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About the California "State Cup"
The STATE CUP represents a long-standing tradition of offering high school student athletes and their teams an opportunity to compete in an interscholastic roller hockey tournament with others from across the state of California. This tradition traces it roots back to 1993 and the early days of high school roller hockey in Orange County to 1995 and the first tournament conducted by the California Street Hockey Association (CSHA) and held on June 10th at the then-Anaheim Pond preceding the professional roller hockey games played by the Anaheim Bullfrogs of the now defunct Roller Hockey International (RHI) league (see Event Flyer). The first CSHA High School Championships included 2 Divisions and an All-Star game. The Varsity Division title was won that year by the San Pedro Pirates (see picture).
By 1996, the high school segment in southern California was gaining serious traction in this burgeoning sport and serious talks began about state sanctioning of roller hockey with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and even a national high school championship for the summer of 1997.
As organizers of the California event changed hands, the State Cup tradition regained its foothold in 1998 through the then-Corona-based Inland Valley High School Hockey League. In 1999, the local press reported more than 500 teen-age roller hockey players on 52 high school teams from as far away as San Jose and Bishop had come to Corona's Inline Sports Center for the State Cup '99 tournament. Teams from Corona, Temecula Valley, Murrieta Valley, Chino, Rancho Cucamonga and San Jacinto vied with the Canyon, Esperanza, Marina, Mission Viejo and Servite teams from Orange as well as San Diego and Los Angeles County squads trying to qualify for the elimination rounds in the 32-team varsity and 20-team junior varsity divisions.
Event organization soon thereafter changed hands again to a private tournament operator sanctioned by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and who promoted the event through their last State Cup in 2007 held at the then-California Roller Hockey Center's Irvine facility where 47 teams competed in the current competitive structure.
When it was discovered in early 2008 that no promoter would be conducting the annual State Cup that year, joint efforts by and between the Western Inline Hockey Association (WIHA) and the Interscholastic Hockey Federation (IHF) responded and held the 2008 State Cup at the Coast 2 Coast's Huntington Beach location (now The-Rinks' Huntington Beach Inline).
STATE CUP 2009 represented the first year where this annual event had a Scholastic League Host (the IHF) for cooperatively organizing the tournament. Through its affiliation with the AAU - USARS High School Inline Hockey Leagues in other regions across the country, and now with an interscholastic mindset, this tournament will always remain focused on the development and promotion of the scholastic segment of our sport.
Roller (Inline) hockey is currently a state-sanctioned CIF winter sport in section 10 San Diego. Roller (Inline) hockey is not, however currently sanctioned in other sections and operates as a club sport.
About the Scholastic Host - the IHF ( http://www.ihf-hockey.org/ )
Established in 1998 in Orange County California, the Interscholastic Hockey Federation (IHF) is an all volunteer organization and the governing body for all high school roller hockey in and around the Orange County area. From its humble beginnings with a handful of teams from the immediate communities around the roller hockey facilities in the Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Costa Mesa, the IHF has grown to now overseeing fifty-five teams in four different skill divisions, representing thirty area high schools. These high schools cover four Southern California counties and comprise both public and private schools. The IHF proudly serves nearly 700 student-athletes who participate in the IHF League and is proud to be an AAU-USARS sanctioned High School League.
IHF High School Roller Hockey games are presently held at three partner roller hockey facilities in and around Orange County including The 949 Roller Hockey Center located in Irvine, CA and the two facilities operated by the NHL Anaheim Ducks' The Rinks program: Corona Inline located in Corona, CA and Huntington Beach Inline located in Huntington Beach, CA.
The IHF Roller Hockey League governs four skill divisions; Varsity, Junior Varsity A, B and C. Many IHF teams also participate in local, regional and national level tournament competitions.
The IHF also pursues the expansion of the League into additional high schools in the surrounding communities so that as many high schools that want to field at least one or more teams can do so in an organized and properly supervised environment. The IHF is dedicated to the promotion and continuation of the sport of roller hockey and to give all of those high school student athletes that wish to participate an opportunity to do so.
About the AAU - USARS High School Inline Hockey Leagues ( http://www.aauhockey.org/HighSchoolLeagues/tabid/59/Default.aspx )
USARS (The National Governing Body Of Roller Hockey "NGB") and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) are proud to jointly sanction the High School leagues from around the country. A listing of current High School leagues and events is available online on the AAU web site. (read more)
Scholastic Programs Drive Inline Hockey Growth in the USA
In his recent press release AAU National Hockey Chair Keith Noll states, “Scholastic programs have been the driving source for growth in the sport the last few years.” (read more)
About the Facility host - The 949 Roller Hockey Center
Opened in 1997 and originally known as the Wayne Gretzky Roller Hockey Center and later changed to the California Roller Hockey Center, in January, 2007 this Irvine, California facility took on new management and became The 949 Roller Hockey Center under the steady hand of Eddie Limbaga. Eddie had been mentored in this business for years before and brought his passion for the game, business savvy and a new level of customer satisfaction to the members of the 949. In addition to it's three, full-sized rinks, a fully stocked pro shop, a lounge area and a food concession among its amenities, the 949 offers a high quality, family oriented roller hockey center that features leagues, open skating, private parties, training and education for players, coaches, and referees.
The 949 Roller Hockey Center
3150 Barranca Parkway Irvine CA 92606
Phone (949) 5599-949
Fax: (949) 559-9948
www.949rollerhockey.com/
Fax your Registration to (949) 559-9948 today!
