We’ve had a great turnout for Hockey School this year! Our 2 weeks of evaluations are complete and we are now into our IP development groups. Your children have worked hard and the coaches have had a good opportunity to observe their skill level and abilities. The children will continue to be evaluated, when and if a child is ready to move up or down to a different IP group, a coach will discuss their development with you.
Thank you for being up bright and early to get your kids involved, to get them active and for your patience as we move through the beginning stages of this new hockey season. Now that we are in our regular weekly schedule there are some things we’d like to go over so that everyone understands the expectations and program details.
· Having fun, learning new skills and developing into strong, healthy children will be the focus of this Introduction to Hockey program.
· Your children have been placed into IP Development Group levels: Beginner – Intermediate – Advanced
· Each level will have a weekly 1-hour practice on Saturday mornings. There are no league games in Hockey School.
· A schedule is available on the Caledon Minor Hockey website - http://caledonminorhockey.ca/Leagues/1196/Calendar/ The schedule indicates the location and time each level should attend. We will be at Caledon East for the majority of the season, with only one exception due to a scheduling conflict with a tournament.
· It is imperative that you follow the schedule and attend the specific development group time that your child has been placed into. The children will build their confidence and skills amongst other children at their own level. Pushing them into a higher level or different time frame to suit your family agenda will not aid in their development of their skills, new friendships, commitment to a team or trust in their coaches. We will be formatting the practices based on each level as well as the number of players we expect on the ice.
· If you are unable to attend the time your child’s development level is scheduled, please connect with a coach to make alternative arrangements in advance. If you arrive for a time other than your scheduled time, your child will not be permitted to participate in that practice.
· The ice times are early. Each level will rotate start times over the weeks in order to ensure fairness with respect to the early starts. 7:30am – 8:30am // 8:30am – 9:30am // 9:30am – 10:30am
· Please arrive early enough before your scheduled ice time to allow sufficient time to dress your child, in their full hockey equipment including MOUTH GUARD and NECK GUARD. Please have your child use the bathroom prior to going on the ice. Also, please do not allow your child on the ice until a coach is on the ice first.
· The children have been placed on teams. The teams will coincide with the coloured uniform (jersey and socks) your child will receive. We will be with our teams only on a few occasions throughout the year. Possibly a mid-year mini tournament, picture day and little champs weekend on the final day of the season. More details will be provided as they become available.
· If you are interested in coming on the ice as a helper, please connect with coach Paul Agius. You will need to take Respect In Sport (Speak Out!) and have a Police Record Check completed through the Caledon Minor Hockey office. We will need to do this in advance, in order to ensure that everyone on the ice is insured.
· The coaches are all volunteers, but parents first. We are happily giving of our time to benefit your child and to help provide a great first hockey experience. Should you ever have any questions or concerns please feel free to connect with us at any time:
Paul Agius (Head Coach and Convenor) H: 905-857-8213 M: 416-845-7792 E: [email protected]
Paul Ambtman (Coach) M: 416-705-7393 E: [email protected]
Gus Kourousis (Coach) H: 905-533-5005 E: [email protected]
Steve Dasilva (Coach) H: 905-857-1466 E: [email protected]
Steven Panacci (Coach) M: 416-819-7208 E: [email protected]
Finally, we are very excited to be part of this great learning opportunity with your children. We are looking forward to helping them develop and progress in the coming months. We encourage you to support your child’s abilities, get them out on the ice during public skates as often as you can and get a good night’s sleep every Friday.
We’re off to a great start, looking forward to trying our best and having fun out there!
Thanks, The Hockey School Coaches.