To the Editor:

Last year my daughter attended the hockey camp at Potsdam State College. It was a great camp and we loved it.

This camp was offered at a cost of $175 which was reasonable and affordable for most families. This year Potsdam State College has made a decision to not have any ice over the summer. My daughter and other players are now forced to look for other camps in the area and these camps are charging double what Potsdam cost.

Members of the community have been told that the decision was a financial one. This makes no sense to me or others in the hockey community.

Last year, Potsdam State College had over 120 players over a two-week period in separate hockey camps. This included skills training and a goalie camp. The cost to run the rink at Potsdam State College is approximately $15,000 a month. The revenue from these two weeks along is $21,000. There are also several other organizations, clubs and teams that would purchase additional ice time. If you ran two camps, one in July and on in August and charged $200 per player the college could take in $50,000 in registration money. This is only with 100 players per week.

Besides fiscal concerns doesn’t the college have a service responsibility to the community? Many of our local businesses sponsor Potsdam Bears Athletic Programs and many other programs on campus. We want our children in sports, exercising, developing their skills and meeting new friends.

Having hockey camps is a great way to attract families and players to Potsdam Bears Hockey and to other services on the campus.

I encourage people to call Potsdam State Athletic Department and president’s office to please consider your decision and the impact on the community.

Brad Reed

Potsdam