Hey, I was just wanting to know how many people would be interested in playing in-line hockey if it was sponsored (more) by campus?

Right now the league is almost entirely run by the townies so it really sucks. Plus, the rink that used to host the league and the travel team practices is going out of business. The UMR hockey team is interested in perhaps turning Miner Rec. into an indoor soccer and indoor rink. The team would like to see everyone's input into the matter. The league is currently around 70 members large. This includes a team from TJ, and several of the fraternities. The UMR team would like to see this number grow, and we believe it can if campus supplied the proper facilities for students to use instead of using local private businesses.

By the way, for all of you that think indoor soccer is way better than hockey at this campus, think again. The UMR roller hockey team is ranked 12th in the nation. This ranking includes Div.1 schools like Michigan State, Purdue, Florida, etc. http://www.crhl.net for more details if you're interested.

Isn't supporting local businesses a good thing?

Isn't student involvement a good thing. Especially if it helps retention and recruitment.

There are many transfer students from Meramac and SCCC that would probably become more interested in UMR if they knew there was a good hockey program here. Besides transfer students, you have the incoming freshman that have played roller hockey. St. Louis is pretty much one of the main hot spots for roller hockey right now.

i would definatly play... since i can't afford ice hockey and i love the game... yeah i'd definatly be interested

We really need the support of all the students in order to make this thing happen. UMR already has one of the best INLINE TEAMS IN THE NATION and we need an on campus facility to help further our abilities and publicity.

I'm sure that you've considered this, but is Miner Rec big enough for this? What types of things would have to be done for a converstion to take place?

Yesterday, the team and I went and looked at the miner rec building to make sure size wouldn't be a problem, and it won't. With our given situations, miner rec. may be a bigger playing surface than what we have been playing on.

The changes we would need to make for this to work would be to construct (or buy) boards, buy the goals, and to level and surface the floor with either roll-on or tile it with sport court. Of course this takes money and time, so we're looking at things in the long run.

I have talked with many of the soccer players, in which I live with (@90% of the team), and they said that they are all for renivating the miner rec for hockey/ indoor soccer. Many of the guys who play indoor soccer also play hockey in the UMR league now, the one that is going under. I think that with the support of the campus we can play hockey and soccer in this facility and involve more UMR students in both sports with these renivations.

Another thing I find disturbing is that I've been here 3 years and I've never even knew we had a roller hockey team.

In 4 years the team will be made up of different players than it is and they might all suck. Does the fact that the current team is good mean we need one in a more desperate way?
-Ryan

The UMR hockey team has been around for at least 8 years now. Every year since then, it has been invited to the National Championship Tournament. That means top 30 in the nation every year. This year we made 12th. I'm new to the team, but I believe 5 years ago they made it to 9th. Once again, these rankings are out of more than 130 teams across the US including NCAA Division 1 schools that are as much as 9 times the undergraduate size of UMR. Next year we will probably be better, only one player graduated that was on the A-team.

Just a few questions...

Are you planning on putting this in the area that is astroturf right now???

If you were to do this, would the football team be able to practice on the surface in gym shoes??? This is because the team currently uses the astrotuf section of Miner Rec for practice when it rains. if we would be able to practice on the new surface, im all for it. I know a couple of guys on the team, and they take a lot of pride in it. I think they deserve a place to practice on campus.

That is all
~El Greenio

I love football. A lot. Enough that I actually attend the home games until the bitter end regardless the score. That said, if we have a hockey team that is successful I think it would be hard to argue that the football team needs Miner Wreck more then the hockey team. Especially considering the number of days they actually have to practice inside.

Answers:

1.) Yes, in the astroturf section of the building. What would happen is the floor would be fixed and leveled. Ideally, I'd like to see sport court tiles laid down. Above this sport court will be an astroturf mat that the hockey team will take responsibility for rolling out and rolling up. So yes, the football team would probably be able to practice in miner rec. still.

2.) Home games probably will not be something happening right now. The reason, our playing surface isn't the regulation size. We can always hold exhibition games, however. Perhaps in the future we may see the size of the rink getting bigger and it would be really nice, but I don't see that happening in the near future.

Just out of curiosity I looked in to building a facility that could host games, regulation size and everything. It would run about 2.1 million. So...rentivation of Miner Rec., I think is a feasible option that wouldn't hurt anyone who uses the building now and would be a great stepping stone for UMR Hockey in the future.