Updated Novice and Initiation Info: A message from Coach Jeremy
Hello everyone,
I hope you’re having a great summer and getting ready to hit
the ice for another fun season of girls hockey!
Below is a bit of
Initiation and Novice info for the upcoming season and a
link to
our online registration. We’re looking forward to seeing all of your
girls back at the rink!
For 2018/19, we will have our Initiation/Development program as well as 2 full-time Novice teams. For the past 2 years we have had a full-time Novice Rep team and a part-time Novice LL team, however the growth in our program means are planning for 2 full-time teams this year – which is excellent for our girls.
One issue that will impact where some of you fit for the coming year is the implementation of half-ice hockey by Hockey Canada. This is a great change for the development of players at the younger ages, but will have an impact on programming as we transition from the status quo. For 2018/19, Novice teams can include 7 and 8 yr olds (2010 and 2011 birth year). We cannot roster younger players to a Novice team, which has been standard practice in previous years. For the 2019/20 hockey season, 2010 players will move up to Atom and continue to play full-ice. 2011 players will remain at Novice, however will transition to half-ice games. Here is some info: https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/hockey-programs/coaching/novice
For 2010 and 2011 players, we would encourage you to participate in one of our Novice teams this year. If you’re not sure if your player is ready, you’ll be amazed at how quickly they advance at the start of the year, and it will be a great experience for them to participate in a team this season.
For 2012 players, please register for our Initiation/Development program. As we have done in previous years, we would like to expose these players (and any others from our initiation program who are ready) to some games throughout the season. This year those games will be half-ice and we won’t know how this will come together until the season starts because it will depend on what other associations are doing for this group. Our preference would be to set up “jamboree” days with other girls programs so we can play 2-3 short games in a morning, with each association hosting one day. If we can’t make that work, we will set up a half-ice game program within our own group of players. We can include 2010/2011 players in these half-ice games, just cannot have 2012 players play full-ice this season.
I will be back to coach the Initiation/Development program this year as well as the Novice C team. We have an established coaching staff for the Novice C, but will need a coaching staff for our Novice 2 team, and would welcome any help for the Initiation program. Please let me know if you are interested in coaching, or helping in some other way.
In terms of scheduling, here is what we have tentatively booked:
- Initiation:
o Tuesdays 6-7pm and Saturdays 8:45-9:45am (same as last year)
o Tuesday icetime will be shared with Novice 2 (each group will use half-ice with Rink divider in middle)
o First icetime: Saturday, September 29
- Novice 2(LL):
o Tuesdays 6-7pm (half ice shared with Initiation Development)
o Fridays 6-7pm (shared with Novice C – expect to be an integrated practice for most ice times)
o First ice time for Novice players is currently scheduled for Tuesday September 18, but we hope to move up to the week of September 10.
- Novice C:
o Tuesdays 7-8pm
o Fridays 6-7pm (shared with Novice 2)
o First ice time for Novice players is currently scheduled for Tuesday September 18, but we hope to move up to the week of September 10
Finally, we will be hosting a Fall “Fun Skate” open to all prospective players on August 26, from 10-11 am at the Rec Centre.
Registration: Please get your registration in as it will help us continue to firm up plans for the coming season.
-Initiation: https://owensoundgirlshockey.com/Forms/1373/2018-19_Ice_Hawks_Initiation_Registration/
-Novice: https://forms.zohopublic.com/owensoundgirlshockey/form/2018Registration/formperma/dVYyqzVR0rybOnp6LCQlTxM1Wate-xI5DVEMcJtKbtQ
Please email me with questions or suggestions for the upcoming season and share this information with anyone who may be interested in one of these programs for this year.
Thank you!
Jeremy