Bloomington Amateur Hockey Association

When Bloomington Athletic Association (BAA) Hockey was first established in the 1960s, it was the only organized hockey program in Bloomington. In the '70's, Bloomington Lincoln High School was closed, which left the two remaining high schools to provide hockey at the Varsity level. Kennedy and Jefferson then established their own Booster Clubs to promote hockey at a higher competitive level to the youth of Bloomington. In the '90's BAA, Kennedy, and Jefferson made an arrangement which would allow the High Schools to promote and roster the competitive level while BAA would roster the Recreational level in District 6.

Bloomington began operating a separate Girls Hockey team in the mid-90's. While originally set up as one program for all of Bloomington, as enrollment grew the team was split into one team for each of the two high school programs. was begun

In 2004, BAA turned over the operation of the Recreational level hockey program to the Bloomington Amateur Hockey Association (BAHA), the umbrella organization for Bloomington Hockey.  BAHA is ably assisted in this endeavor by the two high school programs; the Bloomington Kennedy Youth Hockey Association and the Bloomington Jefferson Hockey Booster Club.

While each of the high schools (Jefferson and Kennedy) continues to run the more competitive-level programs, the Recreational level has undergone additional changes.

From the 2004-05 through the 2008-09 seasons the Kennedy program handled the administrative functions for the Recreational program.  Beginning with the 2009-10 season, Jefferson has assumed this role.

Since its move to BAHA, however, two constants have remained; through the able and dedicated efforts of two men, Dave Brodsky and Greg Poehling, the program continues to be an alternative avenue for the youth of Bloomington to become full members of, and participants in, the "State of Hockey", Bloomington style!

Jefferson and Kennedy continue to improve their in-house competitive programs each year.

The latest evolution is the new dryland training center known as eTrain Hockey Systems.  Run by Eric Scott, a Bloomington resident himself, and lead by his team of seasoned coaches, each athlete is guided through four separate stations. These stations, including the AccelerationMN-patented skating treadmill, focus on form, speed, explosive starts, shooting and stick handling skills, as well as core strength. With programs offered in lengths from 5 to 8 weeks, players can choose the one that best fits their circumstances.

In addition, the growing numbers of incoming players, especially at the Mite Level and in the Girls Program, show a promising future for hockey in Bloomington.

With the changing economy and the latest data regarding stress in families involved in youth sports, BAHA sees nothing but positives for the Recreational Program. At the present time, a 16U team is also being planned for the 2009-2010 season.

As we work towards a better brand of hockey in Bloomington, we recognize the dedicated efforts, untold volunteer hours, and diligent work put in by everyone involved in Bloomington Hockey. We thank you for your efforts, and we know that only Good Things are on the horizon for Bloomington Hockey!