Enrollment down in Ice Park's youth hockey program

Youth hockey is a costly business. The fledgling youth hockey program at Jordan Valley Ice Park is now being handled by a private association.

Jordan Valley Ice Park has turned over the responsibility of managing its youth hockey program to the Springfield Youth Hockey Association, said Jeff Cumley, Ice Park manager.

"Gradually we're trying to work in a support group just like we have Lakes Country Youth Soccer and Springfield Tennis," said Dan Kinney, director of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.

Part of the difficulty in jump-starting a youth hockey program in Springfield is regional. "It's a unique situation. We don't have any teams to play here locally. If you want to play hockey in Springfield you need to travel to cities like Kansas City and St. Louis and Springdale, Ark," said Fred Dallas, president of the seven-member youth hockey board. He is general manager of Multifood Distribution.

Other board members are Frank Marsola, vice president; Kris Wherley, treasurer; Donna Prince, secretary; Greg Skibinski, director of team managers; Shayne Ferrier, director of coaches and Georgia Powell, registrar. Debbie Carnavale heads fund raising for the group and Teri Davis serves as the administrator, Dallas said.

The youth hockey association began this season with a shortfall of about $3,000, Dallas said. Cost estimates were based on 15 players per team. "The ice time costs are going to run us about $2,800 more than what we're bringing in with the 86 players," he added. "Our commitment is based on 90 players."

"Any additional payments the kids will have to make, we're going to try to offset them" through fund-raising activities, Dallas said.

Enrollment and fees

Enrollment for each session of the 2001-2002 season ran about 120 and there were about eight teams, according to Cumley.

Fees of $190 covered a Learn to Play program followed by a spring league running January through March that cost $300. The sessions included three, one-hour practices a week. Insurance was included in the fees, Dallas said.

Most of the teams didn't play any actual games last year on account of team age and composition, Dallas said. Two teams played between 10 and 20 games each, Dallas said.

Numbers are down this year due to the longer 26-week season conflicting with other local youth sports activities and parents dissatisfied with first-year results, Dallas said. There are 86 kids, ages 6-18, who are split between six different teams, he added. The ages and distribution makes playing games between two local teams impossible except for scrimmage play, he added.

Rectifying this is a problem, Dallas added. Last year "a lot of parents were really upset about the fact that their kids didn't have the opportunity to play a game other than scrimmage against their own team."

This year's $695 league fee is paid to Springfield Youth Hockey Association and primarily covers ice time for twice weekly, one-hour individual team practices at the Ice Park and a 24-game schedule that includes 12 home and 12 away games over the season. Fees do not include equipment, but goalies who have their own gear pay a reduced league fee of $470, Dallas said.

The association pays $30 per game for staffing officials, Dallas said.

Other youth hockey association cash requirements are annual membership dues of $25 per individual or $40 per family, and $22 USA Hockey Insurance per player, Dallas said.

Ice rental for the Ice Park's three tenants Springfield Spirit, SMS Ice Bears and SYHA runs $145 per hour for practice sessions and $185 per hour for game time, Cumley said. For nontenants, rink rental is $200 for evening prime time hours of 4-11 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. All other times are $185.

Travel obstacles

Travel costs to games are the responsibility of the parents, Dallas said. For single day trips, $20 usually covers lunch and dinner for players. They do a lot of car pooling, but some kids don't get to play because of the costs involved, he said.

Gary Fudge, owner of Springfield Skateland, said the costs to play ice hockey in Springfield are reasonable compared to larger metro areas, but the travel factor remains a difficulty. He has operated a recreational youth and adult inline skating hockey league for 14 years; his son teaches hockey at the Ice Park.

"I have a recreational league; they (the ice park) don't have one. They have a travel league, which has no growth, in my opinion," Fudge said.

Suiting up

Outfitting a kid for hockey can be expensive and estimates vary according to whether the equipment is new or used. Required gear includes helmet and mask, mouth and neck guard, shoulder and elbow pads, gloves, pants, athletic supporter, shin pads, skates, socks and stick.

"Finding used (equipment) in Springfield is tough," said Jeff Newlin, co-owner of Play It Again Sports. When they can get used gear from stores up north, he can offer it at 50 percent to 70 percent less than new, "but it's a very limited inventory," he added.

New, lower-end equipment runs $400 or more, while the high-end approaches $800, Newlin said. For goalies, prices can range from $800 to $1,000.

The future

Dallas said getting the word out on youth hockey is essential. "We haven't been able to appeal to the masses and get more kids in the program." He and Cumley envision more of a developmental program where the Learn To Skate/Learn To Play Hockey programs lead into youth involvement in hockey leagues.

Dallas said costs are a primary factor in enrollments. He said fees are at the level they are primarily because of ice time costs.