The previous owners were a horror. I have to agree. That said, I have spoken with the new owner via telephone and he comes off a nice, reasonable, mellow gentleman. I hope to meet him within the next few weeks.
The Hurricanes last Winter from my seat, was a f'ing horror.
I expect that this year they will get it together...I would also point out to multi-sport families, that I am told that the Hub is adding an Ice Hockey rink...that should be huge, as youth hockey is huge.
I spoke with the new owner, Moussa Sy, of the former Coastal Indoor facility in Hauppague about using his wood floor for basketball, roller hockey, and volleyball, but he is a soccer guy so I don't know if he will take advantage of these other youth sports.
Anyway, let's cut the Hub some slack as they didn't buy this business just to [lacrosse] it up, they want to be good youth sports citizens....beside, Heather Hoffman will always help you out...tell her Jocko sent you when you call her at the Hub
Calling the previous owners "a horror" is unfair. Did they operate the facility well? Not even close. But they did invest in and build the nicest indoor facility on Long Island. They just never could figure out how to make the business work. Hopefully the new ownership will be able to - their up front cost basis certainly is much lower, which should help considerably.
The big question here is whether the winter league is still being run by Rockstar. I have no issues calling that operation a horror. Completely unresponsive to feedback, suggestions, complaints and criticism of their disaster of a product. The previous owners of the Hub outsourced the winter league on a multi-year contract and that was the beginning of all the complaints about the facility. Prior to that, the facility received accolades only.
We'll probably give the Hub league another chance if the new owners do a good job organizing it. Our focus will be on the following issues that plagued the league since Rockstar took it over:
1) Quality of competition. One of the biggest problems in any league or tournament is finding even matchups. Neither team gets anything out of a lopsided beatdown. Are they going to bracket teams in each division? How are they going to decide which teams belong in which bracket? Do they have a real handle on the boys and girls competitive landscape for each age group?
2) Consistency. The schedule for the past 2 years has been a complete disaster. People make weekend plans, have ski houses, play other sports, etc. The schedule cannot be posted 2 days before the first week and it can't be in a constant state of flux. The days/times of each bracket should be consistent - e.g., 5th/6th grade girls always play in the 4-6 time slots on Sunday, the 5th/6th grade boys always play in the 6-8 time slots on Sunday. Makes it much easier to ask for a commitment for 8 straight weeks if I can tell parents the window of availability I need.
3) Communication. This was a huge problem that I hope was unique to Rockstar. These guys went dark as soon as they cashed the check. Even if you can't answer a question, or address a concern, you can answer an email or return a phone call like a professional. Very few things will permanently drive a consumer away faster than being ignored.
4) Cost. This has been the most expensive indoor league by a mile for the past 2 years. At least be competitive with the other leagues or offer a demonstrably better product than everyone else.
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