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This section of our website is designed to provide new and existing parents of BMHA with important information about the BMHA and your child's hockey season.
Volunteering
The BMHA is a volunteer based organization which operates successfully because of the dedicated contributions of our parent volunteers who not only manage our teams, but also the Association and it's activities throughout the year.
There are many fun and interesting roles available each season and what a great way to get more involved in your child's activities, as well as to support your local hockey community!
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Head coaches, assistant coaches, managers, trainers, score/time keepers and treasurers are required for each team. (The duties for each of these positions are described in the Rules, Duties & Regulation document found on the BMHA Constitution page.
If you wish to be a head coach you must complete a Coach Application form and submit it to the relevant Division Convenor and copy it to the Vice-President of Hockey Operations by September 10th.
The BMHA Board of Directors will confirm the coach selection based on a Coach Selection Procedure (see Coaches Corner). Other team officials are selected by the head coach for each team at their discretion.
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Board Members are 'formally' elected each year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) although volunteers can step up for any vacant position, ANYTIME of the year. (The duties for each of these positions are described in the Rules, Duties & Regulation document found on the BMHA Constitution page.)
If you are interested in learning more about a listed Board position, please send an e-mail request to the BMHA Vice-President of Administration.
Annual Events
The BMHA hosts a number of events each season which all parents should be aware of. These events include:
- Player Evaluation (beginning of season)
- Coach Selection (after player evaluations)
- Clinics for Volunteers (Speak Out Clinic, Coach Clinic, Trainer Clinic)
- Goalie Clinics (approx. 3 per season)
- Volunteer Appreciation Night (end of the season)
- End of year Awards (Coach of the Year and Volunteer of the Year)
- Annual General Meeting - AGM (Elect board members)
Dates and times for the above events can be found on our Calendar of Events when they become available.
Equipment Checklist
Here is a list of equipment for parents and children new to hockey. Remember, proper fitting gear is the safest for your young superstar. If unsure of the fit of any piece of equipment, consult a knowledgeable salesperson at your local sporting goods store.
Skates - Priorities here should be value and comfort. Skates should feel comfortable right out of the box, and the blade should be stainless steel or carbon. A common mistake is to buy skates a size or two bigger than they need to be, hoping that junior will get an extra year out of them. Take advantage of local stores trade in policy for kids skates.
Stick - A wood stick is suggested to provide your budding star with a better feel for the puck. 2 sticks should be readily accessible in case of breakage during a practice or game.
Helmet - Helmets and facemask are mandatory in minor hockey. A proper fit ensures maximum protection. Look for the CSA certification label prior to purchase.
Shoulder Pads - A combination of foam and plastic padding with a good fit.
Elbow Pads - These short pads begin at the bottom of the shoulder pads on the players' arm and should extend to the top of the gloves.
Shin Pads - Covering the knee and shin area, these mainly plastic pads should extend from the bottom of the hockey pants to the top of the skate boot.
Gloves - Look for a good fit that allows your child to grip their stick. A single layer of foam inside the glove, coupled with coverage to the middle of the forearm is suggested.
Pants - Hockey pants provide your child with added protection against shots, sticks and falls. If the pants fit well, they will not affect your child's mobility on the ice.
Jersey - Your young Gretzky/Gretzkyess may need a practice jersey for team scrimmages and hockey camps. Handy for the outdoor rink as well!
Mouth Guard - Helps to prevent injuries to the mouth and teeth (and also prevents biting the tongue). Preliminary studies indicate that mouthguards may aid in the prevention of concussions. NEW for 2004/05 - Mouth guards are now mandatory equipment.
Tape - Required for taping the 'handle' and blade of the stick. Many players use clear tape for keeping their socks in place as well
Cup - Also known as a 'jock' or 'jane', boys should wear a cup and girls should wear a pelvic protector. Protect the 'next generation'.
Garter Belt - Sometimes the 'cup' requires a separate garter belt. This belt provides a mechanism to keep hockey socks in place. Opt for the shorts with velcro on the front and back as these wear better and are more comfortable for the player.
Hockey Bag - Required for lugging all the above mentioned gear back and forth from the house to the rink.
Socks - Used to cover the shin pads.
Neck Guard - An absolute must for minor hockey players. Available for around $15, these lightweight devices assist in lessening the chance of a skate blade cutting a player's neck.
Player Evaluations
At the start of the hockey season all players must go through evaluations. The process starts with your arrival at the arena. Observers grade your parking (extra points for backing into a spot) and how smoothly you exit your vehicle. This will be a determining factor in which team your child plays on in perpetuity. So is the way you’re dressed and your hair length: judges pay attention to everything and make their determinations accordingly.
Actually, none of this is true! But to hear some folks talk, it very well could be: there are a lot of misconceptions about the why’s and how’s of the evaluation process. Hopefully this article will provide you with answers and information to make you a more understanding Hockey Parent.
Firstly, our league is governed by the rules and regulations of the Gloucester Hockey Association (GHA). The composition of all levels (Novice, Atom, Pee Wee, Bantam, Midget) are mandated by the GHA and have to follow a governed ratio. The ratio is determined by the overall population of the area (Blackburn – Chapel Hill South – N.D.C.) factored by the number of registered players. The GHA minimal numbers are 20% for the 'A' level, 60% for the 'B's' and 20% for the 'C' level. This means that for every level of hockey in the BMHA, we have to form teams along these minimal numerical guides. What minimal means is that we must have at least one A and one B team. We can not form three B teams or three C teams. If per chance there was enough ability we could form three A teams however this would be almost unheard of. What the GHA is trying to prevent by assigning these ratios is the 'back filling' or 'stacking' of teams at lower levels.
Once we’ve established how many teams we’ll field (based on total registration as filtered by the GHA compositional guides) we have to determine the size of each team. This is done by evenly dividing the number of eligible players by the number of teams. All teams in a division are to be the same size with a +/- of 1 player.
This is why we have to do evaluations and here’s how the process works. Players are evaluated over several on-ice sessions by a corps of impartial observers or “evaluators”. The evaluators determine each player’s individual ability and skill in relation to the rest of the players at their level. The grades are tallied and the players are listed in grade order. The first 20% go to the A level, the next 60% go to the B level and the final 20% go to the C level. The evaluators are not connected with the level they are evaluating and do not work with the players by name. They only work with the numbers on the “pinney” worn by each player for that session. Players are randomly given different “pinney” numbers for each evaluation session. This helps to ensure that the process remains anonymous. As an association, the BMHA has always strived to make sure that evaluations are as unbiased as humanly possible.
This brings us to a category of players who may be graded in an area between levels (not quite a C level, but not quite a B either or, perhaps a strong B but not quite an A player). A player rated in this category is termed to be “on the bubble” or, a “bubble child”. In the end, this child will be placed at a level (A, B, C,) where the best interest of the child is served and within the established parameters of the league. These decisions are not taken lightly and they do not rest solely on the shoulders of the Convener: these decisions are made by a team of volunteers and Board members who are doing their best for the player and the League.
Every year the association fields parental requests to have their children placed at the same level or on the same team as their child’s friends or playmates. While we would like to comply with these requests, once the evaluations have taken place most of the time, it is simply not possible to make player changes. This is because during the team placement process, the association is required to balance a team with a mix of players based on each player’s evaluation. Changing or exchanging players can result in a team’s imbalance making a team either too strong or not competitive.
One final word about the VOLUNTEERS who run evaluations: they are just that; VOLUNTEERS. They have given freely of their time to support hockey in our community. Please say thank you and be kind and respectful. It is the efforts of these people that keep our League going and that have earned the respect of the community.
Behaviour At the Rink
Here are a list of things you should NOT do at the rink or even outside of the rink. Incidents are taken very seriously and the consequences can be severe. You could find yourself banned from all arenas or banned from minor hockey altogether. Please refrain from:
- Engaging in any communication with referees. Most referees are young kids that are still learning.
- Do not enter the referee dressing rooms under any circumstances.
- Do not touch a player, coach or referee.
- Do not verbally abuse a player, coach or referee.
- Do not throw things on the ice or in the stands.
All team officials (coaches, managers, trainers) and BMHA convenors are required to take a Speak Out course that is helpful in identifying and reporting any inappropriate behaviour or abuse by parents.
Parents are also encouraged to attend a Speak Out clinic to help understand the severity that inappropriate behaviour can have on a team and its players.
Timbits - Initiation Program (IP)
The Timbits Minor Sports Program is a community-oriented sponsorship program for children in house league programs, ages five to seven years, who participate in local sports teams. The program's philosophy is not based on winning or losing - but on learning a new sport, making new friends, and just taking time out to be a kid.
The BLACKBURN MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION – INITIATION PROGRAM is one of the Timbit Programs, right here in your community. The program runs at the Blackburn arena, from October to March with one weekly 50 minute ice time, traditionally Saturday mornings.
Timbits players also have the opportunity to play in their own 'Timbits Jamboree', a fun-filled event where everyone receives a prize, and Tim Hortons food and drinks are supplied. This Jamboree is held at the SCOTIABANK CENTRE - Home to the Ottawa Sentators, in March.
To register please contact our registrar today!
Useful Links
There are a number of useful pages on our website to assist parents. Here is a list of the essential links:
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