Every now and then you just have to stop and give your head a shake. Like recently our request to once again have our annual youth road hockey event held on Main St in Newmarket, which it was last year for the first time in its 8 soon to be 9 year history, was apparently turned down. Actually, I don't even think it was even raised. Why, I'm not sure, but I do know they managed to okay closing the street for some kind of Bollywood celebration as well as a multicultural or international festival, but seems to me the very Canadian tradition of road hockey was not considered important enough.
So instead the youths of Newmarket, Bradford, Aurora and wherever else they come from this year will have to play on substandard areas too small really for quality play. The location they will now be forced to use is too narrow for passing and too close to the next playing area unless we come up with a last minute solution. Of course the outdoor stage of the new " Riverwalk Commons" for comedy play-by-play and performers will be nice and we can facet a play area for younger non-tourney players there, but really nearby stones throw Main St is where it's at for road hockey.
We'll pull this off, but I'm extremely disappointed that the downtown association apparently doesn't deem this event, with the potential to grow ginormous, important enough or worthy enough. It's not enough I guess that the longest running annual road hockey tourney in Ontario allows kids to participate for free, feeds all tourney players and also gives out a $1,000 education award to one worthy youth. Heck, last year we even reimbursed the Main St restaurants $5 each for feeding kids and put free entertainment in their cafes.They loved us. So what happened? Hmmmm..( picture me thinking here)
 |
| Members of the 1st winning team |
All the businesses I've spoken with were/are happy to have it on their street and were surprised it was even an issue as it brought some business on a winter Saturday and was a good community event - they welcomed it in fact - yet it wasn't even raised alongside these upstart events that garnered support - such as the " Car Show Thursdays" and this "Bollywood" festival idea. Listen I have nothing against Bollywood , but really what connection does it have to Newmarket? What history? Road Hockey has plenty and is a Canadian youth tradition! And you'd be surprised how many "multicultural" kids come play!
 |
| Tradition got to Main St in 2011 sadly left out in 2012 so far |
Thank goodness for our returning sponsors, some of who are right on Main St where we should be playing and who are still supporting through entry level sponsorships helping keep this worthy event alive, even though it is not actually right on Main now. And a big welcome to Newmarket Mitsubishi who know about community responsibility, as well as a good thing when they see it and without whose sponsorship this year we could not have had an event, especially with a last minute pull out of a cosponsor of the Mike Thornhill Memorial Education Award given to a youth player deemed a leader in the community... and having to explain to sponsors about the move. Game on!
Register here!