This Spring, the future of the Looney's 2026 team began to look uncertain. A number of things led the parents to worry about the team and the club - no new uniforms, no off-season training, no position training, an AWOL director who didn't communicate with the teams/players/families, a loss of key players and a resulting decline in the performance of the team (lost players = lost games), coaches missing practices and games, etc..
In May, in an attempt to allow the boys to keep playing together, a Looney's team parent reached out to the Predators club directors to ask if the team could move over intact. The Preds directors did not approach the Looney's team, and they didn't really "negotiate" anything.
Preds held an info session for the Looney's 2026 families in June and offered to accept the team into their club. It was a kind and considerate offer, but several boys had already been looking/guest playing elsewhere, so the team began to disperse to other clubs. Although the director was made aware of the parents' concerns, nothing was done. Some of the families are now scrambling to find a roster spot for their son, unfortunately in a year with multiple other teams folding or in turmoil.
Yes, some of the boys (and parents) were concerned about moving from a formerly Elite HoCo team to a newer club that played at a lower level in HoCo. Others believe the Preds will improve and will likely join the club.
If there is anything to be learned, it is that poor leadership can doom a solid team with good players. The Looney's 2026 team went from winning the NXT Platinum Cup and HoCo Elite in the Fall of 2020 to disbanding a short 20 months later.
It is a shame, and a failure of what was supposed to be adult leadership by paid professionals. The boys deserved better.
Reply
Quote
