Elite League the Next Step for RoughRiders Rocky Mountain is embracing its progress one step at a time
By Matt Mackinder I
n the words of Rocky Mountain RoughRiders director of hockey operations Derek Robin-
son, the organization is “a pretty good story.” Now in their third year of operation, the RoughRiders have a direct affiliation with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League (USHL) and have sent more than a dozen players to various levels of junior hockey in their short existence.
Robinson said the RoughRiders were formed to create a AAA hockey presence in Northern Colorado.
“A lot of passionate people came together to make this work,” said Robinson. “The first year was very successful for us and last year was even better. Our goal is to not only move our players onto higher levels, but to also develop our coach- es.”
Now with three teams in the Tier I Elite League (14U, 16U and 18U) as well as separate 13U and 15U teams, the RoughRiders played last year in the North American Prospects Hockey League (PHL) and were the only club to have 14U, 16U and 18U teams in the league playoffs where the 18U team lost in the finals and the 14U squad won the championship.
“We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the PHL, but it made sense to make the jump this year (to the Elite League),” Robinson said. “That’s by no means a knock on the PHL at all; it was a great
league to be a part of.”
The RoughRiders join the Colorado Rampage and Colorado Thunderbirds as the third program from the Centennial State to compete in the Elite League.
“We’re excited to be a mem- ber and I know all three of our teams will have a big challenge this year,” said Robinson. “All of our teams play very tough schedules and that’s by design. The scouts want to see teams play the best and we want to have a good showing this year. “The 16U and 18U teams play 40-plus-game schedules in Tier I and the 14s play at a couple showcases - that’s defi- nitely great exposure for us.” Robinson credits the astute coaching staffs the RoughRid- ers have assembled as a key to the lateral moves.
“They’ve played at every level and know what it takes to play this game and move up in this game,” he said of the program’s coaches. “Our philosophy is based on devel-
wins will come.”
Admittedly, youth hockey in Colorado doesn’t have the following and par- ticipation of organizations in areas like Michigan, Minneso- ta and the East Coast, but, one day, Robinson hopes players join the 13U team and play all the way through.
“Realistically, yeah, I’d love to see that happen,” Robinson said. “We like to move players on early, so if a kid is ready for juniors after playing 16U, then we’re all for him moving on and each year we discuss how early we want to start players at the AAA level.
“I think it’s more about teaching kids what AAA hockey is all about. Before they make that jump, these kids need to know how to play the game and, for some, it’s a tough transition.”
Rocky Mountain players have plenty to celebrate with the RoughRiders’ foray into
the prestigious Tier I Elite League this season. Photo/Thomas Miller
opment and not all about wins and losses and championships. If we’re moving kids on, then the
Robinson, though, couldn’t be happier with the direction
the RoughRiders are heading. “Since our first year until
now, it’s night and day,” he said.
“We’re continuing to grow slowly but surely and, at the end of the day, that’s really the right way.”
Select Program Hitting on All Cylinders The CSGHA ranks among the top girls associations anywhere
By Matt Mackinder I
t’s the first and only girls-only hockey associa- tion in the state of Colorado and one of the
largest in all of the United States. The Colorado Select Girls Hockey Association
(CSGHA) has certainly made its mark in not only the mountains, but also on a national level. With numerous championships and a slew of players who’ve moved onto college hockey, the Select organization has had success, is expected to have more this year and has its collective eyes set on a bright future. Not bad for an association that’s only entering
its 11th season. “When this organization was founded, it was
on the premise that girls from Colorado could stay home and play quality hockey rather than going out to New England prep schools and es- sentially being raised by someone else on the East Coast,” said CSGHA director of hockey and 19U coachMarnie Hill. “We started out with just one team and this
year we have 12 teams. Growth is something we’re proud of and we always seem to see an influx of girls coming to the program during Olympic years. I think that’s obviously due to the exposure hockey gets during that time to the mainstream public.” Hill, who’s starting her sixth season with the
CSGHA, previously coached at Division I Provi- dence College in Rhode Island. She was also a coach at the Rocky Mountain District camps and
8 magazine
(CSGHA) prior to my arrival and, with all the growth and success, I’m happy and proud to be a part of it. We have a bunch of great coaches here who’ve been here a lot of years and they have put their mark on the organization.” Playing college hockey is a goal and aspiration
the majority of Select players come to the orga- nization with and, for a great number of those players, putting on a college jersey - whether it’s
knew the area and the players that were coming from Colorado. “It was great to interact with the kids, who
were and still are ridiculously polite,” Hill said. “Maybe you don’t get that so much on the East Coast. It was good to have a background with the
Division I, Division III or club - comes to fruition. “Of the 50 girls I’ve personally coached over
the past five years, 48 have gone onto play col- legiate hockey,” beamed Hill. “Those are pretty good numbers. These girls have the skill and desire and, if they want to play college hockey, we can create opportunities for them.” Off the ice, the Select group has numerous
fundraising initiatives which are necessary due to the organization not having a sponsor. There are also two programs, Power Play Pals and Captain’s Council, that Hill said are crucial to helping teach the girls about life and life in hockey. “With Power Play Pals, we have our older
teams link up with our younger teams and be- come big sisters to the younger girls and enjoy the camaraderie,” explained Hill. “It’s an avenue to learn the language of hockey, how to grow up in hockey and how to bridge the gap between the age groups. “For our Captain’s Council, once a month the
girls and I meet with a community leader and learn about leadership. Sometimes, girls get named a captain (of a team) and aren’t sure what that means. I think this is a big help and one the girls have really taken a liking to.” As for what the future holds in Colorado, Hill
sees continued growth and more college commit- ments. That and a championship here and there won’t hurt at all. “We’re definitely a finely-tuned machine,” Hill said. “That’s the best way I can describe it.”
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