done in a way that no one loses out – between the clubs, the players, the leagues, the rinks, and the schools,” said Steve Mescanti, a state championship-winning Head Coach from Penncrest High School. He has the unique perspective of being a teacher at the school and also coaching another high school varsity sport.

But most observers understand the obstacles to shifting to  split season, and are not optimistic about the prospects for a change in the near future.“The people who run travel (club) hockey and the people who run high school hockey will never be able to agree on terms, because it is not in the best interest of travel hockey,” Suburban League President Ken Haas shared. Haas is also one of the Atlantic District representatives for USA Hockey.

Proof that club hockey is in charge in the Delaware Valley comes from the direction high school hockey has taken over the past thirty years. Not only has it been run by club hockey officials, but “kids would be able to skip school and still be able to play in the game, or flunk a class and still be eligible,” Haas said. High school games were given terrible ice slots and practices and they were driven to not succeed by rink owners and club officials.

However, club hockey officials have never been put into the situation where they feel the need to make a compromise, but that could be changing. Until recently, club hockey programs are growing by leaps and bounds and they had not had any decline in participation. It's hard to discount the scheduling factor in this recent downturn.

The change also might seem less abrupt if the split season were something younger players came to expect once they hit high school. Most clubs would not be severely affected – all ages from Mites through Bantams would not be changed or affected. Only the midget level is affected during a split season. That would clearly have an impact on a few high-profile midget programs, but as a percentage of total club revenue, the difference would be far less than believed.

The lost revenue is a concern for rink owners as well. But while they are understandably concerned that their ability to sell ice will be affected by a split season, some forward thinking could see their bottom lines improved.

Mites, squirts, pee wees, and bantams will all still be practicing and buying ice at the same rates. Junior Varsity may also start in August or September as it normally does – that does not need to be changed: their players will still be bantams. In August through mid-November, midget-aged clubs would figure to purchase an extra practice slot or two to make it three practices instead of the current one or two during that time. They will have the ability to do this because practices will be well attended – the players have no hockey conflicts at this time.

In November through March, the midget club slots could be purchased by high school teams. Instead of having one or two clubs pay for slots during for week for practice, now five or even eight local high schools will be inquiring to purchase weekday slots for practice. with the increased participation in high school hockey, schools may will be able to expand the amount of time they can practice.

There should also be a significant increase in per-game club hockey revenue for rink owners. Instead of Saturday and Sunday morning games played before sparse crowds, club games could be played in “prime time” – and likely be well attended, since clubs would not be competing with high schools for fan interest during this time. This would not only mean higher gate revenue for the rink, but also higher concession, pro shop, and other forms of peripheral rink revenue. Also high school games, which already have large audiences, could increase their gate by playing on Saturday evenings, a time slot currently reserved for older club players.

A split season should also allow for better communication between the schools and their programs, and will put scholastic coaches in a better position vis-a-vis school administrators. Part of the reason for the lack of participation by higher level players in high school hockey is the fact that it is not fully recognized by the school they attend.

“The schools and the soccer and lacrosse coaches do not want their kids playing a sport that begins during another season and ends in the middle of another," continued Haas. "In order for us [high school hockey] to gain acceptance, we have to play by their rules. As a varsity sport, hockey should begin when basketball begins – the same as any other winter sport.”

John Graves is in an interesting position. Not only is he the former coach of the most successful high school program in the area (Malvern Prep), but he is a rink owner, a high school league official, and the general manager of one of the most successful club teams in the region – the Jr. Flyers. He is also the high school hockey liaison to the Atlantic District. John was contacted twice via email to get his opinions on the split season but did not reply.

Many schools have been reluctant to adopt or even acknowledge a hockey program. It is not just because of the cost of the sport or the liability – it is the length of the season and the governing body. In order for it to be fully accepted, high schools are going to want a federation that they will be able to enact some sort of control – and USA Hockey is not willing to cooperate. USA Hockey does not want to relinquish control of high school hockey as a business venture.

“Schools want to also compete in a facility that they have control over. In order for them to acknowledge a program exists, they are going to want control,” Mescanti said. That seems quite reasonable, since the players are wearing sweaters emblazoned with their high school logos while on the ice. Players feel like they are representing their schools when they play high school hockey. And very few casual spectators connect high school hockey with USA Hockey.

While he agreed that liability and cost were a factor, Mescanti said that the schools would most likely be interested in the gate that the games bring in. Most games are relatively well attended – yet as noted above, if they were put in prime time on a Saturday night, they would be even better attendance. Were this to happen, it might make school administrators more willing to embrace hockey as an officially-sanctioned activity.

But the most important improvements in switching to a split season would accrue to the player. Playing in front of your peers in a sport that is recognized by your school is something all kids want to do – yet they do not want to sacrifice the fun and the reward of their club teams. Players are growing adolescents. With less strain on their bodies, injuries should be reduced. Players should also be able to focus more on their school work. Representing their school could also function as a strong incentive to stay academically eligible, and they will have more time to socialize with their friends and actually enjoy high school.

“Any athlete needs a balance of hockey and school life with friends, families and peers to develop into a well-rounded person outside of hockey,” commented Western PA high school hockey maven Jeff Mauro. “If a player is dedicated and balances all of these things, it is not how much they are on the ice but the quality of what they are learning that is important. The most underrated part of a player's career is if they are still enjoying the game at the high school age or has it become a burden.”

Having a split season certainly does not take away from competitiveness in hockey. In fact, it makes high school hockey a legitimate source for talented players to move on to college. With more talented club players willing to participate, no longer would high school leagues have to search to fill rosters.

“I believe the split season is the way to go across all of Pennsylvania to foster allowing players to develop to their fullest potential,” Mauro commented. “It allows a player to participate with their school team, which fosters a great deal of pride amongst their peers. In addition, by participating in a good AA or AAA Midget Program, the player can play at a higher level and advance their hockey beyond school age into Junior and Collegiate possibilities,” he continued.

“There is hope for high school hockey in our area," commented Haas. "We have come a long way in the last five years with relations to schools. Now schools are starting to acknowledge and accept programs. It’s easy see why they would not have wanted to in the past."

However, both Haas and Mescanti agree in the way that a split season would be best accomplished: by just doing it.

“If you condense the season and make the rules more stringent – schools are going to say ‘This is the best thing that ever happened’ and will be more cooperative,” Haas said.

Likewise, in regards to being endorsed by the high school sports federation that governs Pennsylvania athletics, the PIAA, the best way to do it is to give them no reason to say ‘no.’ “If the schools adopt the programs and you give the schools a reason to, the PIAA will have no reason to say no if its members are in favor,” Mescanti commented.

The split season has the possibility for all sides to win – in one aspect or another. The biggest winners will be the student athletes and their families. They will be able to mature as people and students and not just as hockey players.

Haas believes the main obstacle remains getting “school officials to agree that having an ice hockey program is worthwhile.”

Both men agree that it is a big task. Mescanti feels that it would probably take a “year or two to work out all of the details and put a plan into action,” but he also said that “as the next big development stage for hockey, I think it’s something that we really need to look at.”

The bottom line is that players are split between sides, and their season is not. It's hard to argue that this benefits players. Should the conflict between club and high school hockey continue to simmer, high school hockey will continue to lose out on quality players that choose to play elsewhere and they will not receive the full experience every high school athlete deserves.