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The LAHA Board is excited to announce the coaches for the 2020-2021 season. We have several returning coaches and a few new faces. We are always looking to add more coaches to our ranks, especially with the younger age groups. It's not too late to apply and this is a great way to get involved.
Hello LAHA Families, Registration for the 2020-2021 hockey season is officially open! We have continued to work hard to make this a great season, and while there are still a few unknowns, we are proceeding as planned. The following information (and there is a lot) is provided so you can make the best decision for your family. COVID-19 Safety As are many of you, LAHA is closely monitoring the ongoing developments with COVID-19. The safety of our players and families is our top priority and we are doing everything we can to prepare for a safe return to play. We are receiving ongoing guidance for best practices from USA Hockey in partnership with the U.S. Ice Rink Association and the U.S. Figure Skating Association. We are regularly on calls with affiliates from across the country monitoring the situation as it develops in different areas, seeing what works as rinks open up, and learning from their experiences. On a more local level, LAHA is in regular communication with the rink as they prepare the facility and procedures for welcoming our players back this fall. And finally, we are keeping up to date with CDC recommendations as well as the guidelines set forth for Oregon and Lane County. This is a very fluid situation that practically changes on a daily basis and we will continue to update you as the season gets closer. Registration & Refunds Registration for the season officially opened July 1st. As we have done in the past, we will continue to provide the option of either paying your fees in full or signing up for a payment plan. If you choose the payment plan option, your registration this season will require a $150 deposit per player. Your monthly payments for the balance will then start August 15th and run six months, ending on January 15th.
While LAHA has a firm ’No Refunds’ policy, we recognize that this season is different and you may have concerns about what happens if the season is cut short or pauses, if games or tournaments get canceled, etc. If there is a significant program change due to COVID-19, the LAHA Board will take swift and appropriate action with regard to fees and/or refunds. Coaches New Recruits We still have openings and are in need for coaches, especially at the 8U and 10U age divisions. Remember, being a coach doesn't necessarily mean you have to be there for all practices. If you want to coach and can only commit to certain days, or maybe you feel like you don't know the game well enough to contribute. All of our existing coaches have had amazing training and are more than willing to help new coaching staff. Coaching can be so much fun and really rewarding! Please submit a coaches application as soon as possible. You can start the application process here: https://www.laha.org/be-a-coach.html New and Returning Coaches We're glad you're here! Here are a few things to get taken care of before you take the ice. USA Hockey Membership- see link above, you will need your new membership number to complete all other steps. SafeSport- Remember, SafeSport must be completed every year now. To take or renew your training click here: https://www.usahockey.com/safesporttraining Background Checks- You will be able to tell if you are due to renew your background check by signing into your coaches account on the USA Hockey website. If this is your year, you can complete the background check here: https://www.usahockey.com/backgroundscreen CEP- Renewal for this season looks a little bit different. Most, if not all, classes will be done virtually. With the number of coaches needing training across the country, the USA Hockey coaches training staff has put together virtual CEP classes. You can find a class at the level that you need here: https://www.usahockey.com/coachingclinics Seats fill up fast, so when you find a class that meets your needs, snag a seat! Also, double-check the class times as they are listed in the local time of their respective class location. You can sign up for any available class in the succession that you are eligible for. For example, if you have level 1, you can sign up for any level 2 class, you do not have to attend a Pacific District class. At this point we don't know if there will be any in-person classes, so we suggest you don't wait. Scholarship Opportunity LAHA has scholarships available for families who need assistance. You can apply through our website here. Also, this season the Portland Jr. Winterhawks Youth Hockey Association (PJW 501(c)3) has established a financial assistance program to provide assistance to player families throughout Oregon who have a financial hardship. Levels of assistance may vary based on funds available. Priority will be given to players playing recreational hockey, but players in travel hockey may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any/all financial awards will be paid directly to the managing youth hockey association in Oregon. Partial or full awards may be granted; however, in no case will a financial award amount exceed the current year’s registration fee. Scholarships will be first considered for any athlete previously registered with the Winterhawks Jr. Hockey program although scholarships may be awarded to other player families with a child playing within the State of Oregon during 2020/21 season. Factors for approval will include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Demonstrated financial need 2. Availability of funds 3. Completed financial aid form (incomplete forms will not be considered) Forward completed applications to: vicepresident@jrwinterhawks.com Deadline for submittal: August 31, 2020. Get the application Registration Day BBQ/ Gear Swap
Mark your calendars! Our annual Registration Day BBQ/ Gear Swap is scheduled for Sunday, August 23rd from 11am to 2pm at the rink. We will have devices and members on-site to help with registration. We plan to take safety precautions such as being outside and food lines will be cafeteria style, gloved/masked food handlers serving, as opposed to self serve. Any gear that you bring to swap, should be clean and in good working order. If you choose to bring items that you are wanting to sell, you are responsible for keeping track of and handling all gear and monies. Please RSVP to lanae.falls@laha.org by August 15th. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you, Lanae Falls LAHA Communications Hello LAHA Families, Tomorrow, registration for the 2020-2021 season will open. While we are eager to get the season started, we are also aware of the circumstances around us all with COVID-19 which may be causing your family concerns about safety, registration, and what the season is going to look like. The following information is provided so you can make the best decision for your family. COVID-19 Safety As are many of you, LAHA is closely monitoring the ongoing developments with COVID-19. The safety of our players and families is our top priority and we are doing everything we can to prepare for a safe return to play. We are receiving ongoing guidance for best practices from USA Hockey in partnership with the U.S. Ice Rink Association and the U.S. Figure Skating Association. We are regularly on calls with affiliates from across the country monitoring the situation as it develops in different areas, seeing what works as rinks open up, and learning from their experiences. On a more local level, LAHA is in regular communication with the rink as they prepare the facility and procedures for welcoming our players back this fall. And finally, we are keeping up to date with CDC recommendations as well as the guidelines set forth for Oregon and Lane County. This is a very fluid situation that practically changes on a daily basis and we will continue to update you as the season gets closer. Registration & Refunds Registration for the season officially opens tomorrow, July 1st. As we have done in the past, we will continue to provide the option of either paying your fees in full or signing up for a payment plan. If you choose the payment plan option, your registration this season will require a $150 deposit per player. Your monthly payments for the balance will then start August 15th and run six months, ending on January 15th. New this season, you will have the option of purchasing insurance on your season fees. The insurance is provided by a third-party service and LAHA does not receive any portion of the fees collected. This insurance is intended to help families whose player(s) might become injured or suffer illness such that they cannot continue to participate. This insurance does NOT cover COVID-19 losses. Learn more here: http://registrationsaver.com/teamsnap While LAHA has a firm ’No Refunds’ policy, we recognize that this season is different and you may have concerns about what happens if the season is cut short or pauses, if games or tournaments get canceled, etc. If there is a significant program change due to COVID-19, the LAHA Board will take swift and appropriate action with regard to fees and/or refunds. Season Expectations
When planning a season, there are several moving parts that often take months to get lined up. Because of this, LAHA has chosen to move forward with the expectation that we will have a “normal” season. It is much easier for us to make adjustments as we go vs. waiting to see what happens and then scrambling to get things put together. Know that most of the Oregon and Washington associations are doing the same thing. We are all busy planning for the season to begin, coordinating on getting games scheduled, etc. But as we get closer to the start of the season, be prepared that things might look different. While nothing yet has been set as policy, a few examples of things looking different could include the possibility that practices have limits for the number of kids on the ice and no spectators, that more games are played in house vs. away, that games might not have spectators, that players may need to come to the rink mostly dressed in their gear, etc. Flexibility from everyone is going to be critical this season as we work through the changing guidelines and requirements. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to attend the Board meeting on July 7th at 6:30pm. The meeting will be held via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5413213651 We are extremely excited for the season and look forward to seeing you all this fall! Sincerely, Joy Pendowski on behalf of the LAHA Board We're Excited to Announce Hockey Is Back! Hello LAHA Families, On behalf of the LAHA Board, I hope this email finds you healthy and doing well. We are so excited to announce that hockey is back and we have lots planned for the coming season. This email will give you a brief overview of what to expect with registration and the season. As always, if you have any questions, please let us know. See you soon! Joy Pendowski LAHA President Health & Safety The LAHA Board has been working closely with The Rink Exchange in developing protocols for maintaining a safe environment for our players and coaches this season. We anticipate and are planning to open on time and to run our regular program. In addition, USA Hockey has been working with associations and rinks across the country to put together guidelines for returning to play in a way that keeps everyone safe. As we get closer to the start of the season, you will hear from LAHA and The Rink Exchange on those protocols. However, there are a few things we know already:
We know that this is an evolving situation and we will keep you updated, especially as we get closer to the start of the season. Summer Workouts & Conditioning This is a quick shout out to Coach Lanae Falls who has been putting out great workouts for our players each week. If you haven't been following along, check us out on Facebook and Instagram where you'll be able to see all of the past workouts. These are simple, easy to do exercises your player can do at home to stay in shape and get ready for the season. Season Fees & Dates For this season, the LAHA Board worked hard to make sure we could still offer a quality program without raising fees. While some of our costs are increasing, we found other areas where we could take advantage of savings so that we could make this happen. All LAHA teams for this season will be rostered as "Travel B" in accordance with OSHA rules. No tryouts will be held for LAHA teams and all players are welcome to participate. 8U Program Session 1: October 19 - December 18 Session 2: January 4 - February 27 3 practices per week, 2 jamborees, approx. 12 regular-season games* 16 weeks total $375 per session or $750 for both 10U Program September 28 - February 25 3 practices per week, 1 jamboree, 2 tournaments, approx. 16 regular-season games* 19 weeks total $1550 12U Program September 21 - March 11 3 practices per week, 1 jamboree, 2 tournaments, approx. 20 regular-season games* 22 weeks total $1670 14U Program September 14 - March 18 3-4 practices per week, 3 tournaments, approx. 24 regular-season games* May be eligible to also compete in the 14U state tournament 24 weeks total $1880 18U Program August 31 - March 18 3-4 practices per week, 3 tournaments, approx. 24 regular-season games* May be eligible to also compete in the 18U state tournament 26 weeks total $2100 Special Hockey October 19 - February 27 1 practice per week and hopefully a few regular-season games* 16 weeks total $TBD Goalie Practice October 19 - February 27 1 practice per week 16 weeks total FREE *Game counts are subject to change based on travel restrictions, the ability of other associations to field teams at the different age levels, and the availability of those teams to schedule games. Coaches We are currently in the process of reviewing all coaching applications and will be announcing those assignments very soon. We are still seeking more coaches, especially for the 12U and younger age divisions as well as to help with dryland practices. If you enjoy working with kids and are willing to learn how to coach hockey or off ice skills, we would love to have you!! If interested, you can apply here. We are also welcoming players ages 13-17 who are interested in coaching to apply to be a student coach. If interested, you can apply here. Registration Process Season registration will be opening July 1st on the LAHA website: www.laha.org. Early Bird — July 1-31
LAHA Tournaments LAHA is planning to host TWO tournaments this season* and we are actively recruiting teams to come and compete! *We are being mindful of travel from other areas and will monitor and abide by local restrictions. Holiday Cup — 14U & 18U "B" Travel/House December 11-13, 2020 Ice Cup — 10U & 12U "B" Travel/House February 13-15, 2021 Our committee welcomes help so if you're interested, let us know! New Uniforms This season, LAHA will be rolling out brand new jerseys at all age divisions. We're excited about the new look and hope you will be, too! A couple things to note... We have switched vendors and with that process, our numbering system also changed. Our new jerseys are manufactured differently which requires numbers to be pre-printed. In order to make sure jerseys are here for the start of the season, we can no longer offer the option for players to choose numbers during the registration process. Going forward, numbers will be selected by players from those available in their size based on the order in which the players are registered. That all said, we know several of you have favorite numbers so we made sure to order those in a variety of sizes. Check out our new threads! *Colors may vary depending on your viewing device. Player Clinics
This coming season LAHA will once again offer clinics to our players. Clinics are optional and are a separate fee from your player registration fees. Skills Clinics We are planning to offer five 75-minute sessions that include both on and off ice instruction. We have lowered the price this season to $150 per player for the whole series or $40 per individual session. Skills clinic sessions are open to players 10U and older. You can sign up for these in the registration process. Girls Clinics We are planning to offer four girls clinics throughout the season. The intent of these clinics is to give the girls an opportunity to work on their skills, build connections with each other, and experience mentoring. It has been shown with other successful associations that these types of sessions are key to retaining female players and for growing female programs. These sessions will be offered at no charge. You can sign up for these in the registration process. Hello LAHA Friends and Families,
Welcome back, we hope you had a nice winter break. We are back at it, full speed ahead. There are a lot of things happening in the near future, so grab your calendars and jot down some notes! Have a great second half of the season. As always if you have any questions, comments or ideas on what you would like to see in a future newsletter, please let me know! Thanks, Lanae Falls LAHA Communications Joe Bonnett Visits On January 6-7th, we had USA Hockey Pacific District ADM Regional Manager, Joe Bonnett on location. On Monday, Joe attended and observed all on and off ice practices. LAHA invited Joe to come in and give any feedback he thought necessary to improve our program and to possibly advise, what to do next. Tuesday, he attended our monthly board meeting to report his findings. We’re proud to announce that he was overall impressed with our program. Joe gave great praise to our organization and coaches. He gave reassurance that we are definitely on the right track and we are utilizing the ADM correctly. Secondly, he taught at our monthly coaches university. The focus was on how to coach a skill from a basic concept and progress it to be able to be used in small area games and then into real game scenarios. We enjoyed having him with us. And while two evenings seemed like not enough, Joe’s knowledge will stay with us for a long time to come. ADM What is this ADM that you keep hearing about? ADM stands for American Development Model. In short, it is a model that promotes age-appropriate skills that give every player a chance to succeed. ADM is very player-centered and geared towards making your hockey player’s experience a positive one. Here is a short video that introduces the ADM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyDXQ70ytoQ&list=PLFA6D04F5F6305B9A&index=5 You can learn more about USA Hockey’s ADM by visiting the ADM Kids website: https://www.admkids.com/page/show/910488-what-is-the-american-development-model- Elections You should have received an email last week regarding this year’s elections. In case you missed it, here is that information once more -- please note that some information is date specific. Every year at this time the LAHA Board puts out a call for Board nominations to fill upcoming vacancies. This year, we have three board openings to fill. The three board members up for re-election, should they choose to run, are Joy Pendowski, Jenn Nyberg, and Sarah Chambers. Who can be nominated? 1) You can nominate yourself, or 2) You can nominate someone else. Our bylaws do not stipulate who can or cannot be nominated. Nominations are to be submitted in writing to our elections coordinator: Kara Minchin kkminchin@gmail.com before or on January 18th. Important Dates The election process has several key dates. Please take note of them so you don't accidentally miss a deadline. January 18 -- Nominations Due (send to Kara Minchin at kkminchin@gmail.com) January 24 -- Candidate Bios Due February 2 -- Bios/Ballots Sent to LAHA Membership February 22 -- Votes Due (send to Kara Minchin at kkminchin@gmail.com) March 3 -- Annual Meeting, Elections Decided April 7 -- New Board Members Seated How will voting work? Voting in LAHA elections is open to all USA Hockey Registrants who are claimed by LAHA with USA Hockey. So, what does that mean? Here are some examples…
All votes are to be collected by team managers and submitted to Kara Minchin at kkminchin@gmail.com. Mid-Season Survey Results Based on feedback from team representatives, we sent out a mid-season survey to do a temperature check on how things are going. Our goal in doing so was to hopefully address any issues before it’s too late. Out of 115 players, we had 21 responses (18% response rate) which is very low and creates difficulty in assessing if items of concern raised are isolated experiences/thoughts or if they are a part of a bigger trend. To gather more information and to answer questions raised in the responses, we will hold age division meetings at the end of this month. Be on the lookout for a meeting notice for your age group. Survey highlights and key takeaways: From the numbers, LAHA, on the whole, is scoring above average in all measured categories. Coaches, on the whole, are deemed to be doing a good job and kids are enjoying the season. Dryland scores, while still above average, are a little lower than other marks, but comments mostly attributed this to the uncertainty of the translation of off-ice activities to on-ice, as well as a perceived lack of accountability for players who either don’t participate with their teams or who appear to goof off without consequence. Skills clinics were rated highly with people interested in participating again next season if they are offered. With communications, there was an acknowledgment of an increase in communication this season but there were comments asking for more lead time on requests and meetings and more transparency on the how and why we do the things we do. Nearly all of the respondents agreed that LAHA provides a quality program. General feedback comments touched on a variety of topics and ideas, but common items revolved around costs (some saying we’re too expensive while others asked why don’t we pay coaches), around our implementation of ADM and wanting better understanding there with regard to practices, number of games, etc., and how we can better educate parents new to hockey about what to expect and how to understand what they’re seeing with development. Other items of concern were related to how we as an association can provide appropriate challenges and opportunities for players who are at the high and low ends of the ability spectrum. While overall the marks for LAHA are all above average, which is great, we didn’t receive all 4’s and 5’s so we still have work to do. Thank you to everyone who submitted a survey. This will help us as we move forward. January Skills Clinic The January Skills Clinic will be held Friday, January 24th from 5:45p-7:15p. The focus for this clinic will be Body Contact and Angling. Players age 10U and up can register here: http://laha.bonzidev.com/home.php?layout=12679605 Oregon State Player Development Camp If you have a player born in the birth years noted below, they are invited to participate in the Oregon State Player Development Camp January 31st- February 2nd. *2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 The statewide camp, which is organized and run by our state affiliate (OSHA), will be held here in Eugene and it is a great opportunity for players to get exposure to the process for district and/or national select camps. Last year, we had two players selected to advance to the Girls Western Regional High Performance Camp in Colorado. Even if you don’t think your player would advance, the camp is a great learning opportunity and filled with multiple ice sessions, off ice activities, seminars and more. See details and register your player here: https://www.oregonstatehockey.com/development-camps.html Ice Cup The Annual Ice Cup tournament is just around the corner and we need your help! Feb 14-17th we will be hosting 24 teams from Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and British Columbia across the 10U, 12U and 14U age divisions. Here are a few areas where your help is most needed:
Hello LAHA families and friends,
I hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying your season so far. November got away from me so this month we have a combined newsletter. We have some fun things coming up as well as some important items to share as we are approaching our winter break. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. Lanae Falls, LAHA Communications President’s Note This month, I have three important items to share with everyone. First, I would like to congratulate Lanae Falls for completing her studies and receiving her National Personal Training Certification. She undertook this course of study for the benefit of our players. We are lucky to have such a dedicated off ice coach! Second, in the next few days you will receive an email with a link to a short LAHA survey. Traditionally, we do end of season surveys to get feedback from parents and players. We will still do that, however we are also going to do a mid-season survey so we can respond more quickly to any issues you might be experiencing. Finally, I would like to announce that Dan Trent is stepping out of the role as Treasurer for our association so that he can help us in another area where we feel he is the best person to help, and that is with community outreach. Dan remains a Board Officer and we are excited to see how he can help us grow in his new role. Our Vice President, Jenn Nyberg will assume the additional duties of treasurer. Thank you, Joy Pendowski, LAHA President Pictures Pictures have been delivered. If your player was here on Picture Day, and you have not received pictures, please see your team manager or coach. Skills Clinics Our third skills clinic is scheduled for Friday, December 20th at 5:45pm. The topic is shooting and scoring and the session is open to all players 10U and older. There is still room if your player is interested in participating. Players must pre-register in order to participate. http://laha.bonzidev.com/home.php?layout=12679605 Also, due to a scheduling conflict with the 12U state jamboree, the January skills clinic is being rescheduled to Friday, January 24th. Fundraising We have two ongoing fundraising options and as we are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, please consider using Flip Give for your online shopping. LAHA receives a percentage donated from the retailers from each purchase made through this service. You can shop as you normally would on the retailer websites through Flip Give or purchase gift cards; both ways work. https://www.flipgive.com/teams/132834-eugene-jr-generals The second way you can help fund raise for LAHA is through our Squad Locker store. There are many options for Jr. Generals apparel and swag and we get 10% back on those purchases. https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/#/lockers/eugene-jr-generals?_k=6jsn2c SafeSport Please be mindful that having Locker Room monitors is not just a suggestion nor is it optional. At all times when there is a LAHA sponsored ice time (practices, games, special events) there must be screened locker room monitors. For example, recently it has come to the attention of the Board that there haven’t been monitors during goalie practice. As this is a LAHA practice, no player should be in the locker rooms by themselves. Once again, this applies to all players at all practices. Another area where we need more monitors is the female locker room. There should be two SafeSport adults with background checks in the locker rooms when players are present. Here is how we correct the situation:
Elections Next month will be the beginning of our annual elections process. This year there will be three seats up for vote, currently held by Joy Pendowski, Jenn Nyberg, and Sarah Chambers. If you are interested in running for a seat on the Board or if you would like to nominate a candidate, be on the lookout for a call for nominations in January. This will be sent out to all LAHA members. Social Media Our social media (Facebook and Instagram) have been pretty stellar this season. A big thank you to April Bernacki for her time and effort getting those pictures and announcements published and posted. April is a 14U parent and has been making an effort to get as many pictures outside her team as possible, however, she needs your help! If you take pictures of your team and you want to see your team on our social media platforms, please send those photos to communications@laha.org Coaches Wanted! As our association continues to grow, we need more coaches both on and off the ice. Our most immediate need is at the 8U and 10U levels but coaches are welcome for all age groups. Thank you to those who were able to attend the quick meeting last week. The more coaches we have, the better it is for our program and players. If you are interested, there will be a Level 1 CEP class December 17 & 18 from 6-9pm for people who want to become a coach. This is the last opportunity to get credentials to coach this season, if you are interested, please register soon https://www.usahockey.com/coachingclinics 30th Anniversary Celebration 2019 marks the 30th anniversary for both LAHA and our ice rink. There will be a celebration for all rink affiliated people on Sunday, December 22, 2019 from 6:00pm-10:30pm with several activities throughout the evening. So, bring your skates and help us celebrate! 8U Session Our 8U Session I is coming to a close. We hope your player had an amazing time skating and that they want to come back for Session II. Also if you have friends or family that may be interested, encourage them to sign up. Session II begins Monday, Jan 6, 2020. http://laha.bonzidev.com/season-registration Winter Break We will not have LAHA practices from Monday, December 23 - Friday, Jan 3. Please check with the rink for available ice times if you’re looking for stick times or public skate. Good luck to those teams who are traveling for tournaments over the break and Happy Holidays to you all! 2020 Oregon State Player Development Camp January 31-February 2, 2020 What is the State of Oregon Player Development Camp? The emphasis of the Oregon State Player Development Camp is on player development so all players (within designated birth years) are invited to attend. The camp is held each year in late January. During the camp, players participate in a combination of dryland and on ice exercises, drills and small area games. Evaluators observe all players and make recommendations for eligible players to advance to USAH Pacific District and Regional development camps. Players who will turn 14, 15, 16 or 17 in the upcoming USA Hockey calendar year are eligible to advance. Players who will turn 13 in the upcoming season are welcome to participate but will not be eligible to advance until the following year. Who is eligible to attend an Oregon Player Development Camp:
We’ll send out more details, such as cost and how to register, as soon as we have the information from our state affiliate, OSHA. Welcome back, all age levels 8U - 18U are now back on the ice! Special hockey and Goalie practice has started as well.
We had a great time at our Bob Mancini event. There was bingo and Qdoba and prizes and fun, then an engaging lesson on player development and how to make a great hockey experience for your kids from Bob. The following evening, some of our coaches had a training opportunity with Bob as well, learning more about checking, body contact, and player safety. We learned some new off and on ice skills and drills. We loved having Bob visit our home rink and consider ourselves lucky to have had him as a guest. As always, if you have something you’d like to see in our newsletters, or have any questions, please let us know. ~Lanae Falls LAHA Communications Picture Day LAHA Picture Day is this coming Monday, October 21st from 5:00-8:00pm. Lifetouch will be set up in the front meeting room at the rink. Players should plan to arrive earlier than normal so they have time to get their picture taken before practice. For pictures, please have your player in full gear (except helmet and skates), with their stick, and they need to wear their navy blue jersey. (Yes, jerseys will be ready if you have not received yours) Bring your completed order form on picture day or you can order online. Skills Clinics Our first skills clinic will be this coming Friday, October 25th at 5:45pm. This clinic will focus on skating fundamentals for new and experienced skaters 10U and older. We have several players signed up already but there is room for more. Pre-registration is required. To learn more or sign up follow this link: http://laha.bonzidev.com/home.php?layout=12679605 A note about skills clinic registration: In the checkout process the system will ask you to upload a photo and a form of identification for your player. You DO NOT need these to register. Simply click on the blue “Continue to Register Players” button at the bottom of the screen to proceed with the registration process. The next skills clinic will be on November 15th with a focus on puck control and passing. No Practice on Halloween On Thursday, October 31st, there will be no LAHA practices. Happy Halloween and have a safe night. Off-Ice Practice For the most part, off-ice practices have been going pretty well. Many of the players show up on time and ready to participate and coaches are starting to see improvements with their players on the ice. However, we are still experiencing some players who are either showing up to the rink but are choosing not to participate or they come to the off-ice area and then decide to goof off, disengage, etc. To help keep all of the kids moving and getting the benefits of off-ice practice, Lanae could use a few more helpers in the 14U/18U off-ice time slot on Monday nights from 6:30-7:00pm. This is the night where she runs stations with a very large group and it would be ideal for her to have one volunteer for every couple of stations. Volunteers would explain the drill(s) and help keep the players on task. If you are available to help, please be at the rink Monday nights at 6:15pm so you can connect with Lanae and she can explain/assign stations so the workout starts promptly at 6:30pm. Please remember, off-ice training is an integral component to our hockey program and it is a part of your player’s practice, designed to help them be better athletes on the ice. Attendance is mandatory for all players unless you have specifically communicated with your coach for why your player cannot participate. Also, please remember, players should be in appropriate workout attire and shoes. This is important for safety and being able to do the workouts correctly. If you have questions or concerns about this policy, please contact the Board President at joy.pendowski@laha.org. Board Meeting The next LAHA Board meeting is Tuesday, November 5th at 6:30pm in the front meeting room of the rink. All members are welcome to attend. Reminder: Each team is on the agenda and needs to have a representative attend to report back to the board on how your team is doing. The reporting member isn’t meant to be a coach and the report can include game outcomes, concerns, questions, etc… Try Hockey For Free Our Fall Try Hockey For Free is Saturday, November 9th from 2:00- 3:00pm. If you know any kids ages 4-9 who might like to come try the sport we love, please tell them about this fun, free event. Sign up here: https://www.tryhockeyforfree.com In addition, we will need volunteers to help participants fit gear and get ready for ice, as well as volunteers to be on the ice. This is an opportunity to engage and encourage new participants and their parents to be a part of the world of hockey and grow our game! With enough help, this crazy day will run super smooth. *If your high school student still needs community service hours, this is a great way for them to earn it.* All volunteers please contact Lanae Falls lanae.falls@laha.org or Joy Pendowski joy.pendowski@laha.org to confirm you will be there. This month’s newsletter is packed with lots of information. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Thanks, Lanae Falls LAHA Communications LAHA Special Event: “How to Get the Best Hockey Experience for your Child” Please join us Friday, October 4th as we welcome Bob Mancini to Eugene. Bob is one of USA Hockey's ADM Regional Managers (for Michigan and Missouri) and will be hosting a seminar for interested parents. This will be an informative and engaging discussion about what parents should expect from a hockey program, how parents can best contribute to make their programs better, and much more. Food and entertainment will be provided. There is no cost to attend. All parents are encouraged and welcome to attend. Please RSVP by Thurs, October 3rd so we can get a headcount for food: joy.pendowski@laha.org The details: 5:30pm - Food & Entertainment 6:30pm - How to get the Best Hockey Experience for your Child The Rink Exchange, 796 W 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97402 Volunteer and Coaching Information LAHA is a 100% volunteer-run organization. As such, we need your help! Every team needs people who can help monitor locker rooms, keep score, run the clock, staff the penalty box, assist the coaches with equipment, etc. At the association level, we can always use more help with coaches, committee members, etc. All coaches, team managers, and volunteers who will be regular, meaningful contact with kids (such as in locker rooms) are required to complete the following items:
CEP 1 and 2 on Saturday, Oct 5th CEP 3 and Goalie Bronze on Sunday, Oct 6th Bob Mancini will also be in attendance running a “coaches university” for LAHA coaches. This will also be the kick-off of our monthly coaches training opportunities. Register for the CEP clinic here: https://www.usahockey.com/coachingclinics Locker Rooms NO PLAYER SHALL BE IN LOCKER ROOMS ALONE When players arrive to the rink, they are to stage their gear in an appointed area until they can be accompanied to the locker rooms by their coaches or volunteer locker room monitors. There should be two locker room monitors, preferably not the coaching staff, who are background checked and SafeSport trained. In the past we only required at least one monitor to be SafeSport trained, however, now by law any and all locker room monitors must be SafeSport trained. If a player arrives late for practice, there are two options for them to get dressed. 1.Their parent accompanies them to the locker room (as long as they are the only ones in the locker room) or 2. The player must dress in the lobby restroom. Cell Phones & Recording Devices Under no circumstance can cell phones or other video recording devices be used or present in the locker rooms. Locker room monitors will have locking bags that all recording devices will be put into, and the bag will go out to the bench with the coaches during practice. Players will receive their items back when exiting the locker room area. Parents, we ask for your support in enforcing this policy for the safety and privacy of all players. Off Ice Practice Preparedness Off ice practice is an important component to player development and helps them to perform better on ice. So we’re asking for your help to make sure your player arrives on time to practice ready to participate. Athletic type pants and/or shorts and supportive athletic shoes that tie (and that are tied) are ideal. Players may and are encouraged to bring a water bottle and a positive attitude. 12U Practice Schedule Change In looking at registration numbers this season, the Board, with input from the coaches, has moved the Monday 12U practice to an earlier time slot. An email was sent to all 12U families but in case that was missed, please note that the Monday on ice portion for 12U will now be at 6:00pm with the 8U and 10U age divisions and off ice practice will be right after. Team Communication App Change This year LAHA moved to a new registration system to handle a lot of the communication functions for our association. While the main system is working out well from an administrative perspective, the companion mobile app is not. We decided it was better to not make everyone suffer. As a result, we will be reverting to Team Snap for all team communications. The current app, Team Connect, will be disabled soon so be on the lookout for an email inviting you to Team Snap. 18U and 14U teams should receive invites in the next couple of days. 8U-12U teams who are starting later will be setup once their seasons begin. Picture Night LAHA has scheduled team pictures for Monday, October 21st from 5:30-8:00pm. Like last year, the players will need to dress in their Navy uniforms (no helmet or skates). Individual pictures will be taken, starting with the youngest players first and rolling in older players as they arrive for their practices. To speed things along, we suggest having your player arrive mostly dressed for the pictures so as soon as they are done they can join their practice, ready to go. Lifetouch will be taking the pictures and pre-order information will be distributed to teams in the next couple of weeks. Skills Clinics In case you missed it during your player registration, you can still sign your player up to participate in this season’s skills clinics. Clinics are intended for players 12U and up who are looking to either get an extra challenge in developing their skills or to help developing players who might be new to the sport to catch up with their peers. You can register for the whole series or pick and choose the individual sessions that are of interest. Preregistration is required. Dates, topics, and registration for the skills clinics are available here: http://laha.bonzidev.com/home.php?layout=12679605 Jr. Generals Apparel Now is a great time to order Jr. General apparel so you have it to wear during the season. Shop our online Squadlocker store for shirts, sweaters, jackets, hats, bags, blankets, and more! And as a bonus, 10% of all sales come back to support LAHA. SAVE 15% through Sunday, September 22nd with code: HappyFall FREE shipping on orders of $149+ Get your gear here: https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/#/lockers/eugene-jr-generals Game Schedules The game schedules are almost set. As soon as they are ready, schedules for teams will be sent out. Games will be starting mid-October for most teams. Eugene Parade Participation Last month we announced we had planned an entry in the Eugene Parade. Due to lack of response for volunteers to help, we determined there was not enough interest to participate. Board Meetings The Board usually meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm in the front meeting room at the rink. All members are welcome to attend. The next board meeting is: October 1, 2019 We are starting something new this season. At each Board meeting there will be an agenda item for a representative from each team to come and give a report of their team’s happenings. Representatives should be someone other than the coaches (they already do enough). Reports can include positive or negative feedback, any questions or concerns, team goals, game or tournament wins or losses, etc… Communication with our membership is important to us and we look forward to seeing more parents at board meetings this season. 2019-2020 LAHA Board Members President- Joy Pendowski Vice President- Jenn Nyberg Secretary- Joel Dunham Treasurer- Dan Trent Registrar- Sarah Chambers -- Committee Chairs Communications- Lanae Falls Tournament- Mara McManus -- Find us online: Website: www.laha.org Facebook: Eugene Jr Generals Instagram: @eugenejrgenerals |
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