Dear Families,

We have a few pieces of news and reminders to share.

1. Rebalancing

After the first few weeks in the season, it is sometimes necessary to re-balance teams. The league does this to keep games fun for kids by making sure that no team is winning or losing all the time.

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to T and L. They will be with us for the rest of the season. We’d like to thank S and T for being great team mates on and off the ice. We are sad to see them go and wish them well on their new teams.

2. Covering zones and playing positions

Here are a few videos on playing positions in the defensive zone that have been selected by Coach Matt. All players should watch these videos. This might be new information for some and a reminder for others. In either case, it gives our team a common foundation that we can build on.

Overall defensive zone coverage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9r9AJx2jKo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzh7D768sVA

Coverage for each position
Defence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aXsrNrT5RI
Wing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikqt_iY4nSA
Center: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1BN-Om5i6Q

3. Expectations for players

To ensure that practices and games run smoothly, we have some basic expectations for players.

* Put on equipment independently.
* Arrive 20 minutes before the start of a game
* Take off equipment independently.

Many thanks to the players and families who are already meeting these expectations. If your child is not meeting these expectations, they may need some support from you to get there.

The changing rooms are small, so we’d like parents to wait outside. With the exception of tying skates and putting on goalie equipment, players at this age are capable of dressing on their own. If a player needs help with skate tying, they can ask for help or they can come out of the dressing room to ask a parent.

We need players to arrive early for games, so that we can have a team meeting. At that time, we review the lines and points of performance for the game. The coaches need to prepare a roster on paper for the game officials. It’s stressful for players and coaches when some kids don’t show up until the last minute. Also, this is why we ask that you keep your availability up to date on TeamSnap. If a player arrives after the game sheet has been submitted, they may not be able to play in the game.

Ideally, the players go on the ice as soon as the zamboni leaves the ice, so they can have a good warm up.

4. Positive reinforcement

I’d like to wrap up with comments on things that have been going well.

We had a great practice last week. We worked on skills and every player who was there improved significantly. I was delighted because one of my goals is for players to learn and grow.

So far this season, we’ve had 6 different players in net, including one person who had never been a goalie before. I’m really proud of our kids for stepping outside their comfort zone and trying something new. These are the kinds of lessons that we can take from the ice into life.

As parents, it’s important for us to provide positive reinforcement to the kids. About 70% of kids drop out of sports by high school, because it stops being fun. Many kids find the ride home particularly miserable, because parents like to provide “constructive criticism.” The most important things we can say to them are “I’m proud of you when you play hockey” and “I like watching you play.” I know how challenging it is to make this change, because I did it. But the results have been worth it.

Thanks to you, the families. We wouldn’t have a team without you. If you have any questions or concerns, we are here to help.

Best,

Susan