CSULB Roller Hockey

     CSULB roller hockey is steam rolling the competition. For the first time in school history, the club has captured the Division I National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (NCRHA) championship in Middleton, Wis.  “We are so proud to be the first university in NCRHA history to bring the national championship to the West Coast, and we couldn’t have done it without our coach, Bill Burrows,” said team president Travis Benson, a junior kinesiology major.

     Roller hockey is played on “sport court”, which is similar to plastic tiles, in a standard size rink. Games consist of three, 12-minute periods with four players and a goalie competing for each team. Team rosters generally carry up to 16 players so they can have fresh substitutes throughout the game.

      “Not too many students know that we have an elite roller hockey club here at Cal State Long Beach,” he added. “So, for us to get this recognition and support feels great.” The roller hockey club has been highly recent years. They made the Elite Eight at nationals the last two years and have been ranked among the top 10 in the nation. To get to the finals, the 49ers had to defeat the season favorite and top team, Lindenwood University.  Lindenwood has been to finals the past 10 years and had a undefeated season of 28-0. Long Beach beat them in a tough game 5-4 clenching a spot in the finals.

     The championship game was played against Cal Poly-SLO, setting the stage for the first ever West Coast team final. Both CSULB and Cal Poly-SLO compete in the Western Collegiate Roller Hockey League.

Cal Poly led 1-0 after the first period with CSULB tying up the game 1-1 in the second period. CSULB went on to win in the third period 4-3 in a shocking victory, with game winning goal scored by junior Sklyer Hoar.

     In the tournament the team defeated big schools from both coasts. The 49ers defeated the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 5-2, in the second round, and the University of Tampa, 7-3, in the third round to advance to the semifinals against Lindenwood who they defeated 5-4 to advance to the Cal Poly final.

Photo coutesy of CSULB Roller Hockey

The Inner Workings of CSULB Clubs

     "2001 we had 20 teams and 10 years later we have gone to 42," said Rita Hayes, the Club and Recreation director of CSULB.  As the campus grows, there becomes a greater number of people who want to find some way to feel connected in the sea of faces.  Club sports provide an excellent opportunity for everyone to participate.
     NCAA teams only recruit the top players to join their teams, leaving a multitude of high school athletes without a chance to compete.  Club sports allow for them to continue with their sport and grow in a college community.  Sports like lacrosse, that are popular in high school, are not as prevalent on the West Coast are given a chance at life by becoming a club sport.
     The process to become a club sport is very long and can sometimes take years.  The club must procure facilities to practice and play games, which is especially hard for teams that need fields.  The rugby field and those adjacent to it are very run down and time slots to use them have been filled by the club teams who are already formed.
     "The hardest part of the application process is getting insurance for the team," Rita said.  Teams like lacrosse and rugby need ample insurance because of the high physical demand and chance of injury.  Students have been trying to make a club cheer-leading team for a few years because many students don't make the actual team.  While there is plenty of facilities for them to use, the insurance is incredibly expensive due to the high rate of injury induced by the sport.
     If a team can find facilities and insurance, they must prove they can be competitive.  This means there needs to be a local league that the team can play in without having to travel extreme distances for games.  Teams must also have 150% of the field, meaning they need to have a full team  and a half on their roster.  Also, since they are self funded the first year, teams must prove to have an way of producing money to support the team and equipment.  If a team survives the first year, they will begin receiving ASI funds the following year.
      This year, ASI gave $155,000 to clubs, which was split among 42 teams. Easily the most expensive club, ice hockey received $15,000.  Games usually run the team upwards of 12,000 dollars to pay for the ice rink, forcing the club to charge fans for tickets.  Players come up with 2,000 dollars out of pocket. Crew is the second highest because of the expense of the equipment and facilities.  The boats, boathouse, and trailers, must all be paid for and most of the money comes from students who pay well over a thousand dollars a year.
   Specialty sports like wake boarding and water skiing team require students who are trained and licensed boat drivers.  The school owns the boat, but students must pay for storage, towing and maintenance.
    It is extremely difficult for club teams to earn NCAA status, not only because of cost but also because of title 9 rules.  The campus must have equal opportunity for both men's and women's sports.  Many teams have actually been dropped from NCAA down to club, including archery, gymnastics, wrestling, and a handful of others.  our campus hasn't had any teams join NCAA. title 9 requires equal sports for men and women.
   Overall, club and recreational sports at CSULB have continued to grow every year.  The increasing student body calls for more areas where students can be a part of something on camps, and club sports are a major player.

CSULB Rugby trains with Navy SEALs

     Head coach Kyle Quinn was faced with a huge challenge when he took over CSULB Ruby.  How to take the rag-tag team and make it truly great.  Quinn has implemented multiple new training regiments to make the team fit and competitive at the highest level.  This has included bi-weekly CrossFit training and a day long session with U.S. Navy SEALs.

     The team travelled to Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, located in San Diego Bay.  As soon as the players arrived, the training started with a jog to a meeting room where they received a 30 minute prep talk and introduction. The short meeting was followed by four hours of intense and rigorous training, which included obstacle courses, tire flips, also, relay races and sit-ups while holding a 200-pound log.

     The Navy drill instructors were just as ruthless as they are made out to be.  Barking orders and lecturing players about a mental drill called "flipping the switch," which basically means telling your body it is not tired or sore and digging deep to find energy to finish your task.  Instead of resting between drills, players were required to sprint up a 20-foot hill, jump into the ocean then sprint back up the hill and crawl around in the sand.
      "It was mostly that switch that you have to turn on when you're tired; flip that switch and keep going," junior Sean Mazer said. "I was really sore. It was such a great experience to share with my teammates."
     Coach Quinn came up with the idea for the trip as a trial run.  He hopes to return to the SEAL base next season.  While the short-term results were soreness and fatigue, Quinn hopes the exercise will have the desired effect of teaching stamina and strength to finish a game strong.
  
Photos courtesy of Sean Mazer