It's interesting to think about the effect of in-line. I think that it will
be interesting to see whether in-line takes on a life of its own, that is,
whether in-line skating and in-line hockey, rather than being a stepping
stone to ice hockey, becomes an end in itself.  After all, ice hockey is
still dependent on reliable natural ice, or scarce and expesive time in an
ice rink.  In-line requies only an open space, with a reasonably flat and
level surface.  One of the reasons that basketball exploded was that very
little is needed by way of a playing; in fact, so little that it became an
"urban sport."  Will all those 'bladers become ice hockey players, or will
some people who might otherwise have become ice hockey players become full
time in-line players?  Will in-line hockey become an urban and/or warm
climate geography version of ice hockey?
 
Clay
 
-----Original Message-----
From:   greenie [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Monday, April 19, 1999 3:55 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        widespread development... don't forget in-line skating
 
when thinking about how hockey players come from all parts of the country,
don't forget that the explosion of in-line roller hockey has already played
a major role in the development of players from non-traditional hockey
areas, as well as the hockey-rich environments.
 
[. . . ]
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.