USA Hockey has announced that 47 youth hockey associations in Minnesota completed the 2 & 2 Challenge during the 2015-16 season and 41 of those associations achieved Gold status. The 2 & 2 Challenge is a national program that encourages associations to host a series of retention, acquisition and transition programs over the course of the season with the goal of growing youth hockey.
The continued dedication of Minnesota's youth hockey associations to growing the game at youngest levels has led to a third consecutive year of growth and new state and national records at the 8 & Under (8U) level. The holistic approach taken by 2 & 2 Challenge participants helped Minnesota set a record with 6,918 first time players, while also increasing the number of retained players for the second straight year.
The program has also played a prominent role in supporting associations in their efforts to grow girls’ hockey. There were 14 of this year’s 2 & 2 Challenge participants who hosted an event in coordination with World Girls’ Hockey Weekend and several others organized girls’ specific events. Together, these efforts helped Minnesota set a new Girls 8U record for the second year in a row, surpassing 4,000 girls for the first time ever.
The 2 and 2 Challenge was launched in 2010 by USA Hockey with the goal of assisting associations in retaining two additional players and acquiring two more players each season. During the challenge, associations are required to host a series of events and programs that facilitate the three primary areas of growth: retention, acquisition and conversion.
The first event is Welcome Back Week which includes a series of phone calls and emails that aid associations' player retention efforts. Then, Try Hockey for Free Days are held in early November and late February to assist in acquiring new players. Finally, conversion programs are hosted following the Try Hockey for Free Days to ease the transition for those new players into becoming full-fledged association members.
For complete details on the program, visit 2and2challenge.com. Then, accept the 2 and 2 Challenge for the 2016-17 season and see how your association can reap the rewards on and off the ice!
2 & 2 STATUS | ASSOCIATION |
---|---|
GOLD | ANDOVER HUSKIES YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | ANOKA AREA HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | APPLE VALLEY YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | ARMSTRONG/COOPER |
GOLD | BECKER/BIG LAKE YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | BEMIDJI YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | BRAINERD AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | BURNSVILLE HOCKEY CLUB |
GOLD | CHASKA/CHANHASSEN HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | CITY OF LAKES YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | DELANO AREA YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | EAGAN HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | EDEN PRAIRIE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | EDGCUMBE YOUTH HOCKEY |
GOLD | FARIBAULT HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | FARMINGTON YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | FERGUS FALLS HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | FOREST LAKE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | INVER GROVE HEIGHTS HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | JEFFERSON YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | KENNEDY HOCKEY BOOSTER CLUB |
GOLD | LACRESCENT YOUTH HOCKEY |
GOLD | LITTLE FALLS YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | MORA AREA YOUTH RECREATION ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | MOUND/WESTONKA HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | MOUNDS VIEW YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | NORTHFIELD HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | ORONO HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | OSSEO/MAPLE GROVE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | PARK RAPIDS AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | PRINCETON YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | RIVER LAKES HOCKEY INC |
GOLD | ROSEVILLE AREA YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | SARTELL YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | SIBLEY AREA YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | SOUTH ST PAUL YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | ST MICHAEL/ALBERTVILLE YOUTH HOCKEY |
GOLD | ST PETER HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | TARTAN AREA YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | TWO HARBORS YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
GOLD | WASECA HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
SILVER | EASTVIEW HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
BRONZE | DULUTH AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
BRONZE | ELY BLUE LINE CLUB |
BRONZE | HALLOCK HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
BRONZE | NORTHERN LAKES YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |
BRONZE | ST PAUL CAPITALS HOCKEY ASSOCIATION |