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SYHA Mission Statement Page
Home of the 2018 USA Hockey National Champions Sioux City Metros
This site is dedicated to all the terrific people that Siouxland Youth Hockey
helped me meet!!! From my first year as a Squirt, through high school
and on 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, coach and official
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 ???
In just two years, Siouxland Youth Hockey Association (SYHA) will be
50 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 hockey 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, team pictures, patches, pins and other SYHA/Metros
awards and memorabilia.
I would ask you to “Become apart of this
history project!!!” Any type of SYHA photos & 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!!! Physical
pick-up and return of your pictures and
memorabilia is also an option and will be done at your convenience!!!
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 watch it
and mostly... 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; skills that I use
everyday on a regular 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 for me to say "Thanks" to the Siouxland
Youth Hockey Association!!!
About Me
I have been associated of SYHA for most of
it's nearly 50 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/Metros). After college,
I returned to SYHA to coach
at the
Squirt and then Peewee levels.
After a pair of seasons behind the bench, I traded in my clip board for a finger
whistle
and still remain
active as an on-ice official and SYHA Referee-in-Chief.
I was a member of the United States Hockey
League (USHL) referee staff for 20 seasons (1991-2011) and am still currently
an
active USA Hockey official working 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 USA Hockey 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 so many 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 over the years, they to have become even greater friends.
An Open Letter to Past SYHA Players
Dear
SYHA/ Metros 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 have embarked on a SYHA/Metros
History Project that will attempt to record the
nearly 50 seasons of youth and high school
hockey in Sioux City. This project will include
documenting the positive successes of every season;
focusing on both team and
individual on-ice accomplishments.
This site will showcase
SYHA/Metros many success through action photos, game jerseys,
team pictures, awards, stats, trivia
and other
organization memorabilia. There will be specific
pages dedicated to local players who have passed
through our
program on their way to upper level hockey,
SYHA/Metros Award recipients as well as a complete
recapping the
Metros 2018 USA Hockey National Championship
victory.
Not to sound "corny" but
my intention is to create an inspirational page for
our young SYHA/Metros players, player who may
not be as familiar with the many, many successes of
our past players and teams. in fact...I am certain that many people around
Sioux City don't know
of the many accomplishments 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 Sioux City 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 with the utmost care; picked-up/received,
documented and
returned to you in
a timely manner!!!
Weather you have just a few photos or a tub of
photos...Here
is your chance at SYHA/Metros immortality!!!
The
site is up and running. It starts way back in 1972
and is current through this last season. Please
check it out for a little walk
down youth hockey memory lane!!!
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.