TO THE EDITOR:

I have been a North Branch Area Hockey Association parent for the past nine years and because we have more than one child, I will be for another 10 years.

I have traveled far and wide to make it to many practices and games. As my son gets older the practices get later and later. We have gone to Pine City for a 9:45 p.m. practice, which means that the kids get off of the ice at 10:45, get their gear off and then the trip back home to take a quick shower and then to bed around 11:30 p.m. As I tell my son ìsleep fast because morning is coming and there is school.î With all of the neighboring communities growing they do not have the ice time to sell North Branch. Because of this Grantsburg, Wisc., is now one of our practice arenas (about a 45 minute drive, weather permitting).

Some people wonder why we do it ñ for our kids that love the sport (okay, I confess I love it too)! Most of these kids have been playing together for the past nine years and they have become very good friends, on and off the ice. The parents and siblings on the team really bond together and become one big family. There is always pressure for the kids to be active and to keep them busy and in activities so they donít get into trouble. Along with hockey some of the players also have Wednesday night church activities.

Because of our lack of practice time, the games we play against the larger communities, who practice everyday, can be a struggle and we know why ñ lack of ice time or really late practices so the kids are tired.

Our North Branch High School team gets up VERY early to go to Chisago Lakes Arena to practice before the Chisago Lakes High School team. Can you imagine getting up around 4 a.m. going to hockey, showering and then to school and you might have a game that night (maybe an away game ñ of course away ñ we donít have an arena)? Wake up the next day and do it again?

We as a community really could benefit with an ice arena in many ways.

1. Our kids could have normal ice times (why would a neighboring community sell us their good hours when they use them for their own teams), practice more than one day a week so that North Branch could hold their own in a tough game.

2. The Hockey Association could host tournaments, which would bring business for the hotels, shopping bowling, restaurants, moviesÖ

3. The arena could also be used for other sports such as indoor soccer and figure skating.

4. It could also be used for opening skating to the public.
Lets give these kids an opportunity to play the sport they love in the town that they call HOME!

Amy Noyes-Mellen
North Branch

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