Why high school sports

[Hunters1993]

On a new topic. Why do you pick to spend your money and time watching high school kids. I have my reasons but would love people post their reasons.

[kniven]

On a new topic. Why do you pick to spend your money and time watching high school kids. I have my reasons but would love people post their reasons.

I enjoy all the kids and our conversations! I rarely have to pay to get into the events. Coaches, the kids, and fans local and abroad enjoy watching my game film on YouTube.

[defense]

More pure emotion. High school games are the biggest stage most will compete on, the kids give their all. Same reason I enjoy college sports ahead of the pros too.

[Deathblow]

There's so much passion and pride. Also, it's generally when athletes start to "get it". You still have situations where one person can single handedly take over a game, but for the most part, teams start paying within their system.

[karl(east)]

There's so much passion and pride. Also, it's generally when athletes start to "get it". You still have situations where one person can single handedly take over a game, but for the most part, teams start paying within their system.

This part, definitely, along with the obvious passion and pride. Even as I get further away from it, high school still fascinates me as a stage of life where some kids get those moments of realization of what it means to be a part of a team or a community, and also what it means when it comes to an end. Players get to represent their friends, their schools, their community that isn't always possible at higher levels, and while there are billion-page threads on this forum devoted to how that community-based ideal can be corrupted, it's proven pretty resilient in spite of it all. And then there's the true uniqueness of MN HS hockey; nothing else nationwide compares, between the rich history and the huge crowds it can still turn out. Where else can one watch a sold out arena of 21,000 people standing and applauding one's alma mater?

[jdh]

There's so much passion and pride. Also, it's generally when athletes start to "get it". You still have situations where one person can single handedly take over a game, but for the most part, teams start paying within their system.

This part, definitely, along with the obvious passion and pride. Even as I get further away from it, high school still fascinates me as a stage of life where some kids get those moments of realization of what it means to be a part of a team or a community, and also what it means when it comes to an end. Players get to represent their friends, their schools, their community that isn't always possible at higher levels, and while there are billion-page threads on this forum devoted to how that community-based ideal can be corrupted, it's proven pretty resilient in spite of it all. And then there's the true uniqueness of MN HS hockey; nothing else nationwide compares, between the rich history and the huge crowds it can still turn out. Where else can one watch a sold out arena of 21,000 people standing and applauding one's alma mater?

I’ll take the second half of February and first half of March over any other time period for sports. No, make it all of March. Love the basketball tournaments too.

[goldy313]

A couple of decades ago I quit drinking, my sponsor told me I needed to find something to take up the time I used to spend drinking. High school sports take place many nights and seemed like a good choice. I am a vagabond and attended multiple high schools in my years, my kids also attended different high schools, they played hockey but our school didn’t offer hockey. For whatever reason I became a John Marshall fan, neither I or any of my kids played for John Marshall, they played at Lourdes yet JM became my school. Decades later I still follow them in most sports. The Rockets still draw the largest crowds of the Rochester schools in all sports. The only school south of the cities to win a state title in hockey is still a matter of extreme pride here. The banner is, in typical JM fashion, very under stated at the Rec Center but commands a look.

I am a die hard St Louis Cardinals fan (my dad listened to the Cardinals on KMOX before there ever were the Twins) above all else but a close second is John Marshall. Without high school sports I don’t think I would be where I am today. It provided me with an alternative to a life style that was going to kill me.

[Hunters1993]

I love the stories of community hockey and loving tradition.

For me high school sports is awesome for the atmosphere of fans going crazy for local kids playing a game for the town. Kids losing together, wining together, and taking the community on a ride. I live an hour from an hockey and drive to watch twenty games a year and then make four or so playoff games then spend my four days at the X since 1993.

My kids have no interest in playing hockey and never will but they do come with to a couple games during the year and the c-chip games at the X. Watching kids work their way up a association and get to high school and succeed together. There are very few fights and most players play with intensity without going cross the line. I don’t have to explain why I like high school hockey they just get it when they come with. Each team usually has one or two great players and they almost always keep me wanting to come back to see another game.

Watching hockey is great and with no horse in the race I can sit back and enjoy the games as a hockey fan. Watching the great heart kids show and enjoying the community cheer their star.

The luster of watching transfer teams dominating both classes is really starting to ruin it for me. Bunch of kids who didn’t grow up in an association playing for their “community” team. Hired guns and hired goalies. Really is that high school hockey has turned into?

The elder posters, ones who have been around for 30 plus years, help my understanding. Is this where high school hockey in twin ports is going?

[Mite-dad]

I love it because I know the kids. The kids on the local high school team that I know, and I get familiar with the kids on the teams they play. Plus you know their parents if you are involved in the community and you get to know parents on the other high school teams if you are involved in summer hockey or HP teams or elite teams.

[Slap Shot]

Born in '67. Growing up I was very fortunately to able to attend a fair share of Gophers sports (best friend's dad was a wealthy UM grad with season tickets to HKY, FB and BB for his law firm), and some Vikings, North Stars and Twins games (dad bought some, brother was a Twins bat boy), but my dad taking my brother and I to the Civic Center every March for years cemented in me watching high school hockey at least.

To this day the only games I try my hardest not to miss no matter what is the HS hockey tournament, and Gophers football and hockey - all of which can be hit or miss watching online due to where I live.