Good morning all!
I’m going to try and use this forum to communicate a general response to some of
the concerns brought forward to me. Chances are that many of you share the same
concerns and may have not had the opportunity to tell me. So, check back often (postings will be as
required).
Here are a few updates for the weekend of October 18th.
Select Update
We will be having preliminary (external to HL Bantam) evaluators check out the children during game situations over the next 2 weekends.
For those of you interested, the league and Coach Melo have posted some important dates over in the Bantam HLS section of this website.
As a reminder, the tryout sessions are for invited players. Request for participation in the tryouts will go out during the last week of October. Coach Melo will have the required guidance information ready at that time (For example… the additional fees for tryout ice and an estimated fee / budget for HLS participation if your child is selected to participate on the team)
As always… Bring your “A” game!
Ice assignments
Hockey is a team sport! The volunteer coaching staff are here to promote fun, fair play and to advocate for what is best for the team. This means you child may be asked to play a position that he/she is not used to or is not comfortable in playing (yet). If your child is requested to play in an unfamiliar role, be sure to communicate to them that the coaching staff has seen something good in their “game” that makes them a prime candidate to help the team fill a void. Being exposed to different positions can be a positive experience, as one can learn and develop a broader “hockey sense” and new perspectives.
Dressing Room Etiquette and Hygiene
Unfortunately, we play and practice in the two facilities that have the smallest dressing rooms. This is simply a result of available ice slots. We know it is uncomfortable and can appreciate that it is a tight squeeze for everyone.
In order to make the environment more hospitable and to reduce the chance for infections to spread; we ask that players refrain from spitting. Clothing, laces and equipment all touch the floor. The last thing we want is for anyone to get sick as a result of being in a dressing room. Public Health officials are already calling for an early start to the (cold and) flu season. Please communicate this to your children! Their health and safety are our first priority.
Game times
We will continue to play 10-10-10 stop periods of hockey that are curfew-ed at the hour. We will look to extend the third period of ice time across the league if it is demonstrated that we are continually finishing early. Play time has to be equal and fair. Extending the clock in a close game situation can alter the outcome (some may see this as unfair). This is the same reason why the clock is not run at the end of the game as penalty situations (taken before and during the run-time) can become tricky to manage.
I will be in communication with the league to ensure that the 3 minute warm up starts as soon as the doors for ice resurfacer are closed and that we are ready to drop the puck at the end of the 3 minutes. Gauging by the flow of play-to date, if the above sequence is followed, we should be able to fit in a slightly longer third period – allowing our kids an extra shift or two.
As parents, we can facilitate this by having our kids to the rink on time (typically >30 minutes before the game) so that game sheets are ready to go. We also need timekeepers in place. I think we can all agree that we want to utilize as much of our allocated ice time as possible.
That’s all for now…
See you at the rink
Eric