2008-2009 RYHA Fall Registration
by Ray Ashworth
Fall registration will take place at Graham 3 Arena on September 9 & 10, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Late Registration will be at Graham 3 Arena on September 18, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Registration Notes:
· The preferred method of registration is online; please refer to the RYHA website for more information and registration instructions.
· RYHA website - http://ryha.pucksystems2.com/
· Paper forms are provided in this newsletter and will also be available at the Graham Arena during registration if you are unable to use the online link.
· Online payment of registration fees will not be available for the 08-09 season. However, you will be able to pay with Visa or MasterCard at the Graham Arena.
Credit Cards Accepted!
by Mary Foley
RYHA will be accepting credit cards for payment of registration fees this fall for the first time ever. RYHA has an agreement with a local company to charge registration fees at the time of registration. This will be done through a secure system, similar to paypal, which guarantees privacy and accuracy. No personal information will be stored by RYHA or shared with any other service.
Families choosing the credit card payment option will have a service fee of 1.8% added to the registration fee. We feel this is the only fair way to offer the credit card option without adding a fee to those not using the service. This is a convenience fee which RYHA cannot afford to absorb, and which we cannot fairly charge to families choosing to pay by check or with cash.
Travel and team fees cannot be charged.
Payment plan options are still available, and the initial payment can be made on your credit card, but all following payments must be made by check.
We hope this is a service that makes registering for RYHA easier and more convenient.
Mite Hockey Looking for Volunteers!!
by Kathy Heightland
The Rochester Mite Hockey Association needs individuals willing to become volunteers on our Board of Directors. Currently we are looking for someone to fill our Treasurer position and help out with the Termite and Supermite Booster positions. This is a fun way to be a big help in the early years of your child’s hockey experience. No experience with hockey is necessary to fill these positions! If you are interested in stepping up and becoming a member of our board, or helping in other areas throughout the season please contact Kathy Heightland at 288-8213 for more information or stop and speak with our current Booster Representatives at registration.
From the Traveling Unit
by Scott Schneider
For the 2008-2009 RYHA hockey season the boys travel teams break down are as follows:
Bantam – no changes from past seasons
· Two A teams
· One B1 team
· One B2 team
· All four teams will play a district schedule
PeeWees – there are a few changes
· One A team – will play a district schedule
· One B team – will play a district schedule
· Four B2 teams – modeled after the Squirt B2 League with emphasis on less travel (expense) and more skill development
Squirts – no changes from last year
· Two A teams
· Six B2 teams
· Squirt Development League will run for four weeks this year, with try-outs occurring approximately November 15 – 16th
Any Supermite age players wishing to try-out for Squirts will need to register as a Squirt. Players returned to the Supermite level will be refunded the registration fee difference.
Try-out dates are as follows (all dates are subject to change)
· Bantam – September 28th
· PeeWee – October 4th
· Squirts – approximately November 15 – 16, following the development league
· Supermites trying out for Squirts – October 10 & 11
From the Goal Crease
All goalies using RYHA equipment can call Alpha Gear Cleaning for free equipment cleaning. Contact Alpha Gear Cleaning at 269-1674 or check out their website at alphagearcleaning.com
Girls Hockey
by Mike McCormick
The girl’s hockey program will consist of four to five in-house teams, four travel teams, and one limited travel. The dates for the traveling tryouts will be finalized soon and will be available during registration on September 9th and 10th. The 14UA tryouts will be in the first week of October with the 12U and 10U tryouts following about a week later.
The girls city league (GCL) is an in-house program that will average three ice times per week. The girls in the GCL will be made up of players that are not selected or choose not to try out for the 10UA, 12UB, 12UA or 14UA teams. The 10UA, 12UB, 12UA and 14UA teams will all participate in the District 8 league along with other South East Minnesota and South metro girls programs. These teams play a 16 game schedule with 8 home and 8 away games. They also participate in one to three away tournaments and the Rochester girl’s tournament. The 10UB team is a limited travel team that will be made up of girls that were not selected for the 10UA team. These girls will play the majority of their season on various GCL teams but will participate in the Rochester girl’s tournament and one away tournament. Prior to each of these tournaments the 10UB girls will practice as a unit rather than with their GCL teams.
We are looking forward to a great season!
Girls Off-Season Development
by Mike McCormick
The girls have been very active during the off-season. Many of them have put in a lot of work skating in a variety of local and out of town hockey camps. 68 girls participated in the spring skills group and 65 girls participated in the summer scrimmage sessions. The Rochester Hockey Foundation held a week long girls camp that was attended by 47 players. The daily sessions consisted of 1 ½ hours of skills work, 1 hour off-ice and a 1 hour scrimmage. The first Speed of Mind program had 27 regular players and about 10 alternates. A number of the girls skated in a Peewee 4 on 4 league. In addition to the Rochester girls camps we had players attend Peak Performance, St Mary’s Winona, Shattuck-St Mary’s, among others. All of this off-season training will lead to more skilled players. The girl’s coaches are encouraged by the fact that most of the girls continue to play other sports such as soccer, softball, volleyball and lacrosse.
Rochester Youth Hockey will again be selling tickets to 5 Minnesota Wild Hockey games.
Tickets are available on a first come first serve basis to any current and newly registered youth hockey players and their families. We have a total of 40 tickets per game. You can reserve as many tickets per game you want, and as many games as you want.
All tickets/seats are located on the upper level ends.
Tickets Prices: The Minnesota Wild have changed the ticket pricing format this year. Standard Game Tickets are $26 a seat. Premium Game Tickets are $31 a seat. Premium Games where determined by the Wild based on the Team they are playing that night. (No payment is necessary until the Wild send us the tickets).
If you would like to reserve tickets to any of the games, please do the following:
- Send an e-mail to Brent Koster at (in the subject area please state Wild Tickets) and provide the following information:
- Youth Hockey Player’s name
- Current level playing at for the 2008-2009 season
- Team played on the 2007 – 2008 (only if in hockey last year)
- Game (s) requested- include the date and team the Wild will be playing
- Number of seats requested per game
Games available:
- Friday November 28th – 1:00 pm – Tampa Bay- Premium Game - $31/seat
- Sunday December 28th – 5:00pm – Chicago- Standard Game - $26/seat
- Saturday January 3rd – 7:00pm – Detroit – Premium Game -$31/seat
- Friday February 6th – 7:00pm – Nashville – Standard Game - $26/seat
- Sunday March 22nd – 2:00pm – Edmonton – Standard Game - $26/seat
Sign up now to reserve your spot to be on the Team of 18,000!!
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR KID'S HOCKEY IS TAKING OVER YOUR LIFE...
Author unknown
· You base the purchase of your next new vehicle on whether it will hold six kids, six sticks, and six hockey bags.
· You know the location of every Tim Horton's within a 400 mile radius.
· You relate directions to places by the nearest arena.
· You know every single kid on every single team your child has ever played on... But don't have a clue who his school mates are.
· You feel lost when you have a free weekend.
· Your spouse waits until you decide where to sit and then chooses a spot on the opposite side of the arena.
· You become a partner in a skate sharpening business to save money.
· You can justify complaining about someone who gives hundreds of hours of volunteer time to your son or daughter.
· You ground your kids for a week (except for hockey practice) ..
· You can rationalize spending $159 on a Synergy for a 9 year old but won't spend $5 on a Birthday card for your wife/husband.
· When someone asks how old your children are you respond, "I have a '94 and a '97."
· You've had to use a grandparent to take kid #1 to a tournament because Dad was in a different province with kid #2 at a tournament and Mom had kid #3 two provinces away in a 3rd tournament all in one weekend.
· You have more miles on '05 minivan than a '66 Chevy.
· Practices make up a very large part of your social life.
· You buy gloves according to how loud you can clap in them.
· You find yourself missing the parents of your child's team mates during the off-season.
· You refuse to make any plans with your friends until you check your kids' hockey schedule.
· You take out a home loan to pay for all the equipment and expenses.
· You plan the birth of next child so he has a good hockey birthday.
· Your new baby's first word is Zamboni.
· All computer passwords begin with "hockey" or contain child's number.
· You've been barred from more than one rink on more than one occasion.
· You purchase a new $135.00 stick because the old one "didn't have any goals left in it."
· You know a few 5 year olds that are good but "lack focus".
· You've had kids ask if Christmas is "home or away".
· When asked to decide between try-outs and first communion - you ask the church what his options are.
· You've received a letter from AAA Automobile Club and called for more info about tryouts.
See you at the rink!
Rochester Juvenile Hockey Newsletter
Bonnie Meyers
942 Elton Hills CT NW
Rochester, MN 55901
Kbmey@charter,net
Direct other correspondence to:
Rochester Juvenile Hockey Association
PO Box 237
Rochester, MN 55903