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stouffville suntribune saturday sept 8 2007 3 byjohncudmore staff writer heres a bold uncanadian statement minor hockey is not the fastest growing sport in the country while thats a claim other activities are eager to make soccer for instance claims the most registrants nationwide it seems little sleep is being lost in the minor hockey community given the rabid popularity hockey main tains in our culture thats not a huge surprise still there are cracks appearing in the armour of the mighty hockey machine despite its status as the countrys no 1 sporting pastime growth in minor hockey has been relatively flat in recent seasons fol lowing an intriguing dip in numbers its easy to make a case the sport is a victim of its own popularity and could not possibly maintain the hectic pace it had set particu larly among females while far from a panic mode officials in minor hockey circles are at least cognizant their sport may have hit a wall we seem to have hit a plateau said omha executive director richard ropchan one thing were trying to do is encourage new participants in to the game in toronto and even north we think everyone knows all about hockey three or four years ago the omhas reg istration numbers were close to 133000 including players officials and team officials last season that figure dropped to approxi mately 129000 finding an explanation is no simple matter i cant tell you why the numbers change said mr ropchan we know hockey is can adas pastime but those coming into the country arent necessarily thinking about it that way newmarket minor hockey association president stephen paine is aware of the decrease in fact the nmha projects 1800 registrations for the 200708 season about 100 fewer than last season just a few years ago the organization was burgeoning on 2200 players im ndj sure if its demographics as much as a cyclical thing said mr paine pointing to heavy graduation at the upper age groups and slower registration rates at the entry level some might have thought it strange the nmha participated at canada day celebra tions to promote its game were trying to get people not thinking about playing hockey to get thinking and playing hockey mr paine said a lot of us grew up playing the game no questions asked mr ropchan is confident kids will fall in love with hockey once they start to play but getting started is sometimes the problem if a kid shows interest we should pro vide opportunities to play i know there are kids are you ready to hit the ice athletic therapist mark macdougal bsccatc of upper canada sports medicine in newmarket compiled a checklist for adult players to consider before jumping into the hockey season consult your doctor your mind may say 20 but youre really not that young stud anymore be aware of any history of heart disease in your family if you havent had a recent physical or if you have any concerns it is always best to get clearance from your physician before you begin a new season usually that annoying low back pain that flairs up three or four times a year or the twinge in your shoulder the day after playing can be rectified by a trained professional it probably is not as complicated as it seems a biomechanical analysis one or two treatments a stretching and strengthening program to correct any muscular imbalances may be all that is necessary if youre in relatively decent shape and have cleared the first two points strongly consider a cardio program before you even step on the ice fifteen min utes three times a week is recommended whether it is a brisk walk treadmill stationary bike elliptical or light jog activity can establish a good base for your upcoming season stretching is a necessary evil stretching is uncom fortable maybe even painful and most people avoid it at all costs most players dont realize the benefits of stretching until they are injured simply by stretching a muscle twice for 30 to 40 seconds over a period of two weeks can be a preventive measure hockey play- ers should focus on the groin hamstring quadriceps hip flexor and gluteal muscles stretch before you play too many players run into the rink five minutes before game timethe best time to stretch is when your core body temperature has risen two degrees or when you have broken a sweat skate around the ice for a couple of minutes break a sweat and stretch in front of the bench before the puck drops on waiting lists in a lot of centres still hockey registrations by and large remain a comfortable fit for the number of facilities available in whitchurchstouffville numbers appear on the aifv upswing as a projected 800 kids are expected to register for the 200708 season but even with a new rink slated to come oh line in 2009 whitchurchstouffville minor hockey association president mike hum phreys wonders if registration will zoom at that time i dont think the population will reflect in our numbers as stouffville grows mr hum phreys said its just too expensive of a sport for a lot of families to pursue eric kopsala agrees noting the east gwil- limbury minor hockey association registra tion numbers have fluctuated in recent sea sons we were nervous because our prices are going up and were always worried about pushing hockey out of reach for those want ing to try it for the first time said kopsala the secretaryregistrar for the egmha which projects a slight decrease from last seasons 681 registrants then you have to throw in the cost of equipment he noted numbers last season were on par with the 200405 season 683 prior a decrease of nearly 10 per cent for the 200506 season 620 the fact remains though hockey is com peting with far more other athletic activities for member often those activi- ties are better for a fam ily budget too we are attempting to reach those fami lies who have not enrolled again this year to determine why their children are not play ing said richmond hill hockey association president rahul shastri who despite static overall numbers of 2000 to 2100 including oak ridges is anticipating reduced registra tion for the younger age groups despite a growing population in the area numbers at the registration tables dont reflect an increase in markham said markham wax- ers vicepresident harry brailsford pointing to close to 2000 players based on house league numbers in markham unionville and part of thornhill which falls under the markham umbrella there are groups which dont play or embrace hockey at all he said i wouldnt want to admit losing numbers but its a fact oflife sks3 v 5 t pickup anyone whitchurchstouffville pickup hockey stouffville arena age hand olderjuesday and friday 1110 am to pmstartsoct2 iownofwscom i i i u photofacial repairs visible facial veins sun damage and age spots september photofacial special buy one treatment and get the second at half price medispa clinic on main medispa clinic on main 6038 main street stouffville 9056400092 laser hair removal really works new super hair removal pain free soprano diode september laser hair 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