Allen Park Hockey Association

15024 Englewood Allen Park, MI 48101

News Letter

Greetings all!  I hope that you are all enjoying your summer.  Welcome back to all the current members of the Allen Park Hockey Association and a sincere welcome to all the new members of Michigan’s best hockey association.  This is my first year as President, and I do so with much anticipation and a great deal of pride.  I have been an active member of the APHA for over nine years and am proud to be a part an association that is driven and committed to providing the best opportunity to all of its young members.  Every effort is taken to find the best coaches and skill development programs available.

 

This being said, I urge every parent to get “actively” involved in the operation of this program.  Everyone is welcome to take an active roll regardless of residency or gender.  There is no experience needed, on-the-job training will be provided for free, and the rewards for being a part of a successful youth program are immeasurable.  Take the opportunity to make a difference!

 

The APHA has again contracted additional ice from the City of Melvindale.  It came with a new rate to meet what we pay the City of Allen Park and will mean no increase to this year’s ice fees.  It provides additional prime time ice for our teams to skate on, and it also came with an added commitment to keep the Melvindale facility clean and fully operational.  The locker rooms will be properly maintained with working drinking fountains, bathrooms and showers.  The condition of the ice and the boards will also be maintained to standards that meet the APHA’s requirements.  They are looking at re-opening the pro shop as well.  If you have any problems or concerns regarding either the Allen Park or Melvindale facilities, please notify any board member so it can be properly addressed. 

 

We have new jerseys this year.  The color scheme will remain the same, green, white & black, but the uniforms have a slightly different style.  They look great and will wear better. 

 

You’ll also notice a new trophy case in the lobby at the Allen Park Civic Arena.  A special thank you to Jeff Goulasarian for building and placing the trophy case for us.  We have quite a few trophies from last year with four Allen Park teams going to State Championships.  We also had many other championship trophies, from Silver Sticks, league, playoffs and tournaments.  These accomplishments can now be proudly displayed for all to see.

 

It has always been a tradition for our house teams to participate in the Adray Suburban Hockey League while our travel teams participate in the Little Caesar’s Amateur Hockey League.  Last year, many of the associations downriver, Trenton, Grosse Ile, Woodhaven, that normally had their house teams participate in the Adray League, moved to the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League.  This left Allen Park with only a handful of teams from associations such as Wyandotte, Monroe & Southgate to compete against.  This was an issue for some divisions, such as the mini-mite division, which only had four teams in their league and meant that they had to play the same teams four and five times a year.  This year, all the teams in the APHA will be participating in the LCAHL.  Monroe, Wyandotte and Southgate will follow as well, which will create a Downriver League within LCAHL for house teams similar to the structure within the Adray League.  This will provide a larger range of teams to compete against while still keeping the travel within a small geographical area.  It is hoped that it will also help in recruiting house teams to our Christmas Tournament.

 

For those of you that don’t know, the Ron Stros’ Memorial Christmas Tournament is the longest running house tournament in the state.  It was named after a coach from Allen Park that suddenly died while coaching a youth hockey game.  It is my hope that this tournament tradition will continue for many years to come.

 

It is important that, as members of this association, we conduct ourselves in a manner that exemplifies good sportsmanship.  Parents, coaches and players all have ownership in keeping the integrity and reputation of the APHA to a high standard.  As parents and coaches, we are all responsible for our actions.  Remember that it is just a game played by a group of kids, don’t make it bigger than it is.  Don’t get caught letting your emotions get the better of you and embarrass yourself, the APHA or, most importantly, your kids.  Don’t react to another persons over-reaction.  Be responsible for your actions and help diffuse bad situations rather than ignite them.  Please report any improper behavior to any APHA Board member.

 

Lastly, but most importantly, I would like to give a special thanks and appreciation to an important person to the APHA.  After three years, Bruce Antioch has decided to step down as President of the APHA.  This concludes an era that spans nearly four decades as part of Allen Park Hockey.  On behalf of the association and as a parent whose three sons are members, I would like to thank Bruce and his entire family for their commitment and dedication to youth hockey and especially to the Allen Park Hockey Association.  Bruce’s father founded the APHA 37 years ago.  Since 1970, the Antioch name has been synonymous with the APHA and youth hockey.  From player to coach, President, parent, and referee, there has been an Antioch “in the game” so to speak at Allen Park.  The tradition continues with Bruce’s two brothers, Paul and Scott, that are coaches in the APHA.  It is this unequalled commitment that has built an association rich in history, reputation and tradition.  Thank you Bruce!    

   

For additional information, please visit www.allenparkhockey.com . Good luck to everyone on a successful and enjoyable season.

 

Rick Pinkowski

APHA President