Dr. Altenkirch outlines hockey budget expectations
UAH President Robert Altenkirch met with The Huntsville Times editorial board Tuesday and outlined the budget expectations for the hockey program to stay Division I:
Under the new plan, UAH will provide $650,000 to the projected $1.5 million annual budget cited by the school to have a competitive NCAA Division I hockey program. That leaves $850,000 – or 57 percent – to come from other sources.
Those other sources, Altenkirch said, will come “from a combination of ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, advertising, fundraising, you name it.”
The $650,000 would represent a decrease from recent years, where about $800,000 out of a $900,000 budget would come from direct university support. This means we as a fanbase have a greater responsibility to help this program survive and thrive.
We can do this. You can do your part by donating to the 2012 Hockey Campaign.
2012 Hockey Campaign Under Way
The official UAH Chargers 2012 Hockey Campaign is under way! Head to this site and let Jared Ross bring you the details:
http://www.uah.edu/2012hockeycampaign
If you haven’t donated to the cause, now is the time. Any help, no matter how small, is appreciated. We must show prospective conferences that we have the financial strength and backing to be accepted. Conference affiliation is necessary for UAH hockey to have a long term future.
You can also reach the above link through http://www.uah.edu and http://www.uahchargers.com. Charge on!
All Is Not Lost
The Huntsville Times has the scoop: the program will continue past 2012. Here’s the statement from the school:
Members of The University of Alabama in Huntsville administration met this evening with hockey supporters, following discussions with Chancellor Malcolm Portera, and came to a consensus to work closely together to pursue institutional and community support to continue UAH hockey at the Division I level.
When we have more, we’ll share it. Have a great night, everyone.
ETA (2314 hrs): Paul Gattis has filed a longer story.
Jeremy Robichaud on Hints of the Past
I’m a USCHO poster (jrobes01) and long-time UMass Lowell fan. With UAH coming up to Lowell this Friday, I thought it would be a good time to send you an e-mail.
Although I’ve only seen the web portion of the attempt to keep UAH Hockey alive, I’m very impressed with what you’ve done in the last year or so and also the support you’re getting from the college hockey community. It’s terrible that the administration, with an interim chancellor at that, has taken away the one thing that I honestly think makes your school unique. As you may know, Lowell was in a very similar situation a few years ago when some jerk on the UMass Board of Trustees made the mistake of trying to take out Lowell in order to boost funding for Amherst’s program.
A grassroots effort was started and support from local lawmakers along with a new chancellor that “gets it” helped kill any further talk of the program’s elimination. Now Lowell is on the rise again with a team that’s taking Hockey East by storm and an average attendance of over 5,000 at the Tsongas that beats out Amherst, Maine, Northeastern, and almost edges Boston University. Look at “almost contracted” teams like the Minnesota Twins, the rebirth of the Winnipeg Jets, and many others that have beaten out the close-mindedness of a small group and now have thriving fan bases. Even though things are probably not going as well as you’d like, I hope you and the Charger faithful continue to support the team and fight for what’s yours.
Keep up the battle down there! I’ll be at the Merrimack and Lowell games this week, might even root for UAH in both of them.
Ed.: Mike McMahon of the Eagle-Tribune in North Andover, Mass. notes that Merrimack was once much in the same place. I think both the UML and MC stories provide Charger fans not only hope of retaining the program but hope for future success.
Justin Roller on Perseverance
[Justin is a 2010 UAH graduate currently in law school at NYU.]
My favorite Charger hockey memory will always be my first road trip to Niagara. In the fall of my freshman year at UAH, you could pay $80 for a 16 hour bus ride to Niagara Falls and two tickets to the weekend series at Dwyer Arena. Not to mention the relaxed drinking age across the border!
I still remember the quizzical looks on the faces of the Niagara faithful. Into Dwyer Arena stormed 100 blue and white-clad Charger fans, faces painted, flags in tow. A true home game for UAH–850 miles away from home ice, and just a stone’s throw from the Canadian border. Caught amidst raised eyebrows and whispers of “what the hell,” we marched to our seats as we chanted “It’s great! To be! A UAH Charger!” I’m convinced Dwyer Arena hasn’t been that loud ever since. The Niagara fans passively cheered on the “Purple Eagles;” we actively jeered the “Purple Pigeons.” The Niagara fans sat and politely clapped; we stood and stomped on the bleachers. The Niagara fans passively watched their team skate to a 7-3 victory; we screamed throughout a disappointing loss like it was the last UAH game we’d ever see. And in the second period, when Grant Selinger took a pass from Cale Tanaka and zipped a shot past the Niagara goalie to bring the Chargers within one score deep in the second period, he made sure to take a celebratory slam into the glass, right in front of us–the home crowd.
But this is just one memory among four years of exhilarating Charger hockey experiences. And it’s a shame that the short-sightedness of a few is bringing down the tradition built by so many. To think: the people dismantling this program are citing lack of fan support, just a short time after USCHO witnessed our invasion of Niagara Falls and opined that “no fans in college hockey are more underrated and under appreciated as the Charger faithful.” That probably explains why, in March 2007, a dozen of us crowded around a single laptop to watch the PPV broadcasts of the CHA tournament (and Dave Nimmo’s heart-stopping short-handed goal to knock off Robert Morris for the championships). Or why, weeks later, we made the trek to Grand Rapids, where it took #1 Notre Dame two overtime periods to climb Marc Narduzzi’s brick wall. Or why, over the next three losing seasons, we still went to the VBC every weekend (blasting Brett “P-Box” McConnachie’s “Chargers Gettin’ Rowdy”, mind you).
This is an extremely sad time for Charger fans. Fight and do all you can to save this team. We were always a dark horse, but we always put up a fight. And if we come up short, just remember what Coach Ross said after we nearly shocked the world in the 2007 NCAAs: “I’m proud of them, extremely proud of them, and I think they ought to walk out of here with their heads high.”
[Ed: If you want to tell your story, email it to me at g@saveuahhockey.com. --GFM]
Leslie Reed on Hockey as Huntsville and Family Tradition
When I lived in Huntsville in the early-mid 1980s, UAH hockey games were “the place to be”. Being introduced to hockey through UAH, my brother joined a league at age 10 or 11 when we moved to NC in 1985. There were not many leagues around, so it was a travelling team. My dad and brother spent their weekends going to games in VA & DC. That brother grew up playing hockey and still plays on an adult rec team every week (he is in his 30′s)!
Having grown up around hockey, my other brother started a school team at Appalachian State University. The team had to put $ in the pot to buy ice time for their games, and could not afford ice time for practice (but could practice on frozen ponds in the winter). Ten years later, that team is going strong with school support. That brother went on to coach hockey at Lynchburg College, and still plays recreationally as often as possible (joining my other bro’s team when in town). My dad, who first had the interest in UAH hockey, brought us to the UAH games, introduced the travel league to my bro, and was so dedicated in supporting my brother’s travel team – he has also played on an “adult over 30″ league (when he was in his late 50′s). He still supports my brother’s team and attends games weekly, frequently visiting the bench to offer coaching advice (he has even suited up as a sub on occasion). He has made some street hockey sticks and given them to my young sons – hoping to shape another generation in playing hockey. It all started with UAH.
Lauren Kahre About Learning to Love Hockey at UAH
I’m a student at UAH, in my fourth, and, barring some drastic failure, last year of undergraduate study. I say undergraduate because I’ll still be here at the graduate level next year, and I can’t believe that it might be my only year here without hockey.
I came to UAH with little hockey experience. I grew up in Kentucky and Texas, where basketball and football were king, but I remember watching some Stanley Cup games on TV with my dad. He didn’t know much about the rules, but enough that I could follow along some of the time with his help. When I applied to UAH, the fact that there was no football was actually a draw for me. I’d had enough of it during my two high school years in Texas. I thought the hockey thing was a little quirky, and it made the university stand out, but I figured I’d not really get into it and just go to a game if I was bored. I arrived on campus that fall with my attitude unchanged. Then someone took me to a game.
My first game was the 2004 exhibition match against Tennessee’s club team. We destroyed them 13-0, and I was hooked. I’m not sure if it was all the scoring or the fact that I almost died twice (first was a puck that zipped past my head, second was when Tom Train destroyed someone into the boards right in front of me, nearly making me fall backwards in those really high/unstable chairs up against the boards), but suddenly I wanted to go to every game I could. So I did.
Every Friday night and Saturday afternoon, if we had a home game, you could find me at the Von Braun Center. I found a couple friends who were more than happy to teach me the rules I didn’t know, and I was learning. In a couple months, I went from a hockey novice to a nut who could explain exactly what icing is. I still go to every home game, and now I’ve even got my roommate hooked. In the years I’ve been here, hockey games have become something that I can scream my head off at, have fun at, and one thing related to the school where I don’t have to think about that problem set that’s due on Monday, or the test I probably bombed this morning. Basketball games are that way too, but we don’t have basketball in October. Every hockey home opener is like my birthday present from the school, or a reward for making it to Fall Break.
When the announcement came that D-1 hockey was coming to an end, it felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I’d known it was probably coming, but hearing it made me want to hit something. If I hadn’t have had Humans vs. Zombies that week as a distraction, I might have. Dr. Portera insisted that club hockey would stay on and be just as good, but thanks to my experience at my first game, I knew better.
I know there might be a second chance now, with community leaders stepping up and Dr. Altenkirch not slamming the door in the face of anyone who asks about reinstating hockey, but to be honest, I’m scared to have too much hope. For now, I’m enjoying every game I can and letting that little spark of hope shine, just not too bright.
Lauren Kahre
UAH Student/Future Graduate/Hockey Fan
George Sauers, on the Opportunity Lost
My son was 10 when he first met Nathan Bowen and began playing tier 1 hockey for his youth travel program. Living in orlando, we drove 12 hours one way on weekends to practice in Huntsville.
During those weekends in Huntsville and spending time with Nathan and his coaches (many of whom were UAH graduates) we as a family grew very fond of the Charger graduates, the Charger team that opened up their locker room for tours, and the Charger coaches.
8 years later my son has graduated from high school and was accepted to UAH. However, his dream was to play D1 hockey for the Chargers. So he decided to delay his admission and to go to Dallas, Texas and play junior hockey this season in the WSHL to get bigger, stronger, and faster with the hopes of making the Charger team in 2012 or 2013.
Without Charger Hockey, UAH loses it’s luster. Although academically it is an outstanding institution, there are many outstanding institutions that offer D-I or D-III hockey—not club.
After all the good experiences and friends we have made through the years, we are saddened that Charger Hockey will most likely not be a part of his D-I dream.
Sincerely,
George Sauers
Orlando, Florida
Father of Gregory Sauers
Original Player and 7 committed years to Thunder Tier 1 Hockey founded in
Huntsville, AL.
What UAH Hockey Means to Alyson Buck and Chris Bertagnolli
UAH hockey is special to both of us. I’m from New York, so I grew up in a “traditional” hockey market, and I loved hockey from the time I was little. When I came to college down here I had a great time telling all my friends from up north that we had a DI hockey team. They couldn’t believe it. Seeing them on TV in 2010 for the NCAA playoffs was completely amazing. I still freak out when they let Cam Talbot on TV for the Rangers. Last season during the playoffs I about teared up seeing him in the Rangers jersey….even though he didn’t really get to play then. In 2010, I was so excited that a Huntsvillian was playing for the Stanley Cup, today being a Bruins fan it’s tough to root for the Flyers, but I sure did! Also, I think when you go to all of a team’s home games like we do, you really learn the players’ personalities, and we care about them a great deal. We talk about them like they’re part of our family. For Example: “Hope Clarke’s feeling good today” “Justin’s gonna score us a goal in the next period”, etc. I joke that they’d miss us if we ever missed a game. They’re only a few years younger than myself, but I affectionately call them “the boys” or “the kids”. The day Portera announced his decision I was at home as I don’t work on Mondays, I cried all day. I just felt like, “What’s gonna happen to the boys now? They certainly deserve better!” We stayed to meet the players the night they signed the posters a few weeks ago, and we were literally some of the only folks without a kid that stayed, just because I was on some kind of personal mission to say to at least some of their faces “hey, we’re here for you, and we care about this thing too…we’ll be at all your games no matter what.” I wrote to the governor and John McMahon, we were both at the rally, we gave what we could to join Blue Line Club this year, I’ve been determined to do everything possible to help the team, I don’t want something to happen and not have done everything I could for them. I wear my Save UAH Hockey t-shirt everywhere. And I think I do all this stuff because they ARE part of our family…Huntsville’s family, and Huntsville should do more to support their little brothers.
Chris is a little different. He grew up here and he didn’t just watch hockey, he played here in Huntsville for 8 years. No one in his family played hockey, they were all (surprise!) football players, so we don’t know where he picked hockey up, but he started when he was 8. His uncle, Ricky Bates, had been friends with Dave Slifka and while Dave was playing for UAH he was Chris’ hockey teacher. He did one on one classes with Chris for an hour or two a few days a week at the Ice Plex. We still have pictures of Chris and Dave together, he signed EVERYTHING for Chris’ family, hockey pucks, sticks, he gave Chris his jersey. This was all before Dave’s brief stint in the CHL. On his little hockey cards that HAHA had made for the kids back then Chris always put Dave as his favorite player. Chris played for Grissom in the first two years that Grissom had a hockey program (13 and 12 years ago for his freshman and sophomore years of high school) before he left Grissom in 11th grade. I think Dave made Chris the hockey player he was, and hockey made him the man he is today, and today he’s a strong, hard-working, brave kind of guy that will just grit his teeth and work through physical pain or other adversity for what he believes is his duty. Also, he’s not as up front about saying it, but Chris cares a lot about the team too. He wants to see them succeed, because while you hear the term “hockey culture” a lot, I think most folks forget that it really IS a culture and UAH was part of that culture in Huntsville too, and while he didn’t reach that level himself, they were all part of the same thing in a way.
I sent you a picture of our buddy Alec serving over in Korea. He kinda caught hockey fever from us. He had never seen hockey before until we took him to a game last year. It’s great teaching someone else about hockey, sharing your love for something like that. He loves UAH hockey so much now that he wanted to participate in the rally, so he sent that picture. Being on your page completely made his day, he said he didn’t know he would get all the attention he did and he really appreciated the nice things folks were saying to him. He just wanted to be a part of the movement to save the team.
The team gives us something to think about, something to support, saving the team gives us something to strive for. It makes us part of something special. Hockey is Huntsville’s special thing, and the team represents Huntsville in front of the rest of this country and I think they do a pretty good job of it. I don’t really know how else to put into words what the team means to us, I know what I’ve put here is really our stories of our relationship with the team, not really what it MEANS for us, but I just wanted you to see that there’s a lot of love there.
I’m sorry this is so long, when we joined Blue Line Club I tried to say some of this in an e-mail to Chris Luongo, but I was really too shy to say all of this. Thank you so much for taking the time out to listen to us and helping to make us part of something really great.
With a lot of love for the team, their staff, and the Save UAH Hockey fellas,
Alyson Buck (and on behalf of Chris Bertagnolli and Alec Kachel)
How to Help: Mid-November 2011
People have been asking how to help these days. If you haven’t heard, the money from outside donors appears to be there in terms of covering the operating budget of the hockey program. As such, we have hearts and minds to convince these days. You can contact members of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees, but I think that we should focus our efforts on two people: Alabama Governor Dr. Robert Bentley and new UAH President Robert Altenkirch.
You may call Dr. Bentley at (334) 242-7100, and you can email through his contact form. If you’re going to be a little cranky, we’d rather that Dr. Bentley hear that than Dr. Altenkirch.
You can email Dr. Altenkirch, but please keep it friendly, courteous, and positive. Altenkirch will be the person who makes this decision, and vitriol is NOT going to help us here. I’ve already emailed him once, and I’m sure that I will again.
Obviously, both of these contact modes work best when coming from Alabamians or UAH faculty/staff/students, but we’ll take help from anyone and everyone. Just remember that we’re essentially asking for a favor.