No news is bad news for ESG
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- March
- 28
Another story I wasn’t able to get to during the season was the ongoing saga of the 2009 Empire State Games. It was originally scheduled for July in the mid-Hudson Valley (Poughkeepsie and Newburgh), and then cancelled after state pulled all $3 million in funding and threatened to charge participants $285 each.
There is still no official word on whether the games would be played elsewhere in the state, but time is clearly running out. This e-mail was sent to Hudson Valley coaches from regional director Frank Intervallo this morning:
Dear friends:
Many of you have been calling asking for information on this year’s Games. I have not received any official word regarding the status of the 2009 Games, but in view of the fact that the time has passed to start the process, and no direction has come from State Parks on the prospects of holding a viable program this year, the thought that we will have Games for 2009 fades away further and further each day.
After analyzing every possible scenario, a strong dose of reality has begun to set in. It is unfair to you to ask you to wait any longer on your decisions for summer plans, as it is to ask venues to hold dates for us for tryouts that may never occur. At this point, I am releasing you from any obligation to coach at the Games in 2009, and you are free to pursue other opportunities that may come your way for this summer. If, of course, through some miracle, we are able to hold a program, and you wish to participate, I will certainly welcome your participation, as I will also welcome you back for the 2010 Games. Also, if you have made any arrangements with venues for tryouts, I would ask that you please cancel them and release the facility to pursue other options that may be available to them, as well.
This is a message that I am sure we all hoped would never be sent, but I feel that our only option left at this point is to re-group and begin preparing for the 2010 Games in Buffalo. While I share your disappointment, I thank you all for your hard work and dedication that you have consistently given to the program, and look forward to working with you again next year.
Regretfully,
Frank
This entry was posted
on Saturday, March 28th, 2009 at 1:10 pm by Harold Gutmann. 
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This is black mark against New York State. They reinstated the seniors and dropped the ball on the children, many of whom need the Empire State Games as a showcase to help them get seen by college coaches and possibly obatin desparately needed financial aid in order to attend college. Sorry, seniors, but our children need the exposure. Once again, a short-sighted bureaucracy expends money where it’s not needed the most. Shameful!
Hocke Mom and others. You want exposure tryout for HNIB, Chowder Cup, Mission Cup and other spring tournaments. Empires is okay but there are so many other tournaments college coaches go to.
And the children competing in sports which don’t even have those, where do they get their exposure? I wasn’t ONLY talking about hockey!
There is no more messed up state gaovernment in the US than the NY State legislature.
Ordinary state employees with $175,000 plus salaries, thosands of lifetime pensions beginning as early as age 50 exceeding $100 grand a year. Surely you could get well qualified people to do any of these jobs for even 5% less salary.
Our tax dollars are being used to sustain these payrolls.
This whole MTA budget fiasco, is it really alot to ask people to pay $2.50 for a subway ride? Other systems around the country pay as much or more.
Sure these are simplistic rants and don’t belong on a hs hockey blog.
I hate to see first class programs like Empires be sacrificed for this idiocy.
Keep Voting for all those corrupt politicans. They ALL SUCK! Do you really think C. Schumer (our beloved senator), really cares about us…...NO! He and his wife make millions…. Maybe he could donate to this cause…..
What they could have done was knock out all the non-scholastic teams and just had it for scholastic ages. Most of the open games were people who played in the games as high schoolers sothey had their shot. They could have went and looked for sponsors too.
On a second look NY and only a few states have something like this, so I guess we should be thankful for all the years we did have it
HockeyMom – that’s not me, someone else using my tag!
you aren’t the only hockey mom out there.
Hockey Mom,
Are you the “Hockey Mom” of the terrifc White Plains high school player from last year who went to the USHL this year?
If so, how is that working out?
Now that we are in off-sesaon and the blogging has slowed down, that would be a good blog topic.
I’d like to hear how the adjustment to a new city, level of play, what’s going next year and/or if you would do anything different.
Let us know, it could be good for other players, not going the college club route, to hear about.
Two other prominent players from last year, goalies Tom Natoli and Joe Reagan. How has their first year of Junior hockey been?
Has it helped set them up for something higher next year?
I hope this won’t lead to criticsism of their decisions. These kids are so young with plenty of time to explore career options. And why not a hockey career option..
I’m just curious how the first year went.
sec1 fan…you’re right but that is my tag….remember when someone was using yours or are you the imposter?
Al Bundy – Thank you for the compliment on my son. He went to Fargo but came back for Christms and did not return. He was given the choice to stay and “maybe” play or go back to the Rockets and play every game and make an impact. When he was first asked to go to Fargo….the team was in second to last place. By the time he got there and practiced for two weeks….they started winning (11 of the last 13 games)and were on a roll. The coach did not want to cut anyone. He is not the type of player to ride the bench and sit by and watch so he came home to play.
He has been offered D3 college but would like to pursue D1. The USHL is where he wants to be next season and there a few teams interested, one being Fargo again.
It is a hard long road indeed if you want to play D1 and I admire his devotion. I don’t know if I would be able to perservere as he has. I will keep you posted on the next stage as we find out.
Joe and Tom both had a great year and helped their teams to make playoffs and Joe’s team making it to the finals.
As far as the NJ Rocketts…it is where you want to be if you want to continue your high school hockey to another level and onto college. Bob is a terrific coach with no agenda except to get his players where they want to go. I can’t say enough about the man. He is a professional who cares about his players. FYI – Tryouts are this week.
Thanks HOCKEY MOM,
Best of luck to your son and other section 1 players who pursue higher levels of hockey. They have my admiration..
To Al Bundy- I remember hearing/reading somewhere that Natoli was considering an offer to play DIII at Lebanon Valley in PA. That team plays in the toughest DIII conference (ECAC West) which has as its other members Elmira, Manhattanville, Hobart, Neumann and Utica College. Everyone in the league but Lebanon Valley finds themselves in the national rankings during the course of a typical season. This year, Neumann finished 4th in the league but went on to win the NCAA DIII national championship. That tells you a lot about the depth of the league.
If Natoli goes to Lebanon Valley, he will see a lot of rubber. And you can watch him play when Manhattanville hosts LV at Playland each year.
Fanotgame: Remember just cause a goalie goes to a college doesn’t mean he is even going to play a lot. They might see a lot of rubber in practice. Manhattanville in your backyard has 3 to 4 goalies on their roster. They all played high levels and yet some will hardly play at all. tough for goalies to find a home, hope Natoli gets lucky.
Lebanon Valley’s record was 0-25 this year and 1-23-1 the year before. My guess is that Natoli will get a shot if he goes.