Summary: <p>"Your team is only as strong as your weakest skater and how your league treats its weakest skaters says a lot about your league."</p> <p>I heard this statement earlier this week and it's been bouncing around in my brain ever since. Sometimes leagues focus so hard on chasing a dream, a number on a website that says how good they are, that it's a challenge to bring others up with them. And then when turnover inevitably happens, they don't have the next people ready to join the A travel team. More teams are addressing this now with a mixed charter combining A and B levels in larger leagues, but many are still stuck with this problem. And for smaller leagues who will never have many people to pull from, it can mean nearly starting over anytime a handful of people have to step away at once. </p> <p>This episode is a deep dive mostly into the perspective of a small to mid-size league where I've had the most experience and the tough lessons learned along the way. I share a couple stories of skaters that have inspired me with their dedication. And I talk in depth about how we work to reach skaters of multiple skill levels and what we have learned along the way to value every individual who is a part of our league.<br> <br>
