WHAT IS BROOMBALL 2001, AND WHO ARE THE BROOMBALL PLAYERS?
I have been thinking of these questions for a while now and
will attempt to discuss them.
Broomball is a participants game, [like softball]
as it is somewhat boring to watch except at elite level. It is appealing
to players for its playing pace, skill level, coaching and rules
interpretations, game challenges and of course, the camaraderie and pure FUN of
participating in a great team sport!
Most of the players are former hockey players who have been
able to extend their playing careers by switching to broomball since the
likelihood of injury is somewhat lower in Broomball. In some cases, guys who are great fans of Hockey have been
able to participate in this very similar game, even if they are not very good
ice skaters. Additionally, broomball equipment is lighter and cheaper to get
started with so this also makes the game more attractive to the aspiring
beginner whether he/she be woman, child, or any aged male.
[Contrary to some beliefs, most animal species have been unable to play
Broomball but that is open to debate at another time.]
Most of the
broomball “hotbeds” are areas that are also traditionally known as hockey
“hotbeds” due in part, to the
easier access to ice surfaces with very inexpensive [cheap] ice fees available
for leagues and tournaments. [Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, Boston, Canada,
etc.]
In non-outdoor ice climates, most broomball players must
pay close to the same rates as their hockey-playing counterparts.
Sometimes this prevents a larger participation level due to ice fee costs
in southern [non-“hotbed”] areas.
THE GAME IS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS
The players will continue to play in most cases, as long as
possible.
Have you ever heard of the Broomball Wizards?
Or how about the Nomads? Fred’s
Tire or the Flames? Colorado has teams such as RRock and Pine Gables that have
been playing for 15-20 years, too.
In Canada for
years it was Embrums plumbing and the Phantoms kept playing in Vancouver years
later. Italy, Austrailia , Sweden and Japan have fielded teams and brought them
to play at International level tourneys. Norway plays in their country, too.
So, in broomball, there is a demand to keep the current
teams playing in their leagues and tournaments everywhere.
While all along, these teams continue to re-build and
re-load for their next season or their next tournament if there will ever be
one.
WHO WILL PLAY IN THE FUTURE?
In the non-“hotbed” areas this is a considerable
concern as the youth in these places don’t have any league play to aspire for
and most of the traveling tourney caliber broomball teams keep their skills
sharp by playing ice or roller hockey.
Youth, student and girl programs have to be nurtured and
developed in these non-“hotbed” cities in order for the sport of broomball
to continue to grow. If there are
no leagues in place for the current players, we see the teams and programs
struggling and for the most part, playing stick-time scrimmage games which soon
even bore the beginner.
WHAT CAN BE
DONE ABOUT THIS?
Most arena operators seem to price their product
on a sliding scale with the “prime-times” demanding [and getting] 240
dollars an hour or more! This sort of price puts the beginner of any sport at a
distinct disadvantage. Arena
managers need to realize that even
a small broomball league can be an important revenue source particularly in some
off-peak times. Apparently they
don’t need to develop a demand for their product as they often seem to be
“sold-out” on all available billing hours. Is that the case in Eugene, Reno,
Charlotte, or Stockton? Could be.
WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS? continued
Or, could it be that the players themselves are to blame
for this?
If there is no demand for broomball games, no one will get
them. But how do we increase the
demand?
Did you know that even ski hills have free days for
beginners in the middle of the winter at least once per season? Everything is
free. Rentals, lesson, lift ticket. Granted, these events are often underwritten
by local Chambers of Commerce or corporate sponsors, but ski corporation
management understands the importance of “creating the demand” for this form
of recreation and they are willing to negotiate with groups to provide this
vital means of recruiting the next generation of skier.
Are the ice rink operators willing to try something such as
this to help get local broomball leagues off the ground?
In some places, they are not. In
other places, such efforts have failed.
But have we, as players done our part?
Did we quickly
form a team and begin coaching it? Did
we have good attitudes or did we embarrass ourselves with stupid behavior? Did
we follow-up with our new teammates and encourage them to sign up on our team?
Or did we not want them on our team because they are beginners?
Every player is to be held accountable, at least to
himself, for his attitude and participation level.
After all, if you intentionally pushed a rookie into the boards, do you
think he’ll want to come back? Maybe
to take a swing, eh?
Whatever your level of play and/or participation is you
should ALWAYS follow the 10 Commandments of Broomball.
Which are:
10. Thou shall run with HEAD
UP and STICK DOWN at all times.
9. Thou
shall treat your fellow participants with the same respect and enthusiasm you
would expect to be shown yourself. Be
a good sport or have a seat, you know where.
8.
Thou shall not get caught being “McGilled”. [that is going the wrong
way or being flat-footed]
7.
Thou shall not be an
“uncoachable” player. Be a good
listener!
6.
Thou shall play the game alert and ready
to protect oneself at all times.
5.
Thou shall strive to improve your knowledge of the rules, and your
compliance with them. You are an example to those watching!
4.
Thou shall do your part to assist in running something. A team, referees anything!
Participate in development in a positive way.
3. Thou shall be
self-supported ie, gainfullly employed.
2.
Thou shall not never, ever pass the ball through the middle in your own
defensive end.
1.
Thou shall not ever forget your money for the ice fee.
Many players can certainly add to this list, but this is
just meant as a guideline for ALL players whether they be beginners or not.
WHAT IS BROOMBALL-2001, AND WHO ARE THE PLAYERS?
It’s up to the veterans to step up to the table and to be
heard. Can we continue to play?
Are “stick-time” sessions the best we can do?
Do we work to play just one tourney this year?
Or, is this the year I start a new team, even with mostly rookies? Can I
negotiate an acceptable arrangement with ice rink management?
Can I recruit a new sponsor for a league, tourney, or team? How about
some new blood stepping up in Colorado Springs?
How can I help? JFDI just focus-do it!
You’ll be very glad that you did.
Hope to see
you again at the rinks next season, [why not running a new women’s or adult
league season?]
Lou Laverty-Broomball player