I recently received communication from a former HMHA Board Member about his concerns on how the HMHA is running its organization. It seems all is not well with this organization that contracts with the Town of Hamburg for its recreation facility ice time.
What really gets my attention is the fact that I have been asking a lot of similar questions about many of the sporting organizations in Hamburg. I have asked about the contracts from CSRA, HMHA, Hamburg Baseball and any other organization that uses town facilities for a fraction of the cost it would charge us to use the same facility. I also have called for an end to baseball organizations using town fields for only a dollar a year and then throwing out residents who wish to use the fields they pay for.
Anyway this letter raises a lot of questions and I Will be bringing this issue to the Hamburg Citizens Advisory Board next week.
Dear Mr. Beckwith,
I am writing this letter to you to try and get some important information out to the public and since you run and operate the website WWW.HAMBURGFIRST.INFO and also sit on the Hamburg Recreation Citizens Advisory Board, I would like to ask you to help disseminate this information.
As you know I was a very active Board Member and Hockey Coach with the Hamburg Municipal Hockey Association (HMHA). I coached just about every player age group and was the A.C.E. Coordinator/Director. I coached three different teams to the House League championship game and we were lucky enough to finish in first place twice and win a league Championship. I was also selected by the league to coach three “select” (all star) teams that represented HMHA in several hockey tournaments.
I have dedicated myself to helping children learn the game of Hockey with dignity and sportsmanship and have always strived to help all players and coaches learn the benefits of being part of a team and a community. I took pride in running player clinics, purchasing more than 30 additional ice times for our teams and gathered assistance from colleges like ECC, UB and Buffalo State to assist in practices of House and Travel Leagues. I also did my best to open the minds of our children by arranging and participating in activities for disabled, paraplegic and handicapped individuals in Ice Sled Hockey. I work with organizations like Hasec’s Hero’s.
While volunteering my time, I noticed some problems with HMHA’s Administration and I tried to address these issues. I started asking questions pertaining to the “fixing” of teams in the House League and the selection process of the kids for the Travel League. I requested simple items like the bylaws of HMHA and the “balance sheets’.
After participating in HMHA for so many years and watching what was happening first hand, I have reason to suspect embezzling and unfair practices from the highest levels of the Hamburg Municipal Hockey Association. Some of these suspicions surround the following circumstances:
1.) Many coaches and I have suspected that money from the snack bar was missing or funneled away from HMHA by a former town employee. This employee is well connected with the HMHA Board of Directors and had been behind the snack bar for years. Soon after these questions arose, this town employee was terminated and no answers have ever been forth coming from the town or HMHA.
2.) Many players in HMHA pay well beforehand, sometimes as early as a year in advance. These payments are typically made by check and the HMHA Treasurer is responsible for depositing these into the organizations bank accounts. The problem is that many of these checks never seem to make it into the accounts. I know this because many league members complained about non-reconciled payments that were suspected to have been locked into storage with the organizations former Treasurer, who recently relocated to Illinois.
3.) Only the top HMHA Board Members are assigned as Travel Hockey League Coaches. Players are not picked by ability alone but “politics” and the “who’s who” methods usually prevents even the most gifted players from participating in Travel League Hockey.
4.) The best House League Players are typically placed on a Board Members team. New coaches are not given any information about players and their true ability, they only get a quick look at a player during a short “rating session”. This usually results in a lop sided house league, that allows one or two teams to excel and the rest struggle. There has been no assistance from the league to develop and help coaches learn how to teach hockey and the kids suffer because of it.
5.) THIS IS NOT AN UNDERSTATEMENT! A large amount of our families and players are leaving HMHA to go to other leagues in WNY. It is overwhelmingly apparent that the current leadership of HMHA is apathetic to the situation and in most cases the cause of it. HMHA current President Steven Holmes recently had his entire travel teams, Bantam and Peewee, leave to other organizations this season. Three solid coaches and six players in the squirt major league went to Cazenovia Hockey League. Why?
After asking these questions I was asked to leave and given a letter to abstain from coaching with HMHA in 2007. I was given this letter in front of parents and players during the 2007 player banquet. Undoubtedly this astonishing lack of class and character was done to humiliate me and make me an example to the rest of the coaches in the league.
I was never given a reason for the dismissal but it is obvious that it came after my inquiries into the organizations problems. I have since taken it upon myself to educate players and parents by publishing a yearly newsletter called “The Hawk Eye” and 400 members and families received it this year. Since sending this newsletter, I have been threatened with a lawsuit by HMHA Vice President David McDermott when I called him for answers to my dismissal.
Finally, if these people are willing to treat a dedicated coach like myself with the utmost contempt it can only lead to questions about their dedication to the group of kids and the organization as a whole. They don’t seem to care about communication, teaching hockey, helping coaches be better at all levels or even care that family’s and players are leaving in droves.
I think there needs to be some intervention by the Hamburg Recreation Department and everyone involved should know the bylaws and rules of the organization. Coaches and members should not have to be afraid of asking good hard questions and no-one should ever have to worry about being humiliated publically by members of the Board of Directors for trying to make the organization better.
Sincerely,
Gary Klumpp
This guy is out of his mind. Get him some meds. This guy is not liked any where he goes because he has a bad attitude. Mr. Beckwith run away from this guy as soon as you can and dont look back…..If he does not get his way with you he will turn on you too….
This organization is top notch and there has many top notch coaches coming to this organization to make it better and take it to new levels. There is a plan in place and inside 5 years this organization will be talked about in a positive way through out the WNY area.
Just like any other organizations when someone does not get his/her way they start to cry and leave. This guy just cant walk away with out making a stink. And let me tell you he does stink and needs to be put in his place.
This Organization is strong and growing. There are more kids involved in the beginner programs then ever before. If you dont beleave it check it out your self.
Stop the lies right here right now and stop listening to this guy, he’s a freak.
HMHA has never been the same since Todd Rice left as their President. Things won’t change till the Leadership is changed. For now, HMHA will be recognized for what it is in the local hocket scene…… a second rate organization.
You can call the guy what ever you want but the fact is whenever someone speaks out they are labeled as nut cases. Believe me I know fist hand! None-the-less what he says has some truth to it and can’t be dismissed outright. I know first hand of the “stacking of teams” and I have a very basic understanding of how the organization is structured. I know that the “money” end has always been suspicious going all the way back to when I coached there.
The one thing that always got under my skin was that HMHA would promise to reimburse coaches for training they went and got, but the only people that ever got the reimbursement were those who were close to the Board of Directors. I never got a penny back from them.
The other was that coaches are required to have a certain level of training. These courses are given by USA Hockey, a national organization governing hockey all the way to the professional level. HMHA requires a level 3 certificate that requires two or three training sessions at about $60 a pop.
Here is a sense of contention. The leaders of HMHA usually hold a level 4 certificate. The only way to get one is by spending a week in Minneapolis doing the course study. Sometmes USA Hockey comes to the area but not often. Many of the coaches have complained that they can’t get their lousy $60 bucks back but the HMHA Board Members take their family for a week or two to Minneapolis on the HMHA dime.
Is that right or even true? I don’t know. I am told this by several people who have been involved with HMHA over the years but I have no way to verify it so I always took it as an unsubstantiated rumor. Now we have a guy who was on the Board of Directors saying similar things.
The one thing everyone here should remember is that Gary Klumpp got on the HMHA Board of Directors because he was considered the best coach in the league and he did far more than anyone else. I can attest to that 100%! Gary isn’t the kind of guy who exaggerates this stuff.
Anyone who calls Gary a nut case with a grudge doesn’t know him at all. Gary is currently coaching at Leisure Rinks in the PEPSI League.
I have great respect for the HMHA Organization as a whole but I have witnessed first hand the bad politics, meddling and outright disregard that coaches get when their teams do better than a Board Members team does.
hey hockey guy…did you graduate from high school? Prove the bad attitude about this guy. And do you know him personally, as a coach or a parent? The expansion of the younger league has nothing to do with good coaching. It has everything to do with more people moving to the area who want to play hockey. They too will see the fallicy of the HMHA and how they treat good coaches who ask even better questions. Lakeview road is littered with coaches who has been kicked out of this association because of differences of opinion. This guy, Klumpp, has the guts to confront a bobblehead board and try to make it better for the kids. If you have any guts tell us your name. And are you a coach? Who’s kissing your arse?
Unlike many of the sporting organizations in Hamburg, HMHA pays full value on its ice time. They don’t take the town for a ride in any manner. The beef seems to be with internal strife. I can’t speak for the Hamburg Recreation Advisory Board nor would I want to, but their are several allegations that the RAB should be aware of. I intend to present these issues next week. Hopefully and I mean HOPEFULLY, all this will turn out to be nothing or false accusations. If they are true then their will be a big “too do” over it all. HMHA provides a great way for kids to have an outlet in sports and I wish them well. I just want the best possible situation for our kids and I want our Town Recreation Department to be free from any and all questions of impropriety with HMHA or any other recreational organization.
I really don’t know any other way to say that I hope all these accusations turn out to be untrue.
This website is here and is open to anyone wishing to expose corruption in our town. I’m not saying HMHA is corrupt in any way but Gary Klumpp has the right to post and address his concerns especially when his attempts to get answers to his questions were ignored and unanswered by HMHA. Gary has told me that HMHA has actually sent him a cease and desist order. I will post it as soon as I get a copy.
The coaching certificates you mention above are a USA Hockey requirement, not a HMHA requirement. As for the level 4 clinics, I know of nobody that has travelled outside of the state to ever attend one. In fact, the next local Level 4 clinic will be held in Rochester in just about a week. You can search for clinic information here “http://www.usahockey.com/viewallclinics.aspx .” Certification information can be found here ” http://www.usahockey.com//Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=CO_02&ID=19532 .” The problems found within HMHA have little to do with the coaches, and more to do with the leaders.
Unless there is criminal activity, I’m not sure why a government board would get involved in the politics of any community organization. Isn’t that up to the membership of that group? My son has played since 2006 and I have never seen a copy of “The Hawk Eye”. I have had kids in multiple sports leagues around the Hamburg area since 1996, and the conception/mis-conception of “stacked teams” is not unique and will be with us all until the very end of time. No one can fix that problem when you have people who put way too much significance on winning for the simple games our kids play. The fact that you are still holding a coach’s grudge from several years ago over not winning the championship or this guy’s letter that highlights his coaching prowess, makes me think that in your view, “success is measured by winning”. This isn’t the NHL. If I have mis-interpreted their attitudes toward winning, I apologize.
Very well put. I’m not holding a grudge but I remember what happened and related my experience so others can be aware of what may happen. I have great respect for those who truly coach for the benefit of the kids but more often it seems that the dads are living the good ol’ days thru them.
HMHA has it’s share of problems and this is their opportunity to fix them before they get out of hand. I’m just the messenger, don’t shoot me for it.
I am interested in hearing from parents who had Mr. Klumpp as a coach during his tenure or from others who worked/coached with him, as well as from others familiar with the accused board members…I don’t know any of the current players in this squabble and would like to hear from people who have actually worked with them. These non-specific accusations (Board Members get the best teams, checks put in storage (what does that even mean?), on the surface, smells like embellished sour grapes. Yeah, I’ve found that it does take a very long time for them to cash the checks, but they eventually get cashed, I don’t see the criminality of that. I’ve met the previous treasurer and can say he was a good, honest, decent man, dedicated to the kids and the league. Last year my son played on the Pee-Wee House Director’s team and won 2 games. The year before that he played on a non-board member’s team and they went undefeated. This reminds me of the nonsense that went on with the CSRA board a couple of years ago. Everybody accusing everybody else of wrong-doing, when all it was, was a political power struggle, with no criminal activity or wrong-doing ever substantiated, just a lot of money out of my kid’s experience to lawyers, and my disappointment with the instegators. If this guy is sending out a newsletter representing himself as a league representative, it should be stopped. If he is truly representing himself as an alternative voice, he has the right, as long as it is clear he is not a league official, and that the information can be substantiated. As a member, I’m wondering why I haven’t got it. Please post, or send me an e-mail, if anyone has any factual evidence or information that they would like to share on either side of this issue. Otherwise, to me, I have no reason to believe that this is anything other than “politics as usual” little league nonsense. Thanks. qabflo@aol.com
As a coach in this orginization i have had dealings with everyone on the board of Directors, with ice time with parents wanting to know why there checks have not been cashed, parents calling to findout if there kids are registerd , for the most part these guys are on the ball, as a parent of a child that started in the orginization at age 4 and played there for 14 years this is by far the best Orginization to be with associated with, now that my son has moved on and aged out i am still involved with coaching , I could have walked away but i didnt. I stayed on because I love the game of hockey, I am not afraid to say there is politics with the Hawks there was be fore i started coaching and there will be after I am done coaching but just like every other orginizations there’s politics as well, I can tell you first hand that every person that volunters to be a coach or a board member has the resposibility of making this Orginization better and making sure the kids enjoy playing the sport
Guys,
This sounds like nothing to do with sour graping or politics. It smells of vindication.
As stated, every league has there bad eggs and “win at all cost mentality.” This guy is not like that. He truly loves to teach and develop. I’ve had my son on his team.
Seems to me, all he wanted was questions answered and instead he was shown the door. Maybe it was the way he presented himself but I can sense conviction to see change for the better with HMHA in his letter. Perhaps there is something to look at inside the sanctums of the BOD sages that be.
I know many people who said there kids loved playing with Mr. Klumpp. I also know he had little patience with partisan travel mentality at the cost of the house league access to ice and availability to rise above the same old excuse mentality of three-team practices and it’s only recreation as if it really doesn’t matter what the house league does. As long as the travel gets most of the icetime–those coaches could care less about the house population.
Come to find out some of the ice HMHA travel hockey books at Nike or Leisure is actually sold off towards end of yr when it could have been allocated to the kids who need it most ==the house icers.
As a father of a child who has played in HMHA hockey for 10+ years, I would like to say that there is no person, coach or father that is more dedicated to your child enjoying his/her experience on the ice than Gary Klumpp!
He spent numerous hours volunteering to ensure your child- learned the game, improved their skills, became a better person(encouraged and participated in community service) and had fun doing all of the above.
My son played on Gary’s team on 2 seperate occassions, one early on in his developement (maybe 7-8?) and another later in time (13?). All I can tell you is my son improved and said “(he) had more fun when playing with Mr. Klumpp than any other coach!” This is direct quote from my son. And who is this league for? Is it the children or the fathers’ living there own lives through their child(ren)?
Lets be real, he only asked questions and got no answers (other than being shown to the door to leave)! Let’s see what the organization has on paper, the longer it takes for them to produce the more fishy it is. I have discussed these issues with numerous others and the best quote is this “the only fault Gary (Klumpp) has, is there aren’t enough hours in a day for him to accomplish everything he would like to do, but the man sure has stones to stand up for something he believes in!”
Keep up the good work Gary, we may actually find out what’s going on behind the closed doors of HMHA and we all miss you!
Forget all the kudos to Klumpp, why hasn’t anybody confronted these bobblehead boys of the HMHA bod?
Lest we forget, I hear the only way to clean house is to get “appointed” by these four (Holmes, McD, Taylor and O’Connor). Some how, some way–the paying hockey families of the HMHA have got to storm the doors and demand open forums and intercommunication or whatever it takes to bring in new blood and flush out these guys that seem to enjoy status without substance.
I for one have no idea how to access the bylaws of this association. With any other league my son and daughter played in, we had it issued day one to be signed no later than a week.
Who knew you couldn’t find out about a league budget or balance sheet? Does Holmes keep it under his mattress along with the snack-shack key?
If we want change than we all have to quit griping and grasp what this guy is trying to do–call these clowns out and make them accountable. Otherwise step aside and let people with principle and purpose move them out.
The bobblehead bod is about to close.
Go Bruins!
Hey HMHA BOBBLEHEADS,
Don’t ge too excited about two rinks and a sports complex with the “take a Walker plan.”
U “volunteers” are aligning yourselves on the tails of a Sabre hall of famer like felines chasing a tuna cart.
Only to realize once other people who have dealt with u in the past start telling their stories, the cart will tumble. Most hockey people I talk to love the idea of a dual rink concept but not with the the current bod and lack of management skills most of u have shown.
If this expansion takes place me thinks all u want to do is make it into a house for a travel empire.
Until we allow open elections for other good hockey people with strong business minds-this rink expansion will be an abomination.
Resign and the rinks in. Stay and the idea needs to go away.
there is a lot of positive and negitives about this idea but it is not going to be the ” The Bobbleheads ” as they have been dcalled it is going to be the town citizens who are going to be for or against this proposal. I am a coach in this orginization and a tax payer in this town but like i said there are a lot of unanswerd questions that need to be addressed like what happens if this group goes belle up with todays economics you never know what is in store so that is going to be a major issue. As far as the bobble heads that they are being called any one who wants an answer on the issues should go to the web site and contact them personally I am sure they would love to answer any questions that you have. Unfortanitly they will not do it on this web site and that is there call they dont want to get caught up in a wirl wind and that is there dicsision. I know I have talked to some of them and I know them all pretty well so trust me when i say that one again if you want something answered contact any Board member of the HAWKS
Coach,
I as well as many others have tried to contact the HMHA bobbleheads but never get a response. This is why they must and will be removed before any new build at Nike is AWARDED.
They have and will always be a group of men who hide behind the doors and be abject to change, question or confrontation.
As stated by someone else in these blogs, annexation and new build will only provide the structure to improve HMHA. the foundation and strength will be by the people who care to serve the paying members with honesty and integrity. Otherwise the cyclical problems continue.
Merry Christmas