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participants traveling from as far away as Illinois hints at the commitment that some youth hockey participants have in the sport. One adult commented on the question regarding whether the trip was a family function "This is our way of life. While none participated in this study, interviewees mentioned that it is not uncommon to have teams travel from throughout the Midwest as far as Nebraska and indeed from Canada for special tournaments. One tournament participant included in the survey traveled from Philadelphia. While the clear majority of youth hockey participants traveled from within Wisconsin, only a handful was from the La Crosse and Onalaska areas. Participants travel from all corners of Wisconsin including Brookfield and Milwaukee, Janesville, Green Bay and Onieda to name a few. A second potential reason for the low number of tournaments attended away from home is the relatively newness of youth hockey to many of today's participants. The majority (55.5 percent) of respondents stated that this is only their second year involved in youth hockey tournaments (Figure 2). The average number of years involved is srightly less than two at 1.8. This is partially a reflection of the recent growth in interest in youth hockey but also a reflection of the growth in and maturing of youth hockey associations. Figure 2 Number of Years in Youth Hockey 2nd Yr 3rd Yr 22.6% Source: UmasTyd Vvvm o,MadeanEpwreAn Yr Youth are most likely involved in hockey for several years before participating in tournaments. Still, slightly less than one in five participants have been involved in youth hockey tournaments for four or more years. This latter group includes not only young children moving though the age categories, but also families with more than one child interested in participating in organized hockey activities. One individual commented that she was a single parent and this was a weekend with her son. If one examines the age profile of the groups attending youth hockey tournaments at the La Crosse and Onalaska facilities during January and February, it becomes clear that these are family -type events. Numerous respondents said the thing they enjoyed was watching their child play hockey. Nearly half, 48.5 percent are under the age of 21 and 42.9 percent are between the age of 35 and 50 (Figure 3). Given the nature of the tournaments, this result is as expected. When queried, nearly all (93.2 percent) reported that attendance of the tournament was considered a family function. Figure 3 Age Distribution of Party (Ave No. in Party) Total No. in 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 Source'. University of Wisconsin-MedisoNExlension