Welcome
to the new online home of Arizona Runners Hockey
Runners Inline, Groove Roller Hockey, & State Wars
10/24/2011, 1:57pm (MST)
By George Bird
Several people have asked the difference between the programs...
Many of you may be unfamiliar with the various programs & terminology so I have put together a reference for you.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 8U, 10U, 12U, etc. | These are the various age divisions in roller hockey. Basically these represent the age of the players in the division. For example, in the 8U division, players must be 8 or Under as of 12/31 of that year. |
| IHAAZ | The Inline Hockey Association of Arizona. This league is comprised of teams exclusively from Arizona. The season consists of a series of qualifier tournaments hosted by teams in the association. Recent seasons have featured teams from Prescott, Lake Havasu, Yuma, and Phoenix. At the end of the season, teams compete in a final tournament to determine the state champion. Divisions are 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, Junior, and high school. The Runners Inline teams participate in this league. Last season, the Arizona Runners created a 10U team which won the state title. |
| NARCh | The North American Roller Championships. A tournament series consisting of a series of regional qualifiers and a championship. The championship is held in alternating venues with next year’s championship being held in San Jose. The Groove participates in this series. |
| Platinum, Gold, Silver divisions | These are similar to the AAA, AA, Major, Minor classifications used in ice hockey. Platinum is the top tier followed by Gold and then Silver. |
| State Wars | A national tournament held during a 2-week period in August at a centrally-located venue. The format for this tournament is different from others in several ways: the teams are picked and bracketed during tryouts held by the tournament representatives and the divisions are birth-year based. For example, there is a division for 2000s, 2001s, 2002s, etc., and each team represents their state. In this year's tournament, held in Cincinnati, Team Arizona (which featured a number of Arizona Runners) won the title in the Gold division of the 2000s. |
| The Groove | A organization created by Dan Maxwell to compete in NARCh, AAU Junior Olympics, and other tournaments. The Groove is not affiliated in any way with the Runners, but many Runners have been part of Groove team in the past. |
Tag(s): Runners Inline
