STONEHAM YOUTH HOCKEY
Registration and Tryouts
2023 – 2024 Season
GENERAL COMMENTS
The Board of Directors has developed procedures to facilitate the manner in which teams are selected. The Board annually assesses how we can enhance every aspect of the Team Selection Process with the goal of consistency, transparency, and fairness. SYH strives to place players on a team that most closely matches their hockey skill and ability, with the other players on the same team. In doing so, we hope to provide every player the best opportunity to develop, compete and succeed.
Team selection is never made by a single individual within our organization. At every level, we have developed a process that requires the consensus of multiple individuals before teams are announced. The Board reviews for accuracy and legitimacy, every placement, on every team, at every level to ensure that the process and the pre-determined tryout rules were adhered to.
TRYOUT DATES, TIMES, AND LOCATION
Tryouts will be held at the Stoneham Arena or rinks in the surrounding communities as ice is needed. Tryouts will consist of two sessions for each level. Tryouts are generally held at the conclusion of the regular season or at a date that is reasonably close to the end of the season. Due to the multiple leagues that our various teams compete at the conclusion of the regular season at all levels may not line up. SYH will work to ensure that tryouts do not conflict with playoff games and that they can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. Dates, times, and locations of tryouts will be posted on the SYH website annually about 30 days prior to the first tryout night.
FEES AND ELIGIBILITY
Players must meet the following qualifications to be eligible for tryouts:
All balances from the prior season must be paid in full. All players must be registered with USA Hockey via the www.usahockey.com website and have a valid USA Hockey number to register to play. All participants must register with Stoneham Youth Hockey via the www.syhockey.com website and pay the published Registration Fee. Registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
REGISTRATION FEES AND DISCOUNTS
Registration Fees are applied to your total ice bill. Once you are placed on a team after tryouts, your total ice bill will reflect a credit of $300.
Your ice bill covers all tryouts, practices, regular season and playoff games, Skills Sessions, District Playdown Game, State Tournament fees (for invited teams and District winning teams), game jerseys and socks for (I-Mites, Midgets and U19 girls only). Mites, Squirts, PeeWee, Bantam, U10 girls, U12 girls, and U14 girls teams pay “out of pocket” for game jerseys and socks (jerseys and socks can be used for multiple years). Your ice bill does not cover USA Hockey Registration fees, the cost of replacement jerseys and socks, pants shells, any extra games that the Coaches or team manager may arrange such as tournaments.
For purposes of multi-child discounts, SYH does not include family members participating in Learn-to-Skate & Play, or Alternate Players (when applicable).
Note: Registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable. Registration Fees paid prior to tryouts may not be applied to an Alternate Player after the commencement of Tryouts.
Note: SYH has a “No Pay, No Play” policy. Your ice bill is required to be paid in full by September 15th. A $100 late fee for full-season participants or $50 late fee for half-season participants will be applied to any accounts with a balance on September 15th.
PROGRAM COSTS
- Registration fee all levels: $300
- Boys (co-ed) Squirts, Pee Wee, and Bantam: $1,950
- Girls (only) U10, U12, U14: $1,650
- Mites (half-ice): $1,350
- Instructional Mites (I-Mites): $900
- Midgets and U16/U19 Girls (half season): $875
- Learn to Skate and Play (per session): $150
DISCOUNT SCHEDULE
- Multi-Child applied to (2nd child) $200 discount.
- Multi-Child applied to (3rd child) $525 discount.
- Multi-Child applied to (4th child) $800 discount.
- Multi-Child applied to (5th child) 100% discount.
- Goalie Fee (on rosters with 1 goalie): 50% of full-time cost.
- Goalie Fee (on rosters with multiple goalies): 35% of full-time cost.
TRYOUT FORMAT
A Tryout Committee of Raters will evaluate each player. The internal raters will consist of Level Directors, coaches, and anyone the Level Director determines is capable of objectively evaluating hockey skills of the players trying out at that level. In addition, SYH will hire one external rater to Rate players independently. The External Rater may be one of our Skills providers or anyone else that the Board determines is capable of independently evaluating the hockey skills of those participating in tryouts.
Prior to the first tryout sessions, all players will be assigned a random number. Players will keep their tryout number with them for both tryout sessions and only return them at the conclusion of the tryout. It is the responsibility of the player/parent/guardian to ensure that they wear the same number for all tryout sessions. Numbers will be collected only at the conclusion of the tryout sessions.
The Board of Directors will certify all final team placements. In situations where Stoneham Youth Hockey cooperates with other organizations from surrounding towns, the Board of Directors will cooperate with members from those organizations to ensure their players are represented in the tryout and team placement process. Directors from the cooperating organizations will be a part of the team placement and certification process.
MITES – BANTAM / U10 – U14 GIRLS:
Team selection will be determined by the player’s numerical rating system. If the Board believes that “egregious errors” are made, they may vote to move a player up or down.
MIDGETS and U19 GIRLS
Tryouts will be conducted by the team coaches. Team placement and position will be determined by the Coaching Staff and certified by the Board of Directors.
RATING / SCORES
All players at each level (Mite / U8 Girls through Bantam / U14 Girls) will receive a numerical grade for each skill which will then be tabulated. (1=lowest through 5=highest). Raters will do their best to evenly distribute players among the five possible scores for each category: the bottom 20% of the player pool will receive a 1 rating, the top 20% of the player pool will receive a 5 rating, etc.
At the conclusion of tryouts, each Rater should have a near even distribution of all possible scores with roughly 20% of the player pool rated at each score (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Raters are not permitted to score their own children at tryouts. In situations where a parent is a Coach and is needed to evaluate players, the Parent-Rater’s scores are replaced with the average score of all other Raters so to not help or hurt any player’s numerical score.
RATING CATEGORIES
Skating Ability: forward start, acceleration, forward Skating, backward skating, balance, crossovers, stopping, turns, pivots, transitions, weight shifts.
Puck Handling: shooting, stick handling, giving, and receiving passes, strength, puck possession, puck control.
Situational / Game Play: reading and reacting, anticipation, aggressiveness, puck support skills, use of other players on the ice, movement with the puck, movement without the puck, offensive vs defensive play, shot blocking, good hockey habits. Overall hockey knowledge.
SCORES AND TEAM PLACEMENT
Ratings will not be posted by SYH and will not be shared with parents. At the conclusion of tryouts, scores will be tabulated by the Board and verified for accuracy. A numerical ranking will be established from highest rated player to the lowest rated player. The Board will determine the cutoff point and establish the appropriate number of teams and the team rosters, taking into consideration an equitable number of players per roster.
COACHES
Head Coaches will be selected by the Stoneham Youth Hockey Board of Directors. Head coaches will be responsible for selecting their assistant coaches and team manager. The Board of Directors must approve all coaches. All Coaches must fulfill the requirements established by USA Hockey, MA Hockey, and SYH. Coaches who have not fulfilled their coaching requirements (USA Hockey Registration, SYH Registration, SafeSport training, National Background screening, Age Specific Modules, and CEP Coaching Certification) by December 31st will be restricted from Coaching.
SIBLINGS
Parent/Guardian of siblings that make different teams may request to have both siblings play together on the lower of the two teams. Parents may elect to leave siblings on two different teams. The Board will attempt to accommodate these requests however there may be some circumstances where this does not make practical sense. For example, if the skill difference is so great that dropping a sibling to a lower team would adversely affect all other players on the lower team, the Board may choose to deny the request.
ABSENT FROM TRYOUTS
Any player who is absent from tryouts will automatically be placed on the lowest team at their level. Coaches input, number of players on a team, and with approval by the Stoneham Youth Hockey Board of Directors, a player may be moved up to a higher level. Skill level is considered only in situations where their team placement would disrupt the overall make-up of the team. Special circumstance will be given special consideration.
If a player cannot attend tryouts due to unavoidable circumstances, please notify in writing, the SYH Board of Directors as soon as you become aware that they would miss tryouts. Your written communication should detail the specific reason(s) why he/she will miss tryouts along with any supporting documentation, including a doctor’s note, travel itinerary, and/or other supporting evidence. The Board will evaluate the circumstances of each player’s absence independently and determine the best placement for him/her, taking into consideration all affected teams and players.
Goalies who tryout as goalies, but decide after being placed on a team, they no longer wish to play goalie anymore, the absent from tryout rules apply.
Valid reasons for missing tryouts may include:
- Injury, illness, or other medical reason.
- Prior planned vacations.
- Important school and religious events.
Invalid reasons for missing tryouts may include:
- Tryouts for Select / Club teams.
- Last minute vacation plans.
- Participation in other sports.
ABSENT FROM PART OF TRYOUTS
Any player who misses part of the tryouts (one session of the two) will be placed accordingly by the coaches and Board of Directors based upon the guidelines above.
TEAM CREATION AND POSTING
The number of players per team and the number of teams will be determined during the team placement / assignment meeting at the conclusion of tryouts. The Board will take into consideration the best outcome for all players as well as the organization as a whole.
It is important that all players planning to play on an SYH team attend tryouts. This helps us see the entire pool of players and create the most advantageous number of teams and team size. Team placements will be posted on the www.syhockey.org website on or before April 30th.
ALTERNATES
In years where team size allows, the Board may allow for Alternate Players and Goalies. SYH is under no obligation to offer alternate spots on any team, in any year and will only do so when it is in the best interest of the organization. The Board will review the need for alternates annually. A decision on whether to have alternates will not be made until after Board elections in May and before the September 1st season start.
Reminder regarding registration fees related to Alternates:
Registration fees paid for tryouts are non-refundable and non-transferable. Since we do not know if we will need Alternates at the commencement of tryouts, your registration fee for tryouts comes with the expectation that you will be a full-time player on a roster. At the conclusion of tryouts, if a player no longer wishes to be a full-time play, and chooses to be an Alternate, the original registration fee is forfeited, and a new Alternate registration fee must be paid.
