re: Is the high cost to play hockey the reason it isn't as popular?

Grew up outside of Flint, Michigan, and learned how to skate in the winter on frozen ponds in soybean fields. Once I could skate well enough, I played with friends in frozen ponds in neighborhoods until I was old enough to play in the Greater Flint Hockey Association, that is where all the club play was.

The Flint area had two different indoor facilities and three or four outdoor parks with open air rinks in the winter where we had games and practices. Hundreds of youth teams and ice was scarce. Practice would be at 10PM or later, and our parents would be driving us all over the place, god bless them.

Turned 15 and moved to the Sip, that was that for my career. No ice time in the 1970's in Starkville.