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re: Is the high cost to play hockey the reason it isn't as popular?
Posted on 2/23/26 at 7:31 am to TheWalrus
Posted on 2/23/26 at 7:31 am to TheWalrus
quote:
It’s a major factor. It’s hard to get into a sport you’ve never once played.
Yep. Same for me with soccer since it was not a sport that was played most anywhere in the States when I was a kid growing up in the 50's to 60's.
The main sports in most schools were football, baseball, basketball and track and field as far a public schools.
Many Catholic schools also had wrestling, tennis, golf and swimming.
To this day I can't get into soccer and I've tried a few times to do so, but have little interest in a game that can go the full time limit and a team wins 1-0 or wins on a series of kicks by opposing players to see who scores more of them to take the win.
Ice hockey is foreign to me too and the only reason I've ever watched was for the fights that take place and I probably haven't seen a game in ages.
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Posted on 2/23/26 at 7:56 am to UltimaParadox
Yes. But that never mattered to me. Nor did rarely having ice to play on. Me and my cousin would play street hockey in the driveway when we were younger with minimal equipment. All we needed were sticks, a box, baseball glove, and a crushed can or tennis ball. Having a local team to cheer for, and being able to follow them on radio and TV was the key for me.
And I agree that soccer is far less entertaining.
And I agree that soccer is far less entertaining.
This post was edited on 2/23/26 at 7:59 am
Posted on 2/23/26 at 8:07 am to ELVIS U
quote:
As far as spectators, it is not an easy sport to enjoy unless you just want to see the fights. The puck is too small and fast for most people to see in real time. In fact, without the silly fights, I don't think anyone would even go to the games.
Tell me you've never been to a hockey game without telling me you've been to a hockey game.
quote:
Duh, it is too hot down here. Our ponds don't freeze up for kids to play on. It is kind of like the reason most good baseball players come from the south because they can play it outside as kids.
Any place that's not around the 45th parallel or north of it won't really freeze over like that consistently.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 8:17 am to UltimaParadox
quote:
I'm not disagreeing with you on your point. But would imagine the majority of all kids learn to ice skate on ice rinks not outside. Even up north
as a kid, you can go out in your own yard and play basketball.
all you need is an empty field to play baseball or football.
plus in the Deep South most of the winter the weather is nice enough to go play around outside. you don't have to go find an indoor sport (rink).
Posted on 2/23/26 at 8:18 am to UltimaParadox
quote:
Hockey is clearly less accessible than other sports due to you are unable to play it easily, even though roller hockey was popular with youths 20+ years ago. Soccer clearly has no barrier to entry and is gaining in popularity every generation.
Hockey and Soccer have blow past all sports but football in terms of enjoyment factor to me. I think a lot of it has to do with not understanding them as well as sports I had been exposed to since childhood. Learning more about the nuances in each as an adult has been fun.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 8:21 am to UltimaParadox
Obviously, in the South, an actual ice rink is the issue. I looked into youth hockey after our first was born. Closest for us would be either Biloxi or Lafayette. Pretty unrealistic
Posted on 2/23/26 at 9:00 am to UltimaParadox
quote:and the world is becoming increasingly queer.
Soccer clearly has no barrier to entry and is gaining in popularity every generation.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 9:00 am to UltimaParadox
For the 2024-2025 season, USA Hockey reported a total of 396,525 registered youth hockey players
recent industry reports indicate that total baseball participation in the U.S. reached approximately 16.7 million participants as of 2023
recent industry reports indicate that total baseball participation in the U.S. reached approximately 16.7 million participants as of 2023
Posted on 2/23/26 at 9:01 am to UltimaParadox
quote:Not in the upper Midwest and upper northeast
I'm not disagreeing with you on your point. But would imagine the majority of all kids learn to ice skate on ice rinks not outside. Even up north
They just take a hose to their front yard and that’s where they learn to skate
Posted on 2/23/26 at 9:08 am to UltimaParadox
The only kids who played hockey when I was a kid were the ones who had parents who grew up in New England or the upper Midwest and later moved south for work. In other words their parents played hockey as kids and then, as is so often the case, they pushed their kids into the youth sport they played.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 9:19 am to AUFANATL
Hockey and soccer really are somewhat similar. Obviously, hockey is faster and the rink is smaller, but the buildup is quite the same.
I’m no soccer guy, but I was able to attend a game when overseas. I had seats in their “nosebleed” equivalent which, frankly, really helped me enjoy or appreciate it. There’s a lot more to it than just kicking the ball around…there’s lots of build up and strategy behind it and you can tell teams have different strategies or styles. Soccer takes a lot of patience to enjoy.
I’m no soccer guy, but I was able to attend a game when overseas. I had seats in their “nosebleed” equivalent which, frankly, really helped me enjoy or appreciate it. There’s a lot more to it than just kicking the ball around…there’s lots of build up and strategy behind it and you can tell teams have different strategies or styles. Soccer takes a lot of patience to enjoy.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 9:24 am to UltimaParadox
quote:
Generally when I discuss it with people in the South they generally say the like the sport, but basically don't watch it even though they have local teams.
There are just some northern and southern sports. Wrestling, Hockey and Lacrosse are three that are massive in the north and midwest but are not big in the south. I would say Basketball is a bit bigger north as well
Gymnastics and Nascar and to an extent football seem bigger in the south with school aged kids
There is going to be some overlap of course where some northern areas love football and some southern areas like wrestling or basketball.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 9:34 am to St Augustine
quote:
Hockey and Soccer have blow past all sports but football in terms of enjoyment factor to me.
Football has become such a huge “happening”, and there’s a similarity I see with football and basketball. Most games are decided in the 4th quarter. You could miss 1-3, and still not really miss anything, if that makes sense.
I don’t have that feeling for hockey or baseball.
It also helps that there’s less political BS associated with the latter two. There’s some, but not as much.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 9:36 am to UltimaParadox
The answer is simple. Accessibility.
Not many rinks down here, not a lot of others playing, NHL teams didn’t become popular generations ago. We’ve had a minor/junior league here in town for over 20 years, but that arena is also the only place where you can skate, and it has to be in season or after a game.
Not many rinks down here, not a lot of others playing, NHL teams didn’t become popular generations ago. We’ve had a minor/junior league here in town for over 20 years, but that arena is also the only place where you can skate, and it has to be in season or after a game.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 9:57 am to UltimaParadox
Ice skating was always considered gay where I grew up. If you played hockey, it was because you couldn't do athletic things like running and jumping.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 10:50 am to TooFyeToFly
In the Upper Midwest the sport is more popular and more accessible. Generally speaking, if a town has a population of at least 10,000 the city will have a community based ice rink as a part of the parks & rec dept.
This community support keeps costs down. Our local ice averages $180 per hour with off peak times as low as $80 per hour. Compare that to California or Dallas where ice costs can run $500-600 per hour.
Season fees for a regional travel team will run a couple thousand. Now that sounds expensive, but it's in line with USSSA baseball fees, club volleyball, travel soccer, etc. Bottom line is youth sports these days costs money.
There are city leagues for hockey in larger cities that are much cheaper than playing travel hockey. I know of city leagues in KC, Omaha, Des Moines, Sioux Falls, MSP, Fargo, etc.
Reading this thread, it's clear that hockey is more expensive in the South mainly due to a lack of supply of affordable ice.
In areas where the rinks are community based costs can be contained and participation kept affordable. In areas where rinks are privately owned costs can be prohibitive.
This community support keeps costs down. Our local ice averages $180 per hour with off peak times as low as $80 per hour. Compare that to California or Dallas where ice costs can run $500-600 per hour.
Season fees for a regional travel team will run a couple thousand. Now that sounds expensive, but it's in line with USSSA baseball fees, club volleyball, travel soccer, etc. Bottom line is youth sports these days costs money.
There are city leagues for hockey in larger cities that are much cheaper than playing travel hockey. I know of city leagues in KC, Omaha, Des Moines, Sioux Falls, MSP, Fargo, etc.
Reading this thread, it's clear that hockey is more expensive in the South mainly due to a lack of supply of affordable ice.
In areas where the rinks are community based costs can be contained and participation kept affordable. In areas where rinks are privately owned costs can be prohibitive.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 11:24 am to Keys Open Doors
quote:
Even in Houston, the kids playing hockey have to share ice time with figure skaters and people who rent it out for birthday parties.
No shite. Ice time is scheduled so that it’s being used as much as possible. So if you’re kid signed up for a house league you might get the ice for 2 separate hour sessions per week. That could be 2 games or 1 game and 1 practice.
During the school year they want that booked from when school is out to adult/beer leagues ending late night. At the rink I grew up playing at they would even schedule HS practices before school. Or the local college club team would have the 5:30 AM or whatever practices. On the weekends it runs from before dawn until past dark.
One game plays, Zamboni, next game starts. Repeat. As little downtime as possible.
It’s too expensive to maintain and just have the ice sitting there being unused. Many of the rinks in the north get rid of the ice for a period of time during the summer because of this.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 11:35 am to UltimaParadox
quote:
Don't most medium sized cities have an ice rink for kids to play?
Funny that roller hockey facilities are even less common now
there was a large facility in Alpharetta that had 2 full sized rinks inside the building. Last time I went was probably 3 years ago. In one rink there was public skating, and the other rink had youth teams practicing (older youth...probably kids 13-17). That facility was recently closed down and repurposed to an indoor pickleball facility.
Posted on 2/23/26 at 12:48 pm to danilo
Biloxi has a rink, it's where the Tulane club team practices and plays. Used to go to Baton Rouge
Posted on 2/23/26 at 12:54 pm to danilo
Didn't NOLA have a rink in the shopping center east of town? The one that is only a memory now.
Here's another hidden expense:
Here's another hidden expense:
quote:
A new Zamboni costs anywhere from around $10,000 for smaller, basic models to over $200,000 for large, professional machines, with many full-sized models landing in the $150,000 to $200,000 range, depending heavily on size, features, and whether it's electric or gas-powered. For example, some new models were priced around $127,000 to $198,000 in recent years.
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