Tue 14 Dec, 2004
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Opinions expressed here do not represent the official views of PlanetFieldHockey.com or its staff. Comments will be removed if they are considered offensive or of a personal nature.
Comments on this article
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Al Mattei
09-20-2004 12:21 pm
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Penn-Lafayette
That match was supposed to have appeared on CSTV. Did anyone else try to tape it and found Nebraska women's volleyaball?
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REALITY CHECK
09-21-2004 5:12 pm
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Maine is an absolutely horrible field hockey team. They always have been, and always will be. They do not belong on a top 20 list unless it is a list of unsuccessful second-rate field hockey teams.
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Real Reality Check
09-21-2004 6:26 pm
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Reality Check
NCAA Field Hockey is absolutely horrible, to single out one team among them as being more horrible if funny and redundant.
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PeteJ
09-21-2004 6:53 pm
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maine & ncaa
re maine - you are right, they dont play pretty hockey, they might not be fun to watch but they grind out results.
as far as NCAA field hockey goes I would suggest you go to more games. I saw three games this weekend - Maryland v Princeton, Princeton v Dartmouth & Deleware v Maryland. Is it great hockey? No....... but I tell you it is getting better all the time. All three games were great games to watch and the skill level was very good. One thing that astounded me was the real tactical nous displayed by some of the teams. The field hockey I have seen so far this year gives me hope for the future. We may not be the best team in the world, we may not have the best system in the world but the NCAA is getting better all the time. Why dont we actually support the system we are STUCK with instead of just trashing it at every opportunity.
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Based in reality
09-22-2004 6:04 am
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thank goodness for PeteJ
Finally a person who views NCAA FH for what it is....a College sport, played by young women.
Granted not every woman on College teams is suited to play International FH, but look at any other NCAA sport. How many college football players actually play in the NFL....College sports is to be
played for enjoyment.........every young woman who plays FH does so for love of the game...they all play to win every game, but sometimes it's not picture perfect. Let's back these women who work hard year round to stay in playing shape, and who work their butts off to play the game they love.
As i stated a few months back, everyone is ready to critisize NCAA FH and the USFHA...there were several positive articles printed on this site, but nobody chose to comment.....but mention
Duke FH and every idiot in the world has something negative to say. If you have a private axe to grind, do it with that person.....otherwise, let's support NCAA FH and the women who play it!!!!
As for MAINE, it's nice to see a good young program do well........too bad an idiot like reality check can't have something positive to say....get your head out of your butt...the view is better from out here!!!!!
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Viewer
09-22-2004 4:31 pm
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also based in reality
Whilst I agree with what was written by Based in reality, it sadly isn't quite like that.
I know a lot of college players who play merely just to get themselves through college. Some even hate the game and do it solely for the financial aid over the 4-5 years. I admit a minority.
If these players played for the love of the game, why do some many give up immediately after college. (This is obviously moving onto a new topic showing we need national league structures for non-students.)
Plus, shame we dont spend a little less time in the gym and more on the field!
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Based in reality
09-23-2004 5:51 am
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Viewer
Although I do not totally agree, it's nice to hear comments based on fact and although
not positive, your comments are neither a personal vendetta nor a bash on the entire US program.
I agree that a new national league structure is needed for post grad students, unfortunately most non students have to get on with their lives after college. One last comment....yes several players are playing solely for the free education, but looking at this whole picture, they did something to deserve that scholarship......and getting through is the aim of all college students, athletes included.
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Viewer
09-23-2004 9:59 am
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Reality
I will agree with you on most parts. College is for learning - it is that education and qualification that gets you a job, not the hockey. But this does not help US hockey in the meantime.
I have no vendettas etc because I am not from the US, or part of the US set up, I am just a lover of the game. I have however seen college hockey and its athletes so am not completely talking blind.
The US needs a senior league structure. Players all over the world do this and manage to "get on with their lives". There are very few examples of where hockey is full time profession. We all work 9-5's and then train and play after hours. Maybe introduce Regional / State leagues before going National.....but something is needed to increase and improve the level of competition within the US, otherwise the National team will find it hard to move forward.
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Club hockey player
09-23-2004 12:50 pm
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I do agree that we need some better type of club system...however, since the US is such a large country it makes it very hard to set something up...if you have to drive 7 hours to play in a tournament on a weekend, most people just don't want to do that. It is great that the european countrys have such a developed club system, but their whole countries are as big as one of our states...it makes it much easier "to get on with their lives" and play competitive hockey too.
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hockey grad
10-03-2004 11:07 am
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It's all well and good that you all agree US Hockey is not what or where it should be. I'm 100% with you. I'm happy that you support the sport and the girls playing. We need more of that. In addition we also need people to stop complaining and comparing the US system to that in Europe and start making changes. Yes we need a club structure and the kids need to start playing younger so that they develope the basic skills before high school. Yes we need to keep people like me, who have played in college in the system, involved. It's so easy to graduate from college, put your stick in the closet and claim early retirement. Why are we allowing so many tallented girls to "just get on with their lives"? The more people you have playing and still involved in US hockey the more people you will have to coach the younger kids and help up the level of US hockey. We need more training opportunities for HS and college coaches. So many coaches at both the HS and college level are still playing hockey from 20 years ago.. and don't even get me started on the officials! Since I went through the system there have been so many wonderful changes and US hockey is moving in the right direction... slowly but moving none the less.
My point is... US hockey is not where it should be in comparison to the rest of the world. I doubt anyone will disagree. It is however, moving in the right direction. There are people out there who are fighting for these changes. There are people with international experience who know what it is to play at a higher level and want to bring us up to date.
What it's going to take is small changes at a community level. Rec leagues for young girls and "old" girls. Winter and spring leagues for middle and high school girls. International exposure at a younger age. Community sponsored tournaments. If we all start small in our neighborhoods it will grow. Eventually neighborhoods will come together and clubs will form but it won't happen overnight.
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