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Fall 2009
WELLESLEY YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION: IN HOUSE PROGRAMS
Overview
The Learn to Play Hockey Program (LTP) is recommended for children who have limited or no skating experience. The focus of this program is primarily on learning to skate and strengthening skating skills, as well as an introduction to hockey skills. Children must be 4 ½ by Oct 15th to participate in this program.
The Mosquito Hockey Program is recommended for children who have been through Learn to Play Hockey or a similar program. Skating is still a focus, but much emphasis is now placed on the rules/game of hockey. Mosquitos are placed onto four teams of approximately twenty players each. The season begins with skill development sessions and during the course of the year will progress to skill sessions and controlled scrimmages, with coaches providing on-ice guidance.
The Intramural Program is open to skaters with birthdays from 1997 through 2003. This program is offered by the Natick Comets and is held at the Natick Chase/West Suburban Ice Arena. Visit the Natick Comets website, and then click on the 'House League' tab for more information.
Schedule
The Learn to Play and Mosquito Programs will begin on Saturday, October 17th and ends in late February/early March 2010. Sessions are held at the Babson Skating Center in Wellesley virtually every Saturday and Sunday throughout this period, with the exception of some weekends when ice is not available due to the Babson College Hockey schedule. The exact schedule varies slightly week to week, but generally the Learn to Play group skates at mid-afternoon Saturdays and late morning/early afternoon on Sundays. The Mosquitos skate after the Learn to Play program on Saturdays, and mid morning on Sundays. Always check the website schedule for the exact times. Once Mosquito teams are selected, Sunday sessions will be held at either 11 am or 12 noon, depending on the game schedule for that week. All sessions are 50 minutes in length. Players should come to first weekend session based on the following criteria:
Saturday, October 17, 2009:
2:30 pm: New players (with no skating experience) with DOB 1/1/2000 to 4/15/2005 and Players from LTP in 2008-2009.
3:30 pm: New Players (with some skating experience) with DOB 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2003 and all returning Mosquito players from 2008-2009.
Sunday, October 18, 2009:
10 am : New Players (with some skating experience) with DOB 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2003 and all returning Mosquito players from 2008-2009.
11 am: New players (with no skating experience) with DOB 1/1/2000 to 4/15/2005 and Players from LTP in 2008-2009.
Parents will be notified during the week of October 19, 2009 on when to show up for the following week’s session, and this will continue until all players are placed in the appropriate sessions.
To view the schedule for dates and hours through November 8th, visit the In House Program Team tab.
Evaluation/Selection Process
Selection into the Learn to Play and Mosquito programs is done through an evaluation process during the first several sessions of the program. Placement during the first few weeks of the program is for evaluation purposes only. Players will be notified of their placement in the Learn to Play Hockey or Mosquito Program during the evaluation process. Once the evaluation process is complete, the Learn to Play hockey players will be issued shirts and a schedule for the remainder of the season. Players in the Mosquito Program will be issued another abbreviated schedule until the teams have been selected. When teams are established, a final schedule will be provided to the Mosquito teams. .
Tuition and Equipment
Tuition for the 2009/2010 season is $585 for the Learn to Play and Mosquito programs. This fee does not include equipment. In order to participate in our program, players are required to wear a hockey helmet, hockey skates and neck guard. Kneepads, elbow pads and gloves/mittens are recommended. Learn to Play Hockey players may bring hockey sticks, but please note that if the player is still learning to skate, the stick may impede the learning process. As they become more comfortable skating, a stick may be added at any time. Shirts will be issued to LTP players once assignments are complete.
A “coach’s note” to all players: unless a player is left-handed, they most likely (90%) should play hockey left-handed (right hand on the top of the stick). There is much evidence that allowing a child to pick the side” that is comfortable” can lead them to learning the game “from the wrong side”. As they get older, the ability to hold the stick at the top, with their dominant hand, is an important skill. The dynamics and physics of hockey usually require the dominant hand on the top of the stick for this one-handed control.
Typically, Mosquito players skate in full equipment for their own safety, as falling and making unintentional contact with other players does occur. Full equipment includes a hockey helmet, neck guard, shoulder pads, shin pads, hockey pants and hockey skates. Shirts will be issued to Mosquito players once they are assigned to teams.
Players should have their names clearly printed with tape on their helmets.
Parents, please dress your players in the locker rooms provided at the rink--do not use the bleachers or benches around the ice rink to put on skates or equipment. Also, for insurance reasons, parents who are not WYHA registered coaches are not permitted on the ice or on the coaches’ bench.
HAVE A GREAT SEASON!
Contacts
In House Programs: Philip Pratt, 617-928-1505,
Peter Sarmanian, 781-237-5848,
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