> >As for Long Island, the trickle is getting bigger, but it's still pretty
weak.
> >But, from experience, I know that the explosion of new rinks only started in
> >the last 5 years, so eventually, we'll see more players.
>
> I don't know what constitutes an explosion, but during the late 70's and
> early 80's (during the Islanders' brief but shining moment - not a surprise)
> a lot of rinks went up in western Suffolk County.  It seemed odd at the time
> -- for instance, exactly one person I knew growing up played hockey.  The
> point, as I'm sure you're pleased I've gotten to it, is that an upswing in
> facilities doesn't inevitably produce more players.
 
Not sure where exactly you are referring to .... but, as of 1988, I can say for
a fact that between Commack and Montauk Point there was exactly ONE (1) indoor
rink suitable for organized hockey -- that was in Kings Park.  EVERY High
school hockey "club" played their games there.  That meant, not a lot of ice
time.
    For those who don't know -- Commack to Montauk is about 120 miles. - And it
has about 1 million people.  So 1 million people were serviced by 1 rink.
    Currently, there are 6 rinks in that radius, and it is growing.  I've done
story after story about this topic in the Philly area, and there is definitely
a correalation between available ice time and the amount of players an area
produces.  Certainly there are many other factors, but this is a major one.
 
   Greg says he knew only 1 person that played hockey in his area.  Well, in my
area, nearly every athletic teenage boy played hockey in some form.  Whether it
be pickup games in the street (which we all played night and day, and
challenged kids from other areas), or organized dek hockey -- which, from my
observations, is the third most popular participation sport on Long Island
after Little League and Soccer.
     I am willing to guarantee that the hockey skill level (shooting, passing,
etc...) of many of the people I grew up with was as good as comparable kids in
the Boston area.  The difference:  Few of us knew how to skate.  It just wasn't
a convenient thing to go do.  I knew some guys who would try to play pickup
games on a Frozen Pond, but that pond would stay frozen for about 10 total days
per year.
 
     Here's another fact.  My junior year of high school, the high school club
hockey team won the Long Island championships for the first time.  It was the
first time a parochial school didn't win it.  They went upstate for the state
tournament and were smoked.
 
     Now, my high school is a local power and goes upstate and competes well on
a regular basis.
 
     In Philly, the situations are similar -- but what they're really lacking
now is quality coaches.  That's another problem altogether.
 
AW
 
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