SDMHA 2024-25 Season Information (Strathroy Minor Hockey)

Strathroy & District Minor Hockey Association
Coaching Information

 

Bench Staff

 

1. Please send the Vice-President and Coaching Convenor a list of your bench staff with their name, e-mail and position on the bench.
   
   
2. All teams must have a Head Coach and a Head Trainer.  Once those positions are filled, you may add a Manager, Assistant Coach or Assistant Trainer (or any combination, not exceeding 5 total Bench staff).
   
   
3. All bench staff must have the appropriate certification for the position being held. Refer to the SDMHA website under Coaches Corner for “Coaches/Trainer Qualification Requirements”. 
   
   
4. All bench staff and on-ice volunteers must have the Respect in Sport – Activity Leader (RIS) course as well as vulnerable sector check/affidavit to be eligible to participate in games and practices . Note: this is not the same as the Respect in Sport – Parent Program. You can view your certificates in HCR if any have expired.
   
   
5. Only names that appear on the official roster (max. 5) will be reimbursed their volunteer fee. Volunteer Cheques for team officials and bench staff rostered to a team will be refunded at the end of the season when all jerseys and equipment is returned.
   
   
6. All Bench Staff and on-ice volunteers (14 years of age or older) are required to submit a Police Check that includes the “Vulnerable Sector” and upload to your HCR account.  For the in-between years an affidavit will need to be signed and submitted to your HCR account.  All Police Checks are confidential and are forwarded in the sealed envelope to the SDMHA Designated Professional for administrative purposes. A copy of the Affidavit and the Strathroy-Caradoc Police Check Form are available on the website. Those living outside of the town limits require an OPP Police Check which is available through the President or Coach Convenor. The cost of Police Check is not reimbursed by SDMHA. NOTE: All Police Checks are to be in by September 30th, 2024 unless for unforeseen circumstances, notify the Coach Convenor to be granted an extension. Volunteer fee will not be reimbursed until a valid Police Check or Affidavit is on file.
   
   
7. Bench staff cannot be rostered to a team without a valid police check or affidavit.
   
   
8. If there is anyone who you have not chosen to be on your bench and they have their Coach’s or Trainer’s certification please let them know that they can submit their information to our OMHA Representative, or Coaching Convenor, to be put on the At-Large Roster, if space is available.
   
   

Roster

 

1. Players cannot be rostered to a team until a parent/guardian from each player’s family has completed the OMHA’s Respect in Sport (RIS) – Parent Course Tutorial found on the OMHA website (www.omha.org). Rosters cannot be submitted for OMHA approval until this is completed.
   
   
2. A Letter of Commitment (Team Signing Package) must be filled out by each player and Coach with signatures.
   
   
3. Competitive Teams: All players must pay the additional travel fee (U10 - U14 $275 & U15 - U18 $300) to participate on a Competitive Team. Please make cheques payable to SDMHA. Please note that your approved roster will not be issued until all fees have been paid.
   
   
4. Approved Rosters will be e-mailed to Team Managers by the OMHA Representative. 
   
   
   

Team Responsibilities & Updates

 

The following are a list of Team responsibilities that each Team are required to fulfill and will be coordinated/delegated by the Team Manager.

1. It is MANDATORY for each team to designate a Tournament Rep to assist with the SDMHA Annual Tournaments: Local League U9 - U18 teams for the John Henry and U7 for the Strathroy Jamboree. Teams that do not designate a Tournament Rep will forfeit their spot in the tournament. See the Tournament Rep page included in your coach's package.
   
   
2. Each team must submit two (2) raffle items/theme baskets to be used at a SDMHA tournament, on-line auction or Year End Banquet. Note: Please do not solicit or canvass town businesses to obtain these items. If you have any questions please e-mail [email protected].
   
   
3. All teams will be held accountable for damage and misuse of dressing rooms assigned to them either at home or away games. Teams that are found to have caused damage or misuse may lose the privilege of having a dressing room assigned at home games, lose practice ice time or be billed for the damages.
   
   
4. Team Managers are to ensure that all parents or guardians register for web updates for their Team and the Association.
   
   
5. Electronic Game Sheets will be used. SDMHA iPads are provided for each game for using the game sheet app. Game scores are automatically loaded once the game is uploaded on the iPad.
   
   
   

Schedules 

1. League game schedules will be submitted and uploaded onto your calendar by Shamrock Hockey League for Rep and Lambton Middlesex Local League for local league teams.  All game changes or cancellations are to be made through the Shamrock Representative or Local League Representative (cc ice convenor), who then co-ordinates the game changes with the league as well as the Referee and Ice Convenors. Once complete the schedule on the website is updated by the SDMHA Ice Convenor for home games, away league games are completed by the hosting centre ice convenor.
   
2. If your Team does not have a game scheduled during their regular game time, the ice must be returned to the Ice Convenor to be re-assigned. If your Team is away at a tournament and not able to use game ice and/or practice ice or if your Team has any game/practice changes or cancellations you must notify the Ice Convenor or the League Convenor 72 hours in advance. DEAD ICE COSTS MONEY!!! ($170 per hour). If teams do not inform the Ice Convener and dead ice results, a team will lose their next scheduled practice.
3. Regular Practices – There will be NO set days and times for practices (except for U5-U7). Practice schedules will be communicated at least a month prior and every effort will be made to make times age appropriate and the nights as consistent as possible.
4.  Please contact the Ice Convenor regarding any Exhibition games either Home or Away, so they can be added to your Team Schedule to avoid any game scheduling conflicts.
   
5. Travel permits are required for ALL Tournaments and/Exhibition Games for both Home and Away games. Request for Travel Permits should be completed ASAP as they do require time to process. Fill out the online form on the Coaches portal. E-mail our OMHA Rep at [email protected] for details.
6.  Extra Ice - if your team is looking for extra outside of the associations contract, you can book under SDMHA to receive the discounted rate for sports booking and still have the coverage of insurance.  Contact your ice scheduler [email protected] to discuss
7. If anyone has any issues with Strathroy-Caradoc staff at Gemini or WMMC regarding ice times, please do not engage in conversation with the facility staff but to forward your concerns to [email protected] and [email protected].  

                                                     

Tournaments

1. Before a team can enter any tournament schedules they need to fill out Tournament Travel Permit request and provide the Tournament name, Tournament ID, Location and Date(s), so the Tournament itself can be set up onto your teams webpage. Once the Ice Convenor enters this information into the team’s calendar, the team’s Manager can enter the game schedule. Please fill out forms for all tournaments as soon as possible so any game conflicts can be re-scheduled.

Care of Equipment/Jerseys

1. Please ensure jerseys are properly cared for – washing regularly and hang to dry; do not use wire exposed hangers (plastic hangers have been provided for all jerseys); players are not to keep their jerseys in their hockey bags; Name bars for A/B teams will be at the expense of the players and can ONLY be applied by Pete’s Sports at the expense of the players. Both “A’s” and “C’s” can be gently sewed on and removed at the end of the season.
   
   
2. At the end of the year please wash all jerseys and return with all equipment (home and away jerseys, puck bags and pucks, water bottles, First Aid kits and keys) back to your designated locker.
   
   Coaches bags and white boards are available to sign out for the season, if you need one. Locker combinations will be assigned to each team at the start of each new season.
   
   
3. There will be an inventory sheet for each locker that you will have to sign at the beginning of the season. No volunteer cheques will be reimbursed until all equipment is returned. If you are missing something or need replacement Trainers supplies, please contact the Equipment Convenor.  Please do not take equipment or supplies from other lockers.
   
   
4. 3^rd Jerseys (baby blues) will only apply to U16-U18 A/B teams.  Options to wear the 3^rd jersey will continue to include the restrictions to tournaments, exhibition games and away.  Will NOT be authorized to wear them at home to respect the sponsorships.
   
   Note: Our jerseys are not to be used for Spring or Summer hockey leagues.

 

Other Information

    Game Lengths:

Initiation Program

50 Minutes of ice

 

1. Game times are not to change regardless of the amount of ice time, as SDMHA incurs additional costs for referees. For information on Period Lengths please reference the Shamrock and LL period length page on the website. 

https://sdmha.org/Pages/2244/Shamrock_and_LMLL_Period_Lenghts/

Photographs – Teams are required to be dressed in full equipment, excluding helmets and neck guards and ready for team photos 10 minutes in advance. Schedules will be communicated, through the website, once finalized. Photo order forms will be posted on the website. The Sponsorship Convenor will contact your Team Sponsor, so they can be included in the picture. A copy of the team photo will be given to each Sponsor.

Trophies/Banners – a section of our Trophy Case, located upstairs by the SDMHA office is designated to current trophies, medals or banners that have been won over the years. All teams, whether they are Local League or Competitive, are welcome to have their trophies displayed in the case. Please contact SDMHA President [email protected] to make arrangements.

Dress Code - SDMHA would like each team to adapt a dress code. All team members are representatives of SDMHA and the Town of Strathroy whether they are traveling to other centres, attending home games, or even out in public wearing their minor hockey team jacket.  Dress codes for minor hockey teams are common and are a way of fostering team unity and cohesion. Pete's Sports is SDMHA's official sportswear supplier and they will be happy to outfit each team in jackets, wind suits, hoodies, etc.

Safety Regulations

 

1. A Trainers manual will be put in all Team lockers with procedural information and pertinent forms.
   
   
2. All players, including bench staff are required to complete a medical information sheet which should be kept on file in the Trainer’s manual and put in the team locker. An additional copy of all medical forms should be made and put in the trainer’s kit and taken to all games. At the end of each season all medical forms are shredded (copies included in Coach’s package).
   
   
3. All players must wear full equipment as outlined by OMHA, including mouth and neck guards.
   
   
4. Players 13 and under must be dressed in full equipment if helping on the ice; Any Coaches/Bench Staff must wear helmets if on the ice at all times.
   
   
5. No parents/children (other than the players & bench staff registered with SDMHA) are allowed in the bench area and on the ice during practices or games. This will be enforced due to safety and insurance reasons.
   
   
6. Players are not allowed on the ice without a Coach present. PLEASE do not enter the ice prior to your designated ice time.
   
   
7. Always adhere to the OMHA rule of “2 deep” when meeting with parents/players. As well there should always be 2 staff members in the dressing rooms at all times. “Never one on one!”
   
   
8. Please advise your team that the Strathroy-Caradoc Parks & Recreation Department does not permit the use of video or audio recording devices in the dressing room.
   
   
9. A copy of the SDMHA Policies & Procedures can be found on our website under the About Us tab.  Please ensure that you read the document and become familiar with the requirements.