I have heard it time and again from fans of various ages, “Why don’t the Islanders have open practices? They used to and lots of other teams do.”
And they’re right. There are plenty of other teams who open their doors daily to their fans to get up close to the players and coaches and get an inside view. But does it really do the players any good? Sure, it’s a great perk for the fans, but what are the other pitfalls of the open practice? Lots.
At the 40th Anniversary of the NYI Booster Club dinner on March 9th, it was Ann Rina, the Community Relations Manager, who gave the best answer for the closed practice decision.
“There are good reasons why we do close practices. You know Cappy (Jack Capuano) has to feel comfortable being able to talk to the guys and sometimes having a crowd of fans around every day is very distracting, not only for him but for the players. “
She had a very valid point. The media that is there daily is distracting enough. Having fans in the earshot of players being disciplined or just trying to learn something new has to be very intimidating. This is especially true in this new social media world where every mistake could become a YouTube sensation.
“But there are always opportunities to come down to practices.” Ann continued addressing the 80 or so fans in attendance. “We hold a few open practices throughout the course of the season. Even morning skates prior to games. So there are opportunities. But I agree with Garth’s decision to close them because the guys have to stay focused.”
Garth Snow interjected from the front of the room. “A lot of the time, one of the issues is that it’s such a small venue (the practice facility in Syosset, Ice Works) that it becomes a chore to get from the ice to the workout room. Guys are late for work outs; guys are late getting back to the locker room to get dressed. And our guys, as you know, will not say no to an autograph.”
That is very true. The layout of the practice rink gives players only a few feet to get off the ice and into non-public areas. It is wonderfully intimate, but not the best situation for crowds.
However, if anyone (season or other ticket plan holder or booster club member) has questions about coming to practices, they can contact Ann Rina, the Community Relations Director, and she can get you set up for one of the open practices.
Ann continued to get her point across, “But like I said, not every practice can be open and for good reason. These guys are going to work every day just like we all go to work and if you had someone stopping you everywhere you go, it does become distracting. It’s important. We want these guys to win every night so we want them to be as focused as possible.”
She has a very valid point there. Imagine sitting at your place of business and having 50 people watch you work, taking pictures, talking on their cell phones and watching your every move. Garth Snow said it’s their job to stop and relate to the fans, and that’s true. But they can’t do their job properly if they’re interrupted trying to do it.
The good news is that Ann mentioned that she has the month of July booked heavily with events and player appearances. There will be plenty of chances to meet and greet your favorite players in a far more relaxed setting.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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