Clay Satow wrote:
>I think another key point is that the HS infrastructures are quite
>different.
>
>In the east, the strongest programs in the HS infrastructures have
>traditionally been private prep schools.  One characteristic of prep schools
>is that they're not particularly community oriented; the players at the prep
>schools come from a very widely dispersed geography.  If a school is located
{snip}
>
>I have a different impression of Minnesota.  Since my impression has been
>formed from a distance, it may be all wrong, and I'd appreciate feedback
>from Minnesotans.  In Minnesota, I have the feeling that the strongest
>programs are the public schools.  So there's a much closer link between the
>community and the school hockey teams.
 
I think your impression is basically right.  There are some strong
private-school hockey programs (Hill-Murray and Holy Angels come to mind),
but in general the HS hockey is more tied to the community.  When I was in
school (mumble mumble years ago) I heard a perhaps apochryphal tale that
the family of a player from my home town (White Bear Lake) who decided to
play at the private school (Hill-Murray) moved out of WBL so he wouldn't
have to live amongst the kids he'd grown up playing youth hockey with and
was now playing against.  (I took the story with a grain of salt even then,
but there it is.)
 
Of course if you want the really intense community involvement with hockey,
you'd have to take a look at the Iron Range or Roseau and Warroad.
 
-Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!!!
 
PS Erik, aren't you proud of me for getting all the way through that with
out mentioning "Skating Green Scum"??
 
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