WTM Youth Hockey
Member Handbook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW OF WTM'S PROGRAM & RULES OF PLAY ………… 1
AGE GROUPINGS ……………………………………………………… 3
THE HOCKEY SEASON & GAME FORMATS ……………………..... 4
WHY PLAY SPORTS & ATHLETE SCHOLAR PROGRAM………… 6
TEAM SELECTION PROCESS ………………………………………. 7
COACHES ……………………………………………………………… 9
EQUIPMENT AND JERSEYS ………………………………………… 13
RINKS AND ICE TIMES ………………………………………………. 14
CLINICS ………………………………………………………….……… 15
DIRECTIONS TO RINKS ……………………………………………… 16
LEARN TO SKATE PROGRAM ……………………………………… 19
NOVICE PROGRAM .……………….. 20
COMMUNICATIONS, NEWSLETTER, WEB SITE ……………..…. 21
TEAM MANAGERS ……………………………………………………. 22
PARENTS - WTM NEEDS YOU …………………………………...… 25
PROGRAM COMMITMENT ………………………………………….. 26
FAIR PLAY - RESPECT INITIATIVE ………………………………… 28
INTRODUCTION, PARENTS COMPACT,
COACHES COMPACT & PLAYERS COMPACT
FLUID REPLACEMENT ……………………………………………… 33
PREVENTING SPINAL CORD INJURIES ………………………….. 34
PARENTS GUIDE TO HOCKEY ………………………………….…. 35
REFEREE SYMBOLS FOR PENALTIES ………………………….. 39
WTM BY-LAWS ……………………………………………………….. 40
VIOLENCE AND LACK OF RESPECT HAVE NO PLACE IN YOUTH HOCKEY
ALL COACHES, PLAYERS AND PARENTS
WILL BE EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN
THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
& GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP
WHILE REPRESENTING WTM YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION
AT ANY HOCKEY FUNCTION
OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM
Wilbraham Twin Meadows Youth Hockey Association serves the towns of Wilbraham, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow and Hampden. The purpose of the WTM Hockey Association is to develop athletic proficiency and competitive sportsmanship in the skill of ice hockey, while incorporating the spirit of teamwork. Emphasis by the coaching staff is on teaching, educating and developing ice hockey skills in all the players.
All players must be a registered member of USA Hockey and Massachusetts Hockey before they participate on the ice with the WTM Organization. The WTM registrar will handle this process when your child registers with WTM. All Players and coaches must complete and sign a Medical Release Form, a Waiver of Liability form, and a Code of Conduct form. All WTM coaches, team managers, and board members, must sign a Massachusetts CORI Form, unless it is already on file from a previous year. Players must also be cleared of any financial obligations from the previous year before their registration will be accepted.
RULES OF PLAY
WTM participates in the Greater Springfield Hockey League which operate under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts Hockey and is governed by USA Hockey. Their rules and regulations will be strictly adhered to at all times.
WTM coaches are provided with Massachusetts Hockey Guide Books and a USA Official Playing Rules Book at the beginning of each season. These books contain a complete set of rules,
regulations and standards to follow as coaches and also inform coaches of the USA sanctioned tournaments. If you have any questions about these rules, please contact your head coach, the ACE coordinator, the Coaches Coordinator, or any other member of the WTM Board of Directors.
AGE GROUPINGS
Players are placed on teams grouped by age. A player's age grouping is determined by his or her birth date. These age brackets are set by USA Hockey.
Learn to Skate: usually 3 to 8 years old
For any questions on age groupings, please contact the Registrar
PLAYERS WHO WISH TO MOVE UP AN AGE BRACKET
WTM Hockey allows players to "play up" a division higher that their age category, under certain conditions. Although this is allowed on a case-by-case basis, WTM strongly encourages all players to play within their appropriate age classification. Any player who wishes to "play up" the upcoming season has to submit a request "package" to WTM Hockey which contains:
1. A letter from the player making a request to play up and the reason the request is being made.
2. A letter from the parent or guardian of the player supporting the players' desire to move up a division.
3. A letter from a coach of the team the player was on the prior season recommending that the player be allowed to play up, with the reasons why.
4. Any other pertinent information.
All requests will be reviewed by the entire Board of Directors at the regularly scheduled meeting held in August. Any WTM registered player (or family member of a registered player) is invited to attend this meeting. All requests will be reviewed and voted on during the public meeting. In reviewing these requests, WTM's main concern will be the safety of the child and the ability of the child to play at the higher level. Any player requesting to "play up" is only allowed to move up one division (i.e. a Mite aged player can request to play at the Squirt level). The approval of any request is for the one upcoming season only. If the request is granted, the player will be notified and the player will be instructed to attend the tryout sessions for the approved age level. The player will be evaluated solely as a player at that age level. If the player does not make the team he or she desires, the player WILL NOT be able to move back to the lower age division.
THE HOCKEY SEASON
Playoffs, Playdowns, Championship games, Regular Season
What Does it All Mean?
WTM Youth Hockey players play their competitive games within the Greater Springfield Junior Amateur Hockey League (GSL). Other youth hockey teams that play in the GSL League include:
Amherst
Baystate
Bay West
Brattleboro
Enfield
Franklin County
Ludlow
Nonotuck
Pittsfield
Holy Name
Springfield Caps
Tri City
Westfield
The season schedule is as follows:
Mites through Bantams:
Evaluation Games Starting late September
Regular Season October to March
Playoff Season TBD
Championship Games TBD
Midgets only: games start in August and end in November
Evaluation games are played to make sure that teams are properly classified in the league. For example, teams entered in "A" can really play against other "A" teams, teams entered as "B" or "C" should really be playing at that level and are not beating every other team in that level. At the end of the evaluation games, the GSL members hold a meeting to review if teams appear to be playing at the fairest level.
Regular season games are just that - the regular season. These games are used to determine the standings that are maintained. These standings are published in the Springfield Newspaper for all divisions except Mite B and Mite C. The top team in each division at the end of the season is the regular season champion. These standings are also used to decide how teams are entered during the playoff season. If there is a wide spread in the ability of these teams, the division is split into an upper and a lower for the playoff season.
Playoff season games are used to determine which teams will play the final GSL Championship games. During the month of March, the top two teams in each division will play one Championship game to determine the Champion for the year. These final Championship games are played at Mite "A" and Squirt, Pee Wee and Bantam level. Mite "B" and Mite "C" are still considered instructional hockey and therefore do not play a championship game.
In addition to the games that we participate in at the League, all of our players and our teams are part of USA Hockey. USA Hockey, which is administered by Mass Hockey in Massachusetts, holds a State Championship tournament for Squirt through Midget divisions.
The first step in this tournament is known as Playdowns. During the week of February vacation, our Squirt and Pee Wee teams are entered into these playdowns. Games are scheduled during the daytime hours of that week and are in addition to any regularly scheduled games and practices. Bantam and Midget playdowns are held during the fall because some of these teams only play until December. Mass Hockey charges an entry fee of approx. $150 per team to participate in these playdowns. WTM is one of the few organizations that pays this entry fee for each of its teams. These games are played in a sudden death format. Once your team loses, your team is done.
If your team successfully wins each game during the week, you become the District VI Champs for your division. Since Mass Hockey is divided into 10 different districts, your team now proceeds to the State Championship games to compete against the other district champs. The cost of these state championship games is approx. $700 per team, and again WTM pays these fees for each of its teams. These games are played on various dates and at various locations throughout the state during the month of March. These games are set up with a minimum of 3 games being played, with the better teams advancing to a championship game to determine the State Champion.
These tournament games at the Mass Hockey level are only available to Squirt, Pee Wee, Bantam, and Midget players. Although Mites do not have an opportunity to participate in this state tournament, during February vacation, when our other teams are doing playdowns, our Mite teams participate in a Mite jamboree. The Mite jamboree is set up just like playdowns to determine a District VI champ, but the winners at the Mite level do not move into the state tournaments.
GAME FORMATS
Buzzer: In buzzer hockey, play is stopped at two-minute intervals, for substitutions and line changes. Substitutions can be made only at these intervals. Each team is divided into "lines" of approximately equal skill and ability. Each of the lines is matched against a line on the other team of equal skill. Teams play three equal periods. This type of play in only at Mite 'C' level for the 1st part of the season.
Over the Boards: In over the boards hockey, play is stopped only at the end of periods, when goals are scored, or when infractions, such as off sides, icing, or penalties are called. Substitutions can be made at any time, including while play is in progress. "Lines" may be of mixed ability levels. This is the type of hockey all of our other teams play.
Checking: Body Checking begins at the Peewee level. Players are taught the proper methods of delivering and taking a check. Any checking at the Mite or Squirt level will be treated as a game infraction, and an appropriate penalty will be assessed.
Why play sports?
Here are the reasons why boys and girls participate in sports, ranked according to mean importance:
BOYS
To have fun
To do something I’m
good at
To improve my skills
For the excitement of competition
To stay in shape
For the challenge of competition
To get exercise
To learn new skills
To go to a higher level of competition
GIRLS
To have fun
To get exercise
To stay in shape
To improve my skills
To do something I’m good at
To learn new skills
To play as part of a team
For the challenge of competition
For the team spirit
Isn't it amazing, most of our kids play hockey TO HAVE FUN !!
Let's Keep it Fun for them.
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WTM Hockey Scholar Athlete Program
While acquiring hockey skills is important, WTM also emphasizes scholastic achievement, good sportsmanship and citizenship as well. We believe that stressing both athletics and education helps to develop a well-rounded individual. The ultimate goal of WTM Hockey is to instill in all of our participants keen athletic, citizenship and scholastic skills that will remain with these fine young men and women long after they have left the WTM program.
In order to reward our athletes who also excel in the classroom, we are pleased to honor these scholar-athletes with a custom designed patch.
This patch is available to all WTM athletes who have achieved a final average of either A or B for all of their major subjects during the previous school year.
To qualify for this patch, the student athlete should mail a copy of their final report card to: WTM Hockey, P.O. Box 836, East Longmeadow, MA 01028.
Remember, homework always comes first.
Good students make smart players.
Smart players win games!
TEAM SELECTION PROCESS
WTM is an all-inclusive program. Each year we take on the extremely difficult task of placing players to make up our WTM teams. The evaluation process attempts to group players of similar skill level on the same team. Why is this so difficult? Primarily because, of all of the children in a given age group, they will tend to form a bell curve of talent. A few kids fall at the highly skillful end of the curve and a few fall at the other end, but the majority are very comparable overall. Most of these kids will have some strong skills and some weak skills. It becomes very hard and judgmental to determine, overall, who are the stronger vs. weaker players. Depending on one’s point of view, a variety of placement orders can be rationalized. There are many factors that can be taken into consideration for placing a player, none of which can be viewed as absolutely correct or incorrect. It is with this thought in mind that we ask you first to recognize that we must instill in our children the importance of playing and enjoying the game of hockey rather than worrying about which level team they participate with. Our goal in player selection is to make the process as consistent and as equal as possible.