Elise (or anyone familiar with youth hockey programs): Our rink
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has been playing fast and loose with coaching, ice times and programs that have already been paid for. The rink director and hockey manager were fired a month into the season with no replacements on the horizon. There are now 16 yo uncertified kids "coaching" 12 and 13 yo and the skills sessions are basically chaos. AFAICT, this contravenes USAH rules. Rink management has been evasive and utterly unhelpful as to when this situation might be resolved. I can give more info (a little, anyway, since the rink won't actually "tell* the parents anything) off list if you want. Any suggestions on how to proceed? The situation as it stands is neither educational nor safe. Thanks for any assistance and if you don't have time, just ignore.
Sara snipped-for-privacy@aol.com or snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com
Sorry - I ddin't get to this sooner, but have just switched to reading via google.
Anyhow, if your team/club are USAH registered, I suggest that you contact your local Affiliate representative. If you go to the USAHockey website, you will find the different regions, and click there, get to your state, and there will be a list of ocntacts. They should be able to help you - in particular as insurance liability, safety, etc are involved with respect to the coaching. THere are minimum certification requirements for the coaches at different levels of youth hockey, WRT who can be on the ice or bench during a USAH sanctioned event. This is all predicated upon your child, and teammates all being USAH registered. In fact, if the coaches on the ice are not cert'ed, or the refs aren't, or players aren't - but the team supposedly is - the USAH coverage for all is voided.
WRT skills sessions - if the rink is putting them on, then that is an independent thing and you may have just paid the rink. In that case, unless they insisted everyone be USAH registered and are considering them as practice for registered teams - not much can be done except parental complaining. For most things like puck'n'stick, or paid skills sessions - the rink usually is covering the session with its own general liablility insurance. It's a buyer beware thing WRT who is doing the coaching/instructing and what their skills may or may not be.
Also - WRT officials - if they are playing sanctioned games, then the officials must be USAH officials. At the 12-13 age (PeeWees) even Level 1 (1st year) officials are eligible to do the games. Generally they should be working with a more experienced official as this is the checking age group. Also, youth officials are supposed to be in an older age group (not the same) as any youth hockey they officiate. Again - if the officials aren't appropriately credentialled, then it voids the insurance for everyone. Although, frequently for non-league type games some folks will get whoever. However, even in non-league or house games, if the only coverage for the team is USAH (i.e. the rink itself isn't indemnifying the group) then the officials should both be certified. Most of my fellow officials won't work games with a non-USAH or non-credentialled partner. Around here we have other sancitoning/credentialling bodies for hockey officials - NIHOA (which covers alot of college stuff - which DH does) and Federation (which covers alot of high schools).
If you want me to give you some more specific advice, I'm happy to try and help. I've spent some time on USAH District staff, and helping with a bunch of discipline, tournaments, etc. Plus had the thrill (sarcasm on) of running a "men's" league. BUt, I've had my sr. coaching card for about 11 years now, and DH has had an advanced one for about 7 - coaching for at least 15. Anyhow - sorry about the length - essentially - go to your local affiliate, and if there isn't someone there to help then go up the chain to the region or district. Certainly the "risk"person will be interested if things are sounding sketchy. And if you're really stuck - call the USAH main office - they are very nice there and will guide you. One year I lost something, and called the number for the official's office - and instead of getting the admin person (who I know) the Referee in Chief of all USAH answered the phone. I was completely stuttering for a moment - and he just laughed (we'd met several times at tourneys, etc
- but still). You never know - and he did help me out.
Sorry about your having a hard time - that stinks.
Thanks so much, Elise. Very helpful. Just for clarity, everyone has to be USAH registered to even sign up for hockey at any level. DH actually knows someone on the USAH board from back in our Iowa days and we're starting to take it up the ladder.
You're very welcom. I hope things work out. There are issues all over the place with how programs are run, implementing rules, etc. I'm pretty fond of the "coaches must wear helmets" on the ice rule. I worry when I see them out there without - especially kids helping with younger ones - it's just too cool to not have a helmet on. Always seems as soon as someone takes it off they fall back and crack!
Let me know off-list if I can give you any other info, and that things get better - I hope! Ellice
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