WELCOME TO WILDCAT HOCKEY
NEW PLAYER
INFORMATION GUIDE
NEW HOCKEY PLAYER INFORMATION PACKET
WACONIA HOCKEY ASSOCIATION (C) 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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TOPICS:
 ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD
 BEHAVIOR ON THE ICE
 PLAYER PREPARATION
 AFTER ICE SESSION
ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD
Encourage your child to do their best
and to have fun! Don’t be discouraged if
your child struggles with their first few
times on the ice. We certainly don’t
mind and neither should you. Many
hockey players started out struggling to
learn the basics of skating and hockey.
Our main goal is to make this fun for
your child and to get them to continue
to want to play hockey. Get them on the
ice, smile and say “Have Fun!”
BEHAVIOR ON THE ICE
Talk to your child about behavior while
on the hockey rink, some basics are:
 Do your best
 Have FUN!
 When the coach blows the whistle,
stop what you’re doing and listen
 When the Zamboni is on the ice,
ABSOLUTELY no kids should be on
the ice. When the Zamboni doors
are open, you can’t be on the ice.
Wait for a coach to tell you when
to step on the ice.
PLAYER PREPARATION
We suggest arriving in plenty of time to
get your child ready to hit the ice.
Arriving at least 25 minutes prior to
your ice session will allow sufficient time
to be ready and hit the ice when your
session starts. Many parents find it
easier to get their player partially
dressed at home and arriving at the rink
to lace up the skates, putting on the
helmet and gloves. We have locker
rooms assigned for each of our Rookie
Camp Sessions for your child to get
dressed and ready. Please use the
locker rooms and avoid using the lobby
area to get ready.
NEW HOCKEY PLAYER INFORMATION PACKET
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PLAYER PREPARATION
(CONT.)
AFTER ICE SESSION
Below includes a good process for
putting on your child’s equipment:
After your ice session and before
leaving the rink, it is always a good
thing to double check your hockey bag
to make sure you remembered
everything.
Teach your child
responsibility
for
their
hockey
equipment. Encourage your child to
carry some of their equipment to and
from the rink. If they are old enough,
it’s a great idea to have them put as
much equipment on as they can on
their own. The earlier you can teach
them to help with the equipment
process, the sooner they’ll be doing it
on their own.
1.
Athletic Supporter (with cup
protector for boys and pelvic
protector for girls)
2.
Hockey Garter Belt (if not already
built into the Athletic Supporter)
3.
Shin Pads
4.
Hockey Socks (or sweatpants)
5.
Pull the Hockey Socks (or
sweatpants) over the shin pads
6.
Breezers/Hockey Pants
(suspenders if needed to hold up
the Breezers/Pants)
7.
Shoulder Pads
8.
Elbow Pads
9.
Jersey
10.
Neck Guard
11.
Skates
12.
Hockey Helmet with Face Mask
(mouth guard with strap –
attached to face mask)
13
Hockey Gloves
14.
Hockey Stick – wood or composite
hockey stick (note: No Plastic
Street Hockey Sticks or Plastic
Blades)
Mom and Dad will still need to do the
skate tightening.
NEW HOCKEY PLAYER INFORMATION PACKET
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EQUIPMENT
Getting properly fitted for your
equipment is important; either used or
new equipment should always fit
properly. Equipment that is properly fit
reduces the chance of injury and allows
your child to enjoy the great sport of
hockey even more!
What to do with your equipment when
not using it? It’s always a good thing to
take you equipment out of your bag and
air out the equipment. This reduces the
potential of mold and helps prolong the
life of the equipment.
EQUIPMENT OVERVIEW:
[SKATES]
What is the Proper Fit for Skates?
Skates normally fit 1 to 1-1/2 sizes
smaller than your street shoes. While
wearing the sock that will be worn when
skating, slip your foot into the skate,
pressing the ends of the toes against
the front of the skate. In this position,
you should be able to place one finger
between the inside of the boot and the
heel of your foot. Walk 10 to 15 minutes
in the skates checking for comfort. An
ideal fit for an adult would have the heel
at the rear of boot and have the big or
second tow lightly “feather” the toe cap
while standing.
For a player that is still growing, have
the large or second toe “feather” the toe
cap. Look behind the heel for any room.
No more than 1/2" should be allowed.
EQUIPMENT OVERVIEW:
[SKATES (CONT.)]
How Can I Break In My Skates Faster? A
good way to break in skates is to lace
them up at home. If you do this for a
few hours it should help your feet feel
better when you first skate. This is also
a good way for young skaters to
strengthen their ankles.
It’s also important to wipe down the
blades after skating, this helps reduce
potential rust and pitting of the skate
blade.
Skate sharpening – Rule of thumb is
every 4 – 6 skates on indoor ice, more
frequently on outdoor ice. To see if the
skates are sharp enough, hold the blade
up and gently rub one of your
fingernails at an angle over the edge of
the blade. If they’re not sharp at all,
nothing will rub off your fingernail.
NOTE: Walking on cement or metal is
not good for skates. Teach your child to
walk on the rubber flooring.
[HELMET]
The areas to consider when choosing a
helmet are protection, comfort and fit.
You should always look for equipment
that feels comfortable. Although most
helmets are lined with protective foam,
some do feel better than others. The
helmet should be adjusted to fit snug to
prevent any shifting and maximize
protection. Make sure the chinstrap is
adjusted so it gently makes contact
under the chin when fastened. It is
recommended that the player wear CSA
and HECC certified helmets. All CSA and
HECC certified helmets have a sticker
indicating their certification.
NEW HOCKEY PLAYER INFORMATION PACKET
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EQUIPMENT OVERVIEW:
(CONT.)
[GLOVES]
What is the Proper Fit for Hockey
Gloves? The main concern with the fit of
a glove is making sure the gap between
the glove and the elbow pad is minimal.
The tightness or looseness of a glove is
an individual preference. The tip of the
fingers should not go completely to the
end of the glove.
[SHOULDER PADS]
What determines the Proper Fit for
Shoulder Pads? It is very important that
the center of the player’s shoulder lines
up directly with the center of the
shoulder caps. Good shoulder pads will
provide protection for the collar bone,
chest, ribs, back and upper arms.
[ELBOW PADS]
What determines the Proper Fit for
Elbow Pads? The players elbow should
fit comfortable into the center of the
elbow pad cup. Also, a good elbow pad
will provide forearm protection which
extends down to the cuff of the player's
hockey glove.
[SHIN PADS]
[STICKS]
How do I know what length of stick to
use and where should I cut my stick off?
A good way to measure your stick is to
stand, without skates in your stocking
feet, on a flat surface. Place the toe of
your stick on the ground between your
feet. Lean the stick straight up- anddown so the handle of the stick touches
the tip of your nose. A general rule is to
mark and cut the handle of your stick
where it touches the tip of your nose.
Then when standing on your skates, the
stick should come up to your chin or
just below it.
Which way should I shoot? Try to let
your child choose which way they shoot.
Just because your child throws or writes
with their right hand, does not
necessarily mean they will shoot righthanded in hockey. Typically, the players
dominant hand is at the top of the
hockey stick, thus, if you write with
your right hand, on a hockey stick your
right hand would be at the top of the
stick and would indicate shooting lefthanded with a hockey stick.
Remember to tape your stick with
hockey tape. Tape the top of the stick
with a small knob, this makes the stick
easier to hold and easier to pick up.
Tape the blade of the stick too; this
makes it much easier to handle the
puck.
What is the Proper Fit for Shin Pads? A
player's kneecap should fit directly into
the center of the kneecap cup of the
shin pad. The shin pad should then
extend down the full length of the lower
leg. It's important to make sure the shin
pad isn't too long. If so, the skate would
push it up out of position.
NEW HOCKEY PLAYER INFORMATION PACKET
WACONIA HOCKEY ASSOCIATION (C) 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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GENERAL TOPICS:
 ADDITIONAL SKATING
 ON-ICE COACHES &
VOLUNTEERS
 HOW TO REGISTER
ADDITIONAL SKATING
Other ways to get your child on their
skates: Open Skating, the Waconia Ice
Rink offers Open Skating (check the
lobby or their websites for open skate).
Skating Lessons, the City of Waconia
offers skating lessons. The best place of
all is the great outdoors, outdoor rinks
and ponds are great ways to improve
and enjoy hockey. More than anything,
to build confidence, kids just need time
on their skates.
On-Ice Volunteers &
Coaches:
Although there will always be a Lead
Coach/Instructor present at all
scheduled ice time; we rely on on-ice
volunteers to help make the Mite
program run smoothly. If you have
hockey experience and are interested in
helping out, speak to one of the coaches
on the ice before or after practice.
The Waconia Hockey Association hopes
that you and your child enjoy Waconia
Hockey.
ON-ICE VOLUNTEERS &
COACHES (CONT.)
For more great information please visit
www.waconiahockey.org and the Initiation
Program Tab, Tips From a Hockey mom
is a very helpful documents to read!
HOW TO REGISTER
#1 Complete the USA Hockey
Registration (if you haven’t completed this
previously):
USA Hockey Registration is with the USA
Hockey Association and not connected to
Waconia Hockey’s Association. To
register your player(s), click here [insert
USAH link]. Be sure to print and save
the confirmation codes provided by USA
Hockey during the registration
process. Remember to register EACH of
your players separately through USA
Hockey. Each player must have their
own personal USA hockey confirmation
number. Please note, there is a $50
payment that is required to register with
USA hockey for any hockey player that
is born before 1/1/2007.
#2 Complete the WHA Volunteer
Registration Form
As a part of registering your hockey
player(s), the association is in need of
having parents/guardians of the players
support the association through
volunteering your time. To register and
learn more, click here [insert WHA
Volunteer Registration form]
#3: Complete the WHA Hockey Player
2015-2016 Registration Form
Please make sure to have your USA
Hockey Confirmation Code as you’ll be
required to enter this within the
registration process. The registration
process will allow you to sign consents,
complete your contact information and
submit your payment. To complete the
registration through our secure site,
please have your Visa, MasterCard,
Discover or your bank’s checking
account information readily available.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Waconia Hockey Association (WHA)?
The Waconia Hockey Association (WHA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
providing a fun and educational ice hockey experience for girls and boys residing in
the communities of Waconia, St. Bonifacius, Cologne, New Germany, Norwood Young
America, and surrounding areas. Our programs are planned, promoted and
administered by unpaid volunteers. Our curriculum stresses basic skills and
encourages team play and sportsmanship. Formed in 1994, the WHA has
experienced tremendous growth and we now have more than 180 families and over
200 hockey players in our program. The WHA is led by a member elected Board of
Directors.
The WHA home rink is the Waconia Ice Arena, located just north of the Waconia High
School. The Waconia Ice Arena is owned and managed by the City of Waconia. The
WHA contracts for ice time with the City of Waconia. The WHA hockey season
generally runs from September through March, with clinics and tryouts in September
and October, league games in November through February, and
tournaments in March.
The mission of the Waconia Hockey Association is to promote and develop youth ice
hockey within the communities of Waconia, St. Bonifacius, Cologne, New Germany
and Norwood Young America by providing a high-quality, safe and fun hockey
program for all participants.
How is the WHA affiliated with other hockey associations?
The WHA is under the jurisdiction of USA Hockey, Inc. and Minnesota Hockey Inc.
Minnesota Hockey establishes several districts within the state for the purpose of
regular season league and post season tournament play. The WHA is currently a
member of Minnesota Hockey’s District 6, along with several other hockey
associations in the southwest metro area.
What is involved in being a member of the WHA ?
Membership:
You become a member of the WHA, Minnesota Hockey, and USA Hockey when
you register your son or daughter with the WHA to play hockey for the
upcoming season.
Fees:
There are nominal membership fees associated with Minnesota Hockey and
USA Hockey, and player fees administered by the WHA. All fees are paid
through the registration process. Player fees can vary somewhat year to year
depending on association expenses, and are based on your skater’s age.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is involved in being a member of the WHA ?
(cont.)
Fun:
In addition to practices and development of our hockey players, depending on the
age(s) of your player(s), there is a robust schedule of scrimmages, games,
jamborees, and/or tournaments that your player and his or her team will participate
in throughout the season. These events serve to develop our hockey players while
building strong friendships, camaraderie, and many fond memories
Volunteering:
Since the WHA is a non-profit all volunteer organization, there are minimum
requirements for, and multiple opportunities to contribute your time to the
betterment of our Association. Volunteering is a great way to build relationships with
other members while contributing to activities critical to the health of the WHA.
Some of these opportunities include:
-Coaching or managing a team
-Filling a WHA board position
-Holding key volunteer position (equipment Mgr, tournament Mgr, or volunteer
coordinator)
-Promotional activities (school open houses, Nickel Dickel Day, etc)
-Help with the tryout process
-Others
In addition to the above, a particularly important area of volunteering is in
fundraising. Fundraising is vital to keeping the associations financial commitments
while keeping fees reasonable for our families. Key fund raising activities that
involve volunteer opportunities include:
- Ice Out (our traditional end of year celebration event and our largest fund
raiser)
- Annual golf tournament
- VFW raffle night support
- Tournaments
-Others
NEW HOCKEY PLAYER INFORMATION PACKET
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What on-line resources are available to learn more about hockey in Waconia
and overall?
The WHA utilizes its website and email to keep its members informed. Our website is
provided by NGIN and can be found here: www.waconiahockey.org. This site holds
a wealth of information on our Association and the Calendar feature is the primary
means of scheduling practices and games for all teams. On-line registration is done
through this website on an annual basis as well. To supplement our website, critical
Association communications are also sent to all members via email to ensure timely
awareness of information important to all members.
Further information about USA Hockey, Minnesota Hockey, and District 6 can be
found at the following links:
USA Hockey: http://www.usahockey.com/
Minnesota Hockey: http://www.minnesotahockey.org/
District 6: http://www.d6hockey.net/
Note both the USA Hockey and Minnesota Hockey websites have dedicated pages for
players and parents that contain a great deal of information that new hockey families
will likely find very useful.
Fundraising
One of the largest concerns from families is the rising costs within youth
hockey. This year we are changing our approach to how we manage our fundraising
initiatives in an effort to support families and their financial commitment to their
child’s hockey program. Rather than requiring families to purchase specific items
(i.e. calendars, Ice Out tickets, etc.), as we have done in the past, you have the
ability to either a.) Not actively participate in the fundraising efforts (and pay the
fundraising fee commitment without any further activity requirement) or b.) Sell the
WHA coupon books and receive an $18 credit for each coupon book you sell. There
is NO LIMIT to the number of coupon books your family can sell. Which means a
hockey player has the ability to sell enough coupon books to pay for their entire
season’s hockey registration expenses including their fundraising commitment.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CONT.)
Fundraising (cont.)
What is the total value of the coupon books?
The coupon books have approximately $200+ in coupons to local retailers, gas
stations, and restaurants within the surrounding area of Waconia. In addition, each
purchaser of the coupon book will receive a 1 year subscription to the Mobile Savings
Pass Platinum Subscription (additional value of $50) which provides nationally based
companies discounts and exclusive promotions. Some of these companies include
Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Dominos, Sam’s Club, etc. In
addition to the overall value of the coupon books, the coupon book purchasers are
supporting the future growth and development of Waconia’s Hockey Association
through this purchase.
What is the fundraising commitment by level?
In previous years we had a fundraising commitment of $250, however this year we
have structured it between the different tiers of players because we understand that
players have different allocations of ice time and that should be reflected in their
fundraising support commitment.
Player
Category
Competitive
IP
IP - New
Players
Fundraising
Allocation
$
$
250
200
$
100
Why did we move away from the calendar sales?
In previous years, the calendar sales was based on a great partnership between the
Waconia Hockey Association and the Lions. The challenge that had continued is the
overwhelming amount of effort that went into the creation of the calendars, sales
tracking, etc. for the margin that we were able to recognize. For every calendar we
sold, the association only recognized $9 per calendar in profit. Rather this year, we
wanted to provide families with the highest margin products to support them in their
efforts while respecting the time being invested to sell the product. The coupon
books have a much higher margin making it faster for our players and families to pay
off their hockey fees.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CONT.)
Fundraising (cont.)
Why am I required to pay the fundraising fee upfront during registration?
In previous years, the fundraising component has been held separately to the
registration process. We are empowering your family with a choice on how you
would like to participate ( or not participate) in fundraising so we have streamlined
this within the registration process.
Why is the fundraising fee a requirement?
All associations are burdened with administrative expenses in addition to funding
future initiatives of their respective associations. Fundraising or lack of fundraising
has a direct impact on the overall association orchestration and future growth of the
association. We are doing everything in our power to keep all of the expenses as low
as possible. In addition, this year, providing you and your family a vehicle to ‘pay
off’ your hockey fees…yes, you could pay 100% of your hockey association dues
through the sale of WHA Coupon Books. Please note, all fundraising revenue is
placed into the General Fund and used to reduce the overall expense burden to our
hockey players and families. If we didn’t have this outlet, we wouldn’t be able to
grow and expand our hockey program to new heights each year.
Do I automatically receive a specific number of coupon books based on the
fundraising fee paid within the registration process?
The fundraising fee that is collected through the registration is the way we are offsetting incremental expense for the future development of the association, that
would ultimately be passed on to your family if we didn’t have the fundraising
initiatives. All of the fundraising revenues generated are placed into the General
Fund for the association for administration expenses, website developments,
equipment, etc. The WHA Coupon Books are being provided to you and your family
as a way for you to earn $18 per coupon book sold to earn back the money you paid
during the registration process.
How will Ice Out tickets be handled this year versus previous?
Ice Out tickets are free this year. The association isn’t going to be requiring families
to purchase a specific set of Ice Out tickets. We believe this event is one of the
association’s largest branding events and we want you to participate in the overall
buzz from one of the hottest spring events in Waconia. We appreciate all of the
support that your family does for the silent auction baskets. We know there was
angst amongst families because they had to pay for the tickets in addition to
contributing to the team silent auction basket. We have removed that friction and
we’re excited for you to attend and to see your team’s silent auction baskets!
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CONT.)
How are the teams structured? What ages are eligible to play?
There are two main classifications of teams – initiation program (IP) level teams for
younger players, and competitive level teams for older players. The IP level teams
focus heavily on skill development and less on games and tournaments to prepare
players for more competitive play in later years.
The IP level teams are referred to as Mite teams for boys and 8U teams (eight years
old and under) for girls and are composed of players with birth dates in the following
ranges for the 2015-2016 season:
WHA Mite Levels:
 Rookie Camp ( Pre-K age boys and girls)
 Termites (Boys & Girls, first year skaters in Kindergarten or Pre-school) $395
 Mini Mites (Second year skaters, Kindergarten & 1st grade boys) - $395
 U6 (Second year skaters, Kindergarten and 1st grade girls) - $395
 Intermediate Mites (2nd grade boys) - $525
 U8 (2nd and 3rd grade girls) - $575
 Advanced Mites (3rd grade boys) - $650

There may be other fees assessed by USA hockey ($50) depending on
your child’s date of birth and this will be assessed when you register
with USA hockey prior to registering with the Waconia Hockey
Association.
The competitive level teams are referred to as Squirt, Peewee, and Bantam teams for
boys and 10U, 12U, and 14U teams for girls. The teams are broken out by birth
dates per below:
BOYS:
SQUIRT
PEEWEE
BANTAM
GIRLS:
10U
12U
14U
07/01/2004 - 06/30/2006
07/01/2002 - 06/30/2004
07/01/2000 - 06/30/2002
07/01/2004 - 06/30/2006
07/01/2002 - 06/30/2004
07/01/2000 - 06/30/2002
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CONT.)
WHA Mite Levels: (cont.)
The WHA generally fields two or three teams at each age level for boys and one
girls team for the 8U, 10U, and 12U age groups (depending on actual
registration numbers for a given season). The amount of ice time for practice
and the number of games increase as players advance through the program.
What are the levels of play within an age group at the competitive level?
For competitive level teams there are up to four skill levels designated for each age
group (A, B1, B2, C). Tryouts are used to place players at the appropriate skill level
team within each age group (see below).
Are there tryouts?
There are no tryouts for IP level teams. Competitive level tryouts are held in the
pre-season to place a player at the appropriate team level of play within an age
group. There are no cuts.
How long is the season? What is the time commitment?
For IP level teams, most practices are for one hour and are scheduled on weekends
with an occasional weekday practice or game. The season typically runs from
December to early March, and consists of practices, games, and typically an end of
year Jamboree. For competitive level teams, a player can typically expect to be on
the ice four to six times per week including practice and games, and can expect to
participate in two to four tournaments. The season typically runs from October
through late February and concludes with league playoffs that can extend into March.
My child wants to play hockey, how do I get started?
If you know your child is ready to play hockey you can register him/her on line at
waconiahockey.org for the upcoming season during open registration (typically
August through late September each year).
If you want to explore the sport further prior to signing up for a full season, (or want
to add some extra ice time for your child), you may want to your child participate in
a Rookie Camp. These camps are offered specifically for younger players (four years
old to entering 3rd grade) interested in playing hockey. They are offered several
times each fall and consist of six hours of on ice time over several consecutive
weekends and are run by WHA coaches and volunteers. Rookie camps are a great
way to explore whether hockey is right for your child and are offered at a very
reasonable cost. For more information please see the WHA website and/or contact
the WHA Rookie Camp Coordinator or IP Program Mgr (contact info is available on
the WHA website).
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