VIAHA Memo – Female Regional Teams

Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association

MEMORANDUM

TO:                   MHA Presidents & VIAHA Female Hockey Committee Members

FROM:              Barb Norton, Chair – Female Hockey

SUBJECT:         Female Regional Teams

I would like to take this opportunity to clarify some issues surrounding the selection of our regional teams for our female players.  I have been hearing that some players and families are feeling confused.

1. We have been asked if the girls can try out for the boys’ (integrated) competitive team and failing to make that team, can they then try out for a female competitive team.  According to Reg 4, 4.07, note 6 in the VIAHA handbook, players may only try out for one competitive team and failing that they must return to their home association to play on a recreational team.  The girls will have to decide which team they will try out for girls or boys.
2. Peewee parents and those with first year bantam players are aware of the BC Hockey U14 camp being held in Parksville the weekend of August 27th and 28th.  Hopefully all interested players have registered.   I have heard that parents are concerned that their bantam players will be missing their tryouts for the VIAHA Bantam A teams scheduled that weekend as well.

The VIAHA tryout weekend August 27/28 is a conditioning camp for all our participants.  The U14 camp will also be an opportunity for the girls to get their skating legs back.   VIAHA encourages all first year bantams to participate in the U14 camp for their conditioning.   VIAHA evaluations will begin the weekend of Sept 10^th and 11^th and no player seeking to try out for a VIAHA team will be at a disadvantage.   This will give all players the opportunity for a conditioning weekend prior to the start of evaluations on the Sep 10^th weekend.

1. REMINDER: REGISTRATION FORMS WITH PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED PRIOR TO TRYOUTS.  These can be sent to the VIAHA office or brought to the first tryout.  THESE MUST BE RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE PLAYER STEPPING ON THE ICE.  The form can be found on the VIAHA website (within the next few days – form is attached to this memo).

PERMISSION FORM: THIS MUST BE SIGNED BY AN AUTHORIZED PERSON WITHIN YOUR ASSOCIATION AND BROUGHT TO THE TRYOUT OR HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY VIAHA PRIOR TO THE TRYOUT.  (ALL PLAYERS MUST BE REGISTERED IN THEIR HOME ASSOCIATION IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN REGIONAL TRYOUTS.)  AGAIN, PLAYERS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE ICE WITHOUT THIS FORM.   (NOTE:  the form on the website says midget, please cross out and put appropriate division.)

SUMMING UP, NO REGISTRATION, PAYMENT AND SIGNED PERMISSION FORM MEANS NO TRYOUT ICE UNTIL THESE ARE IN HAND.

1. VIAHA is the host association for all female regional teams. JDF, Nanaimo and CR have agreed to be the carding association in each region for all teams.  The carding association is determined for ‘carding purposes only’.   All VIAHA Presidents have committed to providing ice to the VIAHA female rep program, whether they have participants or not.   Once teams have been formed decisions about where they practice and play will be determined by VIAHA.

Please continue to check the VIAHA website for further information, www.viaha.org.

If you have any questions or for further information please contact Barb Norton by email at bwnorton@shaw.ca or by telephone at (250) 743-1685.

August 22, 2011 | Categories: Female, Notices/Bulletins, VIAHA | Comments Off

VIAHA Looking For Female Coaches

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August 15, 2011 | Categories: Female, Notices/Bulletins, VIAHA | Comments Off

VIAHA – Female Hockey Regional Team Preparation

MEMORANDUM

July 10, 2011
TO: MHA Presidents & Female Development Coordinators
FROM: Jim Humphrey, VIAHA President
COPY: VIAHA Officers, Susie Sherman, Barb Norton

(pdf copy of this memorandum)

Subject: Female Hockey Regional Team Preparation

As those who attended the VIAHA AGM in May will know the membership passed new resolutions dealing with female hockey and the setting up of “Regional Teams”. The District was divided into regions when VIAHA was formed back in 2007, those being:

• North Island;
• Mid Island; and
• South Island.

These regions will be the starting point of forming our regional female teams; our goal is to have one team in each region in each division. In saying this there is much to get organized over the next month so as that we will be prepared to have tryouts in each region organized and the date’s times etc. published so as that the girls no when and where to go. In order to do this however we need the assistance and support of all 17 member MHAs.
Susie along with some of the Female Coordinators have done some work on trying to determine how many girls are interested in trying out for a female competitive team and have had some success but we know there are more girls out their that have not registered yet or have not been advised on the districts initiative in forming “Regional Competitive Teams”.

There were pre-registration forms sent out to the MHAs last spring and as a result we have the following number of girls registered for tryouts in the different regions:
Divisions:  North Island / Mid Island / South Island
Midget:  North 12 / Mid 35 / South 17
Bantam:  North 10 / Mid 22 / South 18
Pee Wee:  North 5 / Mid 12 / South 10

If we as a district want to be successful we must all take the time to ensure that our player’s needs are taken care of and that there is a viable competitive program for them to participate in. We must ensure that we put into place a program that meets the needs for the development of female hockey we need to move forward in a positive direction, our female players deserve nothing less! We need to work together towards one goal and that goal needs to be to make available to our female players a steadfast and viable competitive program with a robust recreational program feeding into the competitive program.

We are well on our way in our plans but know it is time to put the plans into action and to do this we need the support of all of our member associations, we need to curve the pressures placed on some of us to try and have a competitive team made up of local MHA players and carded out of individual associations. History has proven
that this does not work and in fact some would say this type of mindset has stifled the growth of female hockey.

Our female players like their male counterparts need and want to play with players of similar caliber; when we put together teams that have both strong competitive players mixed in with recreational players both get frustrated and this in turn has caused many to leave our game or not wanting to join and undergo the commitment that competitive hockey brings.
We have recently appointed Barb Norton as the Head Commissioner for female hockey; she along with her commissioners will oversee the administration of the female leagues both competitive and recreational throughout the district. She will work under the guidance of the South Island VP Michael Hanson who will deal with any pending discipline situations that may occur. We are in the process of putting together a VIAHA Female Hockey Committee which Barb will chair and Susie Sherman will be Vice Chair. We will be adding up to four more members to this committee and they will administer female hockey bringing back to the Executive Committee suggestions etc. on the way ahead to maximize the growth of female hockey. Should any MHA President like to submit a name for us to consider appointing to this committee please do so by forwarding the name to me. We decided to try a smaller committee in hopes that they will be able to meet regularly and discuss the needs of the female program. Regular meetings of the Female Development Coordinators has proven to be problematic thus our objective that forming a smaller committee dedicated solely at dealing with
female hockey issues will better represent this most important part of our game. So moving forward below is what is required in preparation in forming a regional team in each of our three regions:

• MHAs need to maximize the registering of pending female players as well as ensure that those already registered are aware of the Districts initiatives;
• VIAHA along with our member MHAs to arrange ice times for female hockey tryouts for the weekend of August 27/28 and September 10/11;
• VIAHA to arrange independent evaluators for the tryouts;
• MHAs need to seek out names of those wishing to be a coach, assistant coach or manage one of our competitive teams and provide the names to the VIAHA DHO, Robin Edwards;
• VIAHA to put together a selection committee to select the team officials for each of the competitive teams;
• Tryout registrations to continue over the next five weeks with applications continued to be forwarded to Susie Sherman or the VIAHA office along with the $60 tryout fee, with cheques made payable to VIAHA;

The above list is not all inclusive but it is a start which will allow for us to begin preparations to ensure that past issues with respect to our female hockey competitive programs are addressed and that Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association have competitive teams that will represent us throughout the year leading up to the
BC Hockey Championships in March 2012.

Finally, there certainly will be questions asked as we move forwards, questions such as:

Q: What if there are enough competitive players in a particular region to have two teams?
A: If the talent base is there to have more than one team carded in a particular region then the VIAHA Executive Committee will look at approving a second team.

Q: What if there are not enough girls in a region wanting to play on a regional team?
A: If there is not enough interest in a particular region then those girls wishing to tryout will be allowed to go to the adjacent region to tryout.

Q: Where will the team be hosted from?
A: The teams will be hosted out of VIAHA but will be carded out of one MHA, the expectation is that the team will practice/play in the home rinks to which the teams players are from.
Q: Who will be the coaches of the teams?
A: Those wishing to coach one of our competitive teams will apply to VIAHA and a committee will be setup to select the coaches/managers of each team.

Q: What will be the travel commitment of the players?
A: VIAHA recognizes that cost plays a major factor in the success of the program; as such we will work very hard at minimizing travel costs.

Q: How much will it cost to play on one of the competitive teams?
A: Much of this will be decided by the parents of the team once it is formed, cost will depend on such things as how many tournaments that a team wishes to participate in.

Q: Who and where will the competitive teams play during the season?
A: The teams will play out of the home arena’s of which their local MHA is located and play in leagues that will assist in minimizing travel while at the same time meeting the needs to develop as a team.

Q: VIAHA has had limited success in the past why should this season be any different?
A: MHAs along with the District have recognized past shortfalls and have expressed the desire to work together to strengthen the female program There will be more information coming out in the days/weeks ahead so please bear with us but also ensure that the maximum flow of information out to our female players and their parents as to be successful the girls themselves need to be part of the solution by signing up to attend the tryout sessions.
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Jim Humphrey
VIAHA President

Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association
2301-E McCullough Road Nanaimo BC V9S 4M9
info@viaha.org www.viaha.org
Ph: 250-751-8811 Fax: 250-751-8812

July 18, 2011 | Categories: Female, Notices/Bulletins, VIAHA | Comments Off