In this issue: president’s message breaking news special dates goalies wanted coaches wanted skate maintenance photos nsihl’s top 10 list

Mike Smith

Hi to all,

To our existing members "Welcome back!" and to all our new members "Welcome aboard!" We are about to begin our 11th season as the North Shore Inline Hockey League Society. My name is Mike Smith, and I am the President of the NSIHL (www.nsihl.com).

To give you a little info and history on your league, we officially became the NSIHL in 1996. What started out as a drop-in roller hockey program at the North Vancouver Recreation Centre in 1992 (with only 50 kids divided into two age groups as an after-school program) quickly grew into 150 players divided into ten teams by 1994. The following year it became obvious to the Rec Centre that roller hockey was becoming a league unto itself and they were in no way ready or able to run one. With one eager father leading a small group of other dads, moms and volunteers, we took what the Rec Centre had started and turned it into what you see today.

In 2004 we assisted with the purchase of the special inline sports floor (the blue one) that you see at the Karen Magnussen Arena and that put us on the map as an official "real deal" inline facility. With this came more interest at the younger ages and the development of the adult league (www.vihl.com) that grew to more than 30 teams in just two years (most of their members are graduates of your NSIHL). Today, we are a 670-player youth league with 54 teams and a growing waitlist. The NSIHL is the largest not-for-profit youth inline hockey league in Western Canada and is even larger than most of the for-profit kids’ leagues in Canada.

As you might expect from the enthusiasm generated by our members, we have had our fair share of successes at the National and Provincial levels with our tournament programs, winning three national championships, several provincial championships, many NARCH qualifying tournaments and numerous local tournaments. Our most recent pride and joy is the gold-medal performance from our PeeWee team at the 2006 B.C Summer Games in the first ever showcasing of inline hockey.

The NSIHL has an 11-member, hard-working, elected, volunteer board of directors, roughly 100 coaches, numerous volunteers and one League Manager who all help to make this program the success story that it is. We are members of the B.C. Inline Hockey Association (www.bciha.com) and the National Inline Hockey Association (www.niha.ca) and play by the NIHA rules, with some adapted rules of our own at the Recreational level.

Inline hockey is a thrilling game of non-contact, four-on-four, no off-sides hockey. It is full of creative playmaking and thrilling long floor passes. When played the way it should be, it is one of the most exiting games that a spectator can watch.

I hope that I have given our new members a little insight into who we are and what we are about and maybe a few things that our existing members may not have known. I hope that you enjoy your 2007 season and I look forward to meeting you all at the rink. Play safe and have fun.

Sincerely,

Mike Smith
President

Click here to save $ on buying new inline hockey gear!

Check It Out!
NSIHL’s 5th Annual Swap Meet - March 10th

Save $ on Used Equipment

Take advantage of our members’ growth by buying outgrown equipment at bargain prices. Our annual Swap Meet will be held in the Esplanade Room at the Harry Jerome Recreation Centre (above the rink at the east end) on Saturday, March 10th between 12:30pm and 2:30pm.

It’s amazing how fast the merchandise sells, so don’t be disappointed - get there early and get in line (no pun intended!) Last year we set a new record for both sales and speed in turning one member’s pile of gear into another member’s pile of gold.

Turn Your Used Equipment Into $

There are two important dates ahead of the Swap Meet to bring your used gear in for assessment and valuation. Experienced NSIHL volunteers will be on-hand to accept your equipment and help arrive at its proper value based on its age and condition.

Drop-off times? This Saturday, March 3rd from 9am to 11am and Wednesday, March 7th from 7pm to 9pm . Where? At the Harry Jerome Arena (Lonsdale Ave.), below the clock, at the opposite end of the rink from the dressing rooms.

For the past few years, the NSIHL’s Achilles’ heel has been the lack of experienced goalies in the older age groups - from the Squirt Recreational ranks all the way through to the Bantam division. Having enough goalies to spread out between all teams can be the greatest determining factor in establishing balanced divisions. The league has changed a few things this year to be proactive in addressing this issue.

For the first time ever, in the three upper-age divisions (Squirt, PeeWee and Bantam), we are offering full refunds to all goalies who play a minimum of 80% of their team’s games. In the past we required that these goalies also provide their own equipment, but are opening up the refund even to those who need the league’s equipment to play in the nets. If you have a son or daughter who is open to the idea of goaltending, you may even want to let them keep the registration fee refund at the end of the season.

In addition, in order to help promote goaltending to all players in the lower age groups (Atom and Mite) we have abandoned the practice of allowing full-time goalies at those levels. For the future health of the league, the board decided that we need to build our bench-strength in this position. We want as many young players to experience the important role of goaltender and be open to it as they progress through the league. Each team will be provided with all of the equipment that they will need to give the kids this valuable experience.

For all goalies in all divisions, we are planning special, free goalie clinics throughout the season with experienced goalie teachers conducting practical, skills-related sessions to help build the knowledge and ability of the league’s goalies. The times and dates of those clinics will be announced later in March.

Please take some time to discuss this issue with your son or daughter. If we can successfully convert even a few more skaters into goalies this year, the whole league will be more balanced and more fun for everyone. If they do want to switch or are open to it, please email Greg Crompton at and you will be among the first to find out about the upcoming goalie clinics.

10. 4-on-4 on the floor - wide-open and fast-paced
9. No offsides - better flow to the game
8. No icing - more passing
7. No hitting - little need for shoulder pads
6. Warmth - no cold extremities
5. Fun - emphasis on fun over winning
4. More offense - high-scoring games
3. Lighter puck - blocked shots don’t hurt (as much!)
2. Penalties - penalty shots instead of man-advantage

...and the #1 reason why inline hockey is better than ice hockey...

1. No Zamboni!

(* based on the Recreational rules of the NSIHL)

Although there are many parents who already volunteer their time to coach or help manage their kids’ inline teams, we are always in need of more help in almost every division. If you would like to give a hand in coaching or assistant-coaching a team, please email Greg Crompton at .

Wondering how to get your old blades into tip-top shape for the coming season? Check out the following link and related websites to change your wheels, clean and lubricate your bearings and more!

http://inlineskating.about.com/od/maintainingyourskates/maintaining_your_skates.htm