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SYHA Mission Statement Page
This site is dedicated to all the terrific people that
Siouxland Youth Hockey helped me meet!!! From my
first year as a Squirt, to my days
as an Official in
the USHL.
There isn't a day go by that I don't think of all
the good times and great people that being a hockey
player
has afforded me over the years!!! There are too many names to mention
individually, but to all of you I say "Thanks!!!!"
What is SYHAstuff.com ???
Next year Siouxland Youth Hockey Association (SYHA) will be 40 seasons old!!!
SYHAstuff.com will be a place
to capture some of our youth hockey history over those past years.
This site will have team photos, individual player
pictures and hockey action shots. It will feature the successes
of each of the teams & players have had over the seasons.
It will also have a jersey history of styles from various
seasons with an emphasis on the players who wore
these jerseys and their on and off-ice achievements.
There will be a page dedicated to those SYHA players who
have excelled beyond the high school hockey level
experienced play at the College, Junior, European and Professional ranks.
It will also have places other SYHA items like programs, jackets, patches, pins and other SYHA memorabilia.
I would ask you to “Become apart of this
history project!!!” Any type of SYHA memorabilia you have will be greatly
welcomed and
regardless of what you have, I will make sure that it is properly displayed
within this collection!!!
I can receive any scanned/digital images you
may have available. Any photos as well as other memorabilia will be
documented and returned by SYHAstuff in a timely and secure manner!!! Actual
pick-up and return of some memorabilia could be possible.
Please contact me using the e-mail link on the home page.
Why SYHAstuff.com???
To this day, hockey still remains a huge
part of my life. I love to play it, I love to ref it, I love to coach it, I love
to watch it
and I love to reminisce about it!!!
Many of my fondest hockey memories are the
result of my time spent as a young member of SYHA. The lessons it taught me and
the
experiences it provided me over those years have been, like the commercial
says, “priceless”!!!
For what many say the Boy Scouts does to
make prepared and successful adults, I have to say, SYHA did that for me!!! SYHA
provided me terrific
life experiences and character building opportunities all while teaching me the
merits of: team work, sportsmanship, camaraderie, competition and
dedication, all skills that I use today on a daily basis.
This project is my chance to show off the
many, many other success stories of players that surely feel the same positive
impact of those SYHA years and a chance to say "Thanks" to the Siouxland
Youth Hockey Association!!!
About Me
I have been associated of SYHA for most of
it's 38 seasons. I first became a youth player in 1974 as a Squirt and played four
seasons (79-83) for the
high school team (Jr. Musketeers/Metro). After college, I returned to SYHA
as a coach for a pair of seasons at the Squirt and then Peewee level
(1988-90).
I traded in my clip board for a finger whistle the following season and still remain
active as an on-ice official and SYHA Referee-in-Chief.
I have also began coaching again at the Mites level as well as participating in
may of the SYHA promotional learn-to-skate programs.
I am currently a member of the United States
Hockey league (USHL) Official Development Program. In addition to USHL games, I
work a regular
schedule in the Midwest High School Hockey League as well as some College Club
hockey. I have been fortunate to work several State Tournament
games as referee/linesman, two USA Hockey regional tournaments as a linesman and in
2008 the Regional Championship Game as referee.
I have a collection of United States Hockey
League (USHL) game used jerseys as well as a collection of Sioux City Musketeers
game jerseys and
other memorabilia. Please check out my other collection at
www.USHLstuff.com.
It seems that all my life was spent around
the rink. While I played some baseball, football and cross country, hockey was
the sport that gave me the
greatest joy!!! From my first season in SYHA to today, I still think back to the
many things that SYHA is responsible for as far as learning of
life’s lessons!!! I can still name every one of my coaches & mentors, and
think daily of the many things they all taught me over the years!!!
From sportsmen ship to learning how to be the best player/person I can.
Many of those coaches and mentors are still great hockey leaders and
I can
continually look to them for the same guidance they gave me years ago!!!
An Open Letter to Past SYHA Players
Dear
SYHA Player...At sometime in the next few minutes
you may find yourself asking "Just how much
free time does this guy
have???" LOL!!!
Here
goes...
I Am starting a sort of SYHA / Metros history
(for lack of a better word) web site. When
completed, it will look much like my jersey
website
(www.USHLstuff.com) but
with all SYHA / Metros related items (www.SYHAstuff.com). My
goal is a place that provides a
look and feel for our soon to be 40 year old
youth
hockey program!!!
I hope to be able to show many different Metro and
SYHA jerseys, Team pictures, Photographs and other
similar items. I also plan on
a page dedicated to
local players
who have passed through our program on their way to
upper level hockey!!! Not to sound 'corny" but
kind
of an inspirational page for young SYHA players who
may run across the site and a reminder of those
terrific hockey days past for
those of us from the
old days!!!
I am certain that many people around SC do not know
of the many successes of our High School
Hockey Team with the most State
Tournament
Championships as well
as the most appearances in the final Championship
Game. Also untold are the many success
stories
of local hockey
players that have been able to continue their hockey careers
at a higher level!!! While the list of local
players
in the
NHL
is short, the list of SC youths who have
gone on to play (and officiate) in the USHL, NAHL, College, Jr.
A, Jr. B,
Foreign
Pro
Leagues and Semi-Professional is
very impressive.
I am sure you can agree like me and many, many
other players, that SYHA helped us do things that,
with out it, may have never
been possible!!!
My question is...do you have any old SYHA / Metros
items that I could document???
All items while in my
possession will
be treated like the important items
they are, and I will make sure that everything is
returned to you in a timely manner!!!!
I have just started this project, but have already
have a lot of positive responses from many of the
guys I see on a regular basis. In fact
as you
read
this, many are searching
their basements and attics for mementos from the old
days!!!! LOL!!!
I have started this website and I would ask you to
check it out at
www.SYHAstuff.com in hopes that you will get a
little chuckle and/or
some information out of it's ontent as well as become a part of it's content!!!
I will be looking forward to hearing back from
you and Thanks!!!! bob
Bob Batcheller
Sioux City
Items of interest:
Post-Metro
Jerseys
Post-Metro Photographs
USHL Jerseys
USHL Game Socks
Metro Jerseys
Metros Game and/or Practice Socks
Metros Team Pictures
SYHA Travel Jerseys
SYHA Travel game and practice socks
SYHA Team Pictures
SYHA Jacket Patches
House League Jerseys
House League Team Pictures
Any other SYHA / Metro photos
PS...I am set-up to receive any scanned/digital
images. All items will be returned to you by SYHAstuff.com in a timely and secure manner.
Please contact me using the e-mail link to arrange
possible pick-up and returns of some items.
PSS...below is my
latest contribution to SYHA history
