On Friday, January 20th, the announcement came out that the Indianapolis Youth Hockey Association (IYHA) and the Indy Strong organization will merge after the current season, and become one organization under IYHA.  You can read the full announcement here.  I’ve spoken to a few parents and the reactions are varied.  Some are concerned that the “elite” status of the Strong will be diluted. Others feel that this merger was a long time coming.  Either way, this news comes on the back of an announcement out of Fort Wayne, that FWYH (Fort Wayne Youth Hockey), the Fort Wayne Area High School Hockey Association, and Canlan Ice Sports are joining forces (read consolidating) to form the Fort Wayne Hockey Association.  These are also just a year removed from the Coliseum and Fishers consolidation under the Jr. Fuel.  So, what does all this consolidation mean?  It means that it’s about…freaking…time. 

Speaking as a hockey parent, a leader in the hockey community, and a football player, I gotta tell ya, hockey is about as confusing as it gets to the typical Hoosier.  For starters, there are no free throws or touchdowns.  It goes downhill from there as new parents try to figure out the difference between Buckeye Travel Hockey and Little Caesers.  Toss in midgets 16U, 18U, high school, juniors, and college hockey and you have yourself an absolute goat-rodeo.  As if this wasn’t complicated enough, Indianapolis has an extremely fractured youth hockey market.  At one point, there were seven youth hockey organizations with their hands in the Indy market, battling over about 1200 youth hockey players. 

So, what does a complicated and fractured youth hockey market mean? 

For starters, it means we don’t always show very well when competing against programs from other cities.  Sure, you get the occasional ‘AA’ team that does well or even a talented ‘A’ team that runs the Buckeye, but by in large, we’re not as competitive because we’re spread too thin.  I’m not just talking about players, but coaches and resources as well.  Hopefully, fewer organizations means the hockey community is better able to work together in order to provide a structure for the development of hockey players; not a world that encourages “across the river recruiting” and talent chasing.        

Second, as complicated as hockey can be, we tend to scare off families.  It’s bad enough that hockey is expensive, but throw in a complicated structure, and it’s enough to send the humble Hoosier packing for the basketball court.  Hockey is growing right now, but think of the potential if we had a simplified structure that lowered the barrier to entry and made progression understandable.  I’m not saying that consolidation alone can accomplish this, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

And finally, to use a cliché, united we stand, divided we fall.  Hockey politics are ridiculous, and they’re made worse by competing organizations.  If I had a nickel for every time I heard “it’s for the kids” only to watch parents and so called “leaders” act like spoiled brats, I’d build my own rink.  That’s not an indictment of hockey.  In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s the same in every other youth sport.  However, the less of it we have to deal with, the faster hockey grows.  Consolidation, if done correctly, helps to limit the external politics so we can focus on what really matters.      

Here’s the thing, although Indianapolis isn’t an NHL market, I believe Indiana is a strong hockey market.  I believe there is a metric ton of hockey talent in this state waiting to be developed.  We just have to get the leaders of our hockey community, the presidents, the organizers, and the volunteers, to realize that they are working not for their kids, but for the 4 year olds in learn to skate.  Until we’re all aligned on the same path, we’ll never be able to fully develop our potential and take our place among the more competitive hockey markets.

I commend the leaders in Fort Wayne, IYHA, the Strong, Jr. Fuel, Fishers and Coliseum for seeing the big picture.  Their crucial first steps are not without difficulty, but the path is not as long as we think.   If we do it right, and our intentions are to the grow the game, then this is not consolidation.  This is unification.

Stay tuned for INHockey.net's four-part "State of Hockey" report, beginning Monday, February 13th.  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest news on hockey in the Hoosier State.