Welcome to Northwood. We believe we offer a safe and fun atmosphere for your child to learn to love the game of hockey. We also do our best to offer excellent value. Northwood is very different than other leagues so we have put this information together to help new families better understand your new league.
The Game Structure
Northwood games are very different. We guarantee equal ice time for each player and we accommodate siblings on the same team. To do this each team is divided into three lines each of a different age and skill level. Each line plays against the other team’s equally matched line for two minutes of stop time then there is a change and the next two matched lines play. It is really three different games in one. Parents with more than one player can just travel to one game.
Balancing the Lines
The first line is generally our younger players 5, 6 and 7 years of age. The second line is generally comprised of players 8 and 9 years of age and the third line typically has players aged 10 and 11. We also make exceptions for some players to return to after they turn 12. These are players who we feel won’t dominate the league and are not aggressive.
Because we register the total number of players needed for the league regardless of age we often need to move some players from one line to another. This is usually done in the pre-season after the coaches have some time watching the players. At the first practice you will be given a jersey and this is recorded so that coaches can identify players as they evaluate them, please have your player wear this jersey to every practice until teams are formed. When we reassign players to a different line we try to keep the best interests of the players in mind. Playing on a line outside of the player’s age group can be very beneficial for some players. We try and discuss moving a player with the parents before we do it so we better understand any concerns they may have.
Please understand if your player is within a couple of months of the age break (e.g. 8 yrs. 1 month) and if we ask you to move down to the lower line it isn’t a demotion, we often move many players like this and actually make the whole lower line stronger.
How we Make Teams
At Northwood we strive to have evenly matched teams while guaranteeing that families stay together on the same team.
There are usually one or two practices devoted to scrimmages where the coaches evaluate all the players. This season we have an entire day (Saturday October 3rd) devoted to a fun 3 on 3 game format that will be used to do most of the evaluations. This is a very important session to attend. We use a numeric ranking system where each coach assigns a score to each player. This information is compiled and an average score for each player is calculated. The league President and Head Coaches work together to form the teams based on this information. There is no draft of players. The coaches keep the player ranking information confidential.
Typically we group coaches and assistant coaches and their children together on teams first. Then we allocate the families with multiple players to teams. This season we have 26 pairs of siblings and two 2 families with 3 kids in the league so it is a complicated process. Once this is done we add individual players to the teams in an effort to balance the league. As we build the teams we keep a running tally of the total player rankings for each line and the entire team.
We guarantee that siblings will be grouped on the same team. Friends or cousins who wish to play on the same team can make a request to the President and we will try and accommodate. Please understand that there are no guarantees. You chose Northwood partly because we offer fair play and even teams. The more relationships we try and accommodate the harder it is to have an evenly matched league. Please understand if we aren’t able to meet your request.
Ice Times
Our games are on the weekends at reasonable hours. We have evening practices during the week also at reasonable hours and we try and schedule our younger players for the earlier time slots. We do not play games on holidays or the March Break.
Goalies and Goalie Equipment
We recognize that goalie equipment can be expensive and that it can be difficult for young children to choose to be a goalie. At Northwood we supply the goalie gear: chest protector, leg pads, blocker and gloves. This allows players to try out the goalie experience without making a serious financial commitment. Because a goalie plays against all three age groups it is very difficult for players younger than 9 to take on the position.
Goalie training is often overlooked. At Northwood we offer excellent coaching for goalies. We have special practices just for the goalies. Any player who is seriously considering being a goalie during the next season can join these practices and get some experience. Just let your Coach knows and they will help make arrangements.
Dressing Room
Please do your best to arrive on time to the games and practices. Game and practice times listed are the actual time on the ice so please allow 30 minutes to dress. Recognize that friendly dressing room banter among players, getting dressed early so they can watch some of the other game, or playing shinny in the hall is all part of the experience. Every National Hockey League player that retires says that what they miss most is the “time with his teammates”, the camaraderie. As the kids form relationships that may exist only at the rink, they need the extra time to become friends and teammates. Showing up 5 minutes before a game or practice robs them of these important aspects.
Coaches will often want to have some time alone with the team before and after a game. This is very important time for the Coaches to set the tone for good sportsmanship and perhaps put a loss into perspective. The players are much more focused when the Coaches are alone with them in the room.
How to be a Good Hockey Parent
The best advice is to just be positive and supportive of your child and their team. Most players just want to hear “I love to watch you play”. Studies have shown that many athletes’ worst memories of youth sport were the car ride home where the well intentioned parent lectured their child on what they should or shouldn’t have done. So just offer support and let the player initiate discussion about the game.
Everyone at the game is a player, an official, a coach or a parent. It is difficult to be more than one of these things at a time so let the players play, the coaches coach, and the officials officiate. Cheer everybody on both teams not just your child. And, treat your child with the same affection after a win or a loss.
Enjoy your hockey season and feel free to approach any of the executive with questions, comments or ideas. You can email us at info@northwoodhockey.ca and President Ron Kresack’s phone number is four seven two-2042.
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