Parent 2006-07 Handbook

Coaches…………………………………………………………………….……………………. 5

Team Representatives…………………………………………………………….………… …5

Cyber Parent……………………………………………………………………………..… … 5

Tournament Coordinator…………………………………………………………………………6

Statistician/Box Workers……………………………………………………………….…….. …6

Team Concession Captain………………………………………..………………….…….…...6

Team Equipment Manager………………………………………..…………………………..…7

Publicity Coordinator…………….………………………………..………………………….. …7

OYHA Committees……………….……………………………….………………………………7

OYHA Team Commitment Sheet...……………………………………………………………..8

Lawful Gambling…………………………………………………………………………………..9

Pancake Breakfast………………………………………………………………………………..9

Concession Stand………………………………………………………………………………..10

Tournaments………………………………………………………………………………………11

Tournament Dates………………………………………………………………………………..12

Clothing…………………………………………………………………...……………………….12

Iceman’s Club……………………………………………………………………………………..12

Hyvee Parking Lot……………………………………………………….……………………….12

OYHA Board of Directors………………………………………………………………………..15

USA Hockey Code of Conduct………………………………………………………………… 20

We are starting a new year of hockey in Owatonna, and are laying the groundwork to have another great year. The objective of this handbook is to make clear to the parents and players of OYHA, our expectations. Information includes parent’s necessary involvement, fundraiser expectations, general items and sportsmanship expectations. All OYHA parents and players are accountable to be familiar with the information contained in this document and are accountable to adhere to the policies and procedures outlined herein.

Hockey is a wonderful sport that teaches all of us the importance of teamwork, hard work and perseverance. Our top priorities are for your child to develop as a hockey player and as a person in a fun, competitive and successful atmosphere. To accomplish this, OYHA depends on all families being active in the organization. There is no shortage of opportunities to get involved. OYHA is a strong organization and your involvement is important for that to continue and expand.

We have a number of individuals who will be completing their 3-year commitment to the OYHA Board of Directors. Please consider being on the Board of Directors, if interested, please contact a current board member.

In closing, we appreciate the involvement of all families with our OYHA activities and look forward to another great year of OYHA hockey.

Please contact any of the board members with questions comments or concerns.

Thank You,

OYHA Board of Directors

Coaches are an indispensable asset to OYHA. The coaches must put in many hours of running practices and games, along with scheduling games and tournaments. The coaches are responsible for training the players in the skills and knowledge of the game of hockey.

The team representative provides general support for the team in coordination with coaches, OYHA Board of Directors and OYHA Committees, team parents and team players. To a great extent these duties are dependent upon the management approach of the coaches. This support may include:

The Cyber Parent will assist the coaches and team parents with the team page on the OYHA web site and distribution of information via the Internet and e-mail. The Cyber Parent will assist individuals as appropriate to insure that everyone receives necessary information regardless of Internet access or otherwise.

The statistician and box worker responsibilities include:

Additionally, the statistician must provide a copy of all score sheets to the OYHA Statistician as soon as possible after the game. This includes league and non-league games. A drop box will be provided at the Four Seasons Centre.

The team concession captain(s) work with the OYHA Concession Stand Manager/Committee in coordinating parents working hours in the concession stand. The manager will contact the captain(s) with hours needing to be filled by the respective team. The captain(s) will coordinate having the team parents fill these hours.

The concession captain(s) are also responsible for coordinating and filling of work slots for the off season fund raisers, including the HyVee Parking Lot, and off-season concession stand events such as the Farm Show, Home Show, and any other off season special event where concessions are requested.

The Team Equipment Manager will work with the OYHA Equipment Manager in meeting the following responsibilities:

OYHA committees are open to parent involvement. Many parents are generous with their time and we appreciate your help. If you would like to serve on a committee, please contact the chairperson listed on our website.

OYHA is always striving to improve the hockey experience and reduce the cost of hockey. Accomplishing this goal requires various forms of fundraising. These funds provide for ice time, tournaments, equipment and related expenses. The more OYHA raises in fundraiser funds, the lower hockey fees are for all of us. All parents of OYHA are obligated to fulfill all requirements of fundraisers.

OYHA has a license for Lawful Gambling (pulltabs), and currently operates pulltabs in local establishments. The pulltabs have been very good for OYHA, contributing significantly to the reduction in registration fees. We have also used revenue from pulltabs for other endeavors such as building a new concession stand and the initial investment in the low cost equipment program. OYHA can have up to three pulltab locations. We are actively pursuing additional locations.

We have an annual pancake breakfast at the Eagle’s Club. The pancake breakfast is always the first Sunday in December. About 50% of the ticket cost is revenue for OYHA. All families are required to purchase at least five tickets per player for the pancake breakfast. The following options are available for the pancake fundraiser and must be chosen at Fall Registration:

Squirt and Girls U10 Teams have the responsibility to staff the pancake breakfast. Team Representatives will be contacting you with a work schedule. Everyone is encouraged to attend the pancake breakfast.

The operation of the OYHA concession stand at the Four Seasons Centre is very dependent upon the volunteer hours of the OYHA parents. Revenue from the concession stand helps keep the cost of hockey down by reducing players’ fees for all of us. OYHA has a long-term lease for the concession stand, and paid for the installation.

The concession stand commitment includes working the "hockey season" as well as the "off season" events such as: Figure Skating Show (Feb), Farm Show (March), Home Show (March) and other special events where concessions are requested by the Four Seasons Centre. A required number of hours will be established for the family of each player.

Required family concession hours:

The concession stand manager will be working with the concession captains to make sure everyone has equal opportunity to work in the concession stand.

The number of hours a family works is tracked solely on signing in. When you report to the concession stand, sign your name, team and time in on the concession workers sheet. When your shift has been completed, mark your time. All concession hours are documented but we also ask that you keep a record for yourself. NO CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN IF YOU DO NOT SIGN IN. All concession stand hours need to be completed by June 30th. If a family does not complete their required concession hours that family will be assessed a fee of $20.00 per hour for every hour not completed. (Other hockey associations charge as much as $50.00!)

Official coaches and their spouses, as well as board members are asked to work only 5 concession stand hours in recognition of the many hours they already contribute to the association. 5 hours is the maximum that a coach or board member will be expected to work regardless of how many of their children are in the program and regardless of whether they are both a coach and a board member. Coaches or board members with no children in the program are exempt from working concession stand hours.

Park and Recreation Program Coordinator, Website Manager and Referee Coordinator are exempt from working concession stand hours due to the number of volunteer hours they put in during the year.

The OYHA home tournaments provide an opportunity for our children to play in a tournament in front of their hometown crowd, and as a significant fund raising event. Typically there are two tournaments on a weekend, with each team working the tournament opposite the tournament they are participating in. The number of work shifts required of each family is determined on the total number of work shifts and the number of available player families. Work areas include front desk, announcer, statistician, penalty box, and concession stand.

Official coaches and their spouses are exempt from working tournament hours associated with the team(s) they are officially coaching. This is regardless of the number of their children that are on the team. Coaches and their spouses are not exempt from working tournament hours associated with other teams, which include any of their other children. Coaches who have no children on the team they coach but have children on other teams are exempted from working tournament hours for the team they coach and one other team that their children play on. Frequently the coaches volunteer to work a few shifts even though they are not required.

Teams without home tournaments typically are provided an additional away tournament, and will be asked to work an open tournament.

1st weekend in December - Bantam A/Pee Wee A

2nd weekend in December - Bantam B/Pee Wee B

1st weekend in January - Pee Wee C/ Girls U14

3rd weekend in January - Girls U12/U10

4th weekend in January - Squirt A/Squirt B

We will be selling OYHA clothing this year, including T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts and jackets. Further information is available on the web site.

OYHA has an Iceman’s Club, whereby we solicit individual contributions for the cost of one hour of ice (approx. $140). We have mailed letters to individuals who have been associated with hockey and supported it in the past years. These letters are not typically mailed to hockey parents, but anyone interested in being "in the club" can contact Doug Voss.

OYHA sponsors fair parking at the HyVee Parking Lot during the Steele County Free Fair. This is one of our biggest fundraiser and raises between $10,000 and $20,000 for OYHA. This fundraiser reduces player fees significantly. To put this in perspective, this results in an annual fee reduction of around $70 per player.

Parents are responsible for the timely payment of all hockey related fees. Registration fees are determined by the OYHA board and are due at registration along with the pancake breakfast option payment. If there are delinquent fees from the previous year, membership for the upcoming season cannot be processed and the skater will not be allowed on the ice until payment is made in full.

Refund Policy

Any player that wishes to withdraw from the OYHA hockey program for reasons such as: illness, injury, or moving shall immediately notify the OYHA Secretary in writing. The OYHA Board will determine what refund will be allowed. Many costs (i.e.: player insurance, district and USA hockey fees) are not refundable to OYHA by the district or USA hockey. Therefore, we cannot refund them to the player. Any month in which the player skated will not be refunded. Fundraiser "buy outs" will not be refunded. No refunds will be granted after December 31st.

OYHA requires that all skaters in youth hockey wear neck-guards.

Minnesota Hockey requires that all skaters wear colored mouth-guards that attach to their helmets. All OYHA game jerseys are required to have stop patches.

All teams and individuals will keep the locker rooms in a clean, orderly and sanitary condition both at home and away rinks. Failure to do so will result in loss of locker room privileges at the Four Seasons.

Hazing or inappropriate behavior of any type will result in disciplinary action. This action would include a game or multiple game suspensions or the possibility of a player being removed from OYHA altogether. Parents are asked to speak with their player and help them understand the seriousness of hazing and inappropriate behavior. In addition, please make sure they understand the consequences for them if they chose to participate in this activity. If a parent should see or hear of any of this taking place, please let a coach know of the situation as well as the OYHA board. Thank you for helping make our "RINK" a FUN and SAFE place for our children.

The OYHA board is responsible to run the business of the Hockey Association. A lot of work is required and board members volunteer many hours. Board meetings typically are held the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Persons wishing to attend meetings are encouraged to do so. Any board member is available to be contacted for information or concerns. Please communicate your concerns with us.

An annual membership meeting is held at the end of the hockey season in conjunction with the family banquet. Board elections will take place at this time.

The OYHA coaching coordinator shall help ensure consistency and player development throughout the system. The coaching coordinator develops and maintains a development plan for Owatonna hockey players and will use it to guide our OYHA program in the direction of team success, but also to develop individuals of character, self-discipline, and leadership.

We ask that parents consider their personal behavior toward the officials of the game. Although you will surely see calls you don't like, or experience some games where an official makes too many mistakes, find a dignified way to handle it. You will be offering a good example for the kids. An official has the authority to stop a game and request that a coach tell a spectator to stop unacceptable behavior. If this does not solve the problem, the game can be stopped until the offending party is removed. OYHA is committed to standing by the referees on this issue and asks that parents working at the scoring table and in the penalty boxes be supportive of the referees. The Referee Coordinator and can be contacted with concerns. Our goal is to develop good referees.

The first step in resolving misunderstandings or disagreements between coach, player, or parent, should be verbal communication between the parent and coach. The coach should let the parents know how he wants this to be handled at the first parent/team meeting. If both parties are respectful and start from a position of goodwill, the issue may be resolved here.

In the exceptional case in which a disagreement is not easily resolved, the parent or coach can choose to proceed by requesting assistance from the coaching coordinator who will act as a mediator to bring about a resolution, if possible. He will communicate with the coaching committee during this process. Or the parent or coach can go directly to the coaches committee. If either party is still unhappy with the result and wishes to take the issue a step further, the parent or coach can request the matter be referred to the coaches committee. This should be done in writing. If the parent, player, or coach is not satisfied with the handling of the issue, the complaint can be brought to the executive committee of OYHA.

Coaches strive to maintain standards of excellence in their work. They are honest, fair and respectful of others. Coaches uphold professional standards of conduct. They respect the fundamental rights, dignity, and worth of all participants. Coaches do not engage in discrimination on any basis proscribed by law and do not engage in or condone behavior that is harassing or demeaning. Coaches take reasonable steps to avoid harming their athletes. Coaches forbid the use of alcohol by minors.

Parents, players and coaches are requested to read the Minnesota Hockey and the USA Hockey Codes of Conduct included below. The guidelines of the Minnesota Hockey Code of Conduct will be upheld by OYHA. Conduct of any kind that the board decides requires action will be handled according to the OYHA Operating Guidelines:

USA Hockey asks parents, spectators, players, coaches and officials to abide by a "Zero Tolerance Policy "toward unsportsman-like conduct. Minor penalties can be assessed to players or coaches for arguing with officials, using obscene or vulgar language or demonstrating dissatisfaction with an official's decision. If a coach or player persists, a game misconduct can be assessed. The action of the officials must be businesslike, sportsmanlike and above reproach. And spectators who are disruptive, using obscene or vulgar language, taunting players, coaches or officials, or throwing objects on the ice will be asked to leave the viewing area. Play will not resume until the violator has removed himself. The Zero Tolerance Policy is posted in the arena.

HEP is a three-component program intended to make hockey more fun for kids. The three components are skill development (Skills Challenge program), education (Mastery Approach to Coaching – MAC and Mastery Approach to Parents For Sports – MAPS) and accountability (Fair Play). The components have been developed collaboratively by leaders in hockey, sports psychology and child development and is based on validated research over a 25 year

period. HEP’s mission is to create an environment for all involved in hockey in Minnesota to succeed to their fullest potential and to have fun doing so.

The only portion of HEP that is currently mandatory will be implementation of the Fair Play program for all district league games.

Information will be distributed through the ACE network. Contact our association ACE Coordinator to get HEP materials such as the Skills Challenge program checklists and manuals, Sports and Your Child – a 50 minute Guide For Parents, Coaches Who Never Lose and other HEP materials.