About 3on3 London

ELITE HOCKEY IN LONDON

Hockey Canada is one of the world's foremost hockey development programs. It is staffed by fulltime hockey experts and professionals who offer endless support.

Minor hockey in London needs to take advantage of all they offer when developing their program. Hockey Canada has many ongoing initiatives, skill level rubrics, current coaching aids to provide a solid base for development. They also suggest that we use as many local professional coaches and players we can recruit to support our players.

We are fortunate enough to have two prominent assets to draw from in London; the OHL London Knights, and the UWO men's and women's hockey teams.

Our group has contacted Hockey Canada; and had meetings with members of the coaching staffs from both the men's and women's teams at UWO, and the OHL London Knights; and developed a platform that we believe can take elite hockey in London to a higher level.

In the world of hockey there are few new ideas. All we have done is researched organizations, enlisted professional opinions and used them to design an association that uses these best demonstrated practices.

As a group we have identified key areas of development and a plan to facilitate it.

The plan includes the following:
1. Player Selection Model
2. Coaches Selection Model
3. Season Skill Development
4. Coach Mentor Program
5. Safety, Concussion Awareness

Our group has developed a renewed constitution that we expect to implement for the 2011 season. To do this we need the support of the families who are currently participating in the LJK program.

All we ask is that you email us and confirm that you will be attending the Annual General Meeting on May to vote for this platform. It is constitutionally mandated for the first Wednesday in May, May 4th. We will confirm once it is posted 1 week prior.

We also will need volunteers to help implement and facilitate this program. If you are able to participate; and wish to volunteer your time for the betterment of all of the participants, please email us so we can invite you to attend our next planning session.

1.Try-out /Evaluation Process:
There must be accountability at the Elite level of hockey for London players. This accountability includes a partnership with all hockey programs in London to ensure all are able to play at the level they are best suited for. A co-ordinated structure that allows all players to play at the level they wish to.

A commitment will first be made to facilitate the proper positioning of all who play hockey in London, providing transition from House league - MD- A - AA – AAA. This can only occur with a working partnership between the GLHA .The plan for all levels of hockey in London will include an affiliated player agreement with the GLHA .

If the program being offered at the AAA level is superior to all others than any player seeking the highest level of training will want to play there. The priority has to be developing the best hockey program in Ontario. There should never be an elite player from London that wants to play elsewhere.

Key Concepts that will be used for tryouts/evaluations:
• Tryouts will not be mandated for all that wish to play competitive hockey. If the program offers the best training possible, those who wish to learn the game at the highest level will come to London to play.

• The tryout fee will be set at a level to cover the cost of the ice, and the evaluator's time. Current Estimates are $10/hr per player

• Evaluations will be completed by the coaching staff's of the men's and women's UWO hockey teams.

• All players participating will be identified to the evaluators by numbers only

• Evaluators will choose the 45 skaters and 6 goalies to be invited to participate in the program.

Using this format, it is possible to have qualified player selection, based on association guidelines that follow Hockey Canada skill development models; coupled with qualified coaching opinions.
This model also allows for the players who will be involved in the program to be picked before coaches.
As the primary focus of this hockey program is developmental, there will be two AA teams and 1 AAA team at every age. ( See more on the AA program at end of summary)

2. Coaches Selection Model
Following our plan to provide the best possible program for elite players in London there has to be an extensive support group for all coaches. The coaches; following the players, are the organizations premier asset. Every effort has to be made to recruit the best coaches available.

This will be made possible through the following policies:
a) A coach's selection committee that will include 1 member of the UWO men's hockey team coaching staff; one member of the UWO women's hockey teams coaching staff; one member of the OHL London Knights coaching staff. The coach's selection committee will be standard for all interviews. It will not include board members. The committee chair will be the head coach of the UWO men's team. Their selections will be final.

b) Establishment of a coaches mentor position. This position will be a paid position. It will be open to tender. The tender will outline the list of responsibilities that will include monthly coach's lectures, practice plan analysis, bench presence analysis, game film analysis. The tender will also state that the coach mentor position will be assigned to only current coaches for either of the UWO varsity hockey teams, or coaching staff from the London Knights OHL team.

c) Coaches positions application dates and deadlines will be advertised in the London Free Press

d) Parent coaches will not be permitted on any AAA team.

e) All members of the coaching staff will only be permitted to participate with a team for two seasons (not necessarily consecutive) from minor atom to major bantam

3. Season Skill Development:
Skill development is the cornerstone of every successful elite hockey program. Hockey Canada provides all the information needed to ensure that the proper skills are being taught at the proper age, in the appropriate percentages of individual skills to team tactics.

The following key points will be the basis of this program:
a) A 3 practice hours to 1 game hour ratio will be the standard.

b) Seasonal Skill development instructors will be hired through a tender process for goalies, forwards and defense.

c) On average, with the goal of the sessions being weekly each player in the program will participate in a 1.5 hour skills session that is positional specific

• Weekly goalie session with 12 goalies

• Weekly forward session with 27 forwards

• Weekly defense session with 18 defensemen

These sessions will constitute the extra ice that teams purchase. The cost of the ice and the professional instruction will be included in the cost of registration
The skills development instructors will participate in the tryout process.
These positions will be annual contracts. They will be advertised in the LFP, open to all.

4. Coach Mentor Program:
As earlier indicated in this summary; a coach mentor, paid position will be tendered. The criteria for this position will include current level of coaching certification and years of experience coaching at a competitive level. This position will be an annual contract.

Annual responsibilities will include:
• Monthly coaches lectures reviewing practice plans, game tactics,systems
• Monthly coaches evaluations of bench presence
• Game film review ( using STIVA software
• Annual coaches reviews
• Participation with evaluators during tryouts
• Participation in coaches selection

This position will be an annual contract. It will be advertised in the LFP

5. Safety, Concussion Awareness:
Player safety will play a prominent roll in the program. The skills development sessions will include preventative training and skills in regards to checking. This component will be part of all age levels.The program will offer its own internal training for all carded trainers by Alliance instructors regardless of current carded status. This training will include the explanation and use of proper first aid equipment that will be provided. We need to ensure all trainers have the proper equipment at all times.

We will continue to insist on base line concussion testing, and proper clearance to play following injury.

New General Managers Position:
Successful minor hockey programs have an upgraded, paid position that best resembles that of a General Manager for each division. This is a paid position for atom, Peewee, Bantam and Midget which replaces the standard convenor volunteer. Their duties include:

• Co-ordination of Tryout process. All off ice preparation
• Oversees AA draft
• Facilitator of coaches selection process
• Ice Convenor
• Skill Development Supervisor
• Coach mentor Liaison

General Managers are paid positions on annual contracts. They are not board members.
They will be appointed along with coaches by the Coaches Selection committee.

VP – Hockey:
One of the main purposes of this program is to delegate authority to qualified hockey coaches and instructors. The basic framework of this program ensure checks and balances are in place that make the Elite hockey program more of professional team model. That being the case, the VP of hockey position has less autonomy and far more accountability. The revised constitution will show this in detail. The volunteer position will be that of an overall advisor to the board in regards to the ongoing hockey program, and will focus on Alliance and Hockey Canada initiatives to improve the game for all participants.

Cost of the program – making it work:
London's current registration fees are among the lowest in Ontario. Current registration fees for LJK players are on average $1,000. Team budgets are on average $1250/player.
A total player fee of approximately $1600.

With a primary focus on player/skill development, our program will include the following key components:
1. Maximum of 4 tournaments, which includes our own

2. 45 hours of skill development ice; with instruction as part of the registration fee

3. Team budget limit of $250/player

4. 6 scheduled exhibition games versus quality competition (GTHA , Detroit AAA invitational weekends where all ages/divisions participate)

5. All tournament fees included

The estimated registration fee will be $2250

Breakdown of costs:
This is a simple summary to help all understand the adjustments to your current player fees to facilitate development.

• $1000 – league game schedule, 1.5 hours of team practice ice (Current program)
• $225 – 4 tournaments
• $100 – September Ice ( Current Program)
• $500 – 45 hours of skill sessions with instruction
• $25 – Coach Mentor
• $300 – Coach
• $25 – General Manager
• $25 – Goalie mentor / Instructor
• $50 – Skills mentor / Instructor

This is an outline of the main points of our program. It has been reviewed by the following, who we wish to thank for their qualified input.
Clarke singer, Head coach – UWO men's hockey team
Chris Higgins, Head coach – UWO women's hockey team
Jacques Beaulieu – Assistant Coach OHL London Knights

Please note these professional coaches and educators offered their opinions and advice on the ``best demonstrated practices`` in their business. They understand we are not directors of the current program, and should not be seen as part of our group. They will be approached to help facilitate our plan when we are in the position to do so.

Appendix:
This program will be implemented by our group for the 2011 season.

• All players picked to play in the program in spring tryouts will be invited to participate in the new program.

• AA only evaluations will be completed in August, adding 15 skaters and 2 goalies to the AA program, the two team entries will participate in a draft format to balance the teams. GM will facilitate the draft.

• All coaches selected will be given preference for the teams they were selected for; unless there is a direct conflict with the updated coaches criteria. In this case they will be permitted to re-apply for that team for this season only. In an effort to ensure as little disruption to the players as possible all efforts will be made to honour current coaching selections, and make as few changes as possible.

AA Program:
Competitive AAA hockey is designed under the basic premise that the best development plan has players playing at the highest level, with like players at their level. The flow for each player is of course: AAA – AA – A – MD – House League Red – House League White. Minor hockey has these tiers at every age to ensure all teams have the ability to succeed. To set up children to fail is not acceptable; as well, volunteers must develop a system that promotes success and play at the highest level possible. We also have an obligation to promote "A" and local league hockey.

This being said, in the best interest of all players, the statistics of last year clearly show the need to facilitate two AA teams at every age:

London AA Hockey 2010:
Current constitution states "To protect and serve a mutual interest of ALL members".
Constitution also states we are obligated to "development of representative teams with high levels of competency".
If we are to work towards gaining the highest levels of competency AA hockey is as important a component of the development of representative hockey in London as AAA

2010 statistics for AA hockey - Regular season:
Minor Atom – 1st / 3rd . 1st place record 24-3-2
Atom – 1st – 5th . 1st place record 26-5-2
Minor Peewee – 1st – 5th . 1st place record 25-4-4
Peewee – 1st – 6th . 1st place record 25 – 5 – 3
Minor Bantam – 2nd (17 – 11 – 3)
Bantam – 2nd (20-4-8)
AAA Green Bantam teams would compete in AA program

2010 statistics for AA hockey play-offs:
Minor Atom – London Gold and Green teams in Alliance Finals
Atom – 1 team in finals, other in Quarter Finals
Minor Peewee – London Gold and Green teams in Alliance Finals
Peewee – London Gold Alliance Champions, Green in Semi-Finals
Minor Bantam – AA team played in AAA playoffs
Bantam – AA team played in AAA playoffs

To best serve London's youth, and the Alliance, London must have two AA team entries.
The alliance AA program could be in jeopardy if London only ices one team.

"A" hockey/Forest City representative hockey is also best served with two AA teams.

"A" cards would be assigned by GLHA, There has been some suggestion that the A GLHA teams will be better served and more competitive in the seeded AA/A league with only one AA entry. The statistics clearly show that London has the depth to ice two strong AA teams, and it would be a disservice to these players to drop them to A hockey.

Current GLHA teams compete at the A level, Suggestion we will table with the GLHA would be that they participate in the "A" league only. They will not play AA teams.

GLHA teams will participate in an A level schedule only until the seeded league split in December. Teams playing in the seeded league that are relegated to the A level at this point would join them. This would mean less travel for the GLHA Forest City 'A" teams; which was the primary purpose of this league initially.
We understand that our group does not have the authority to make this decision, but our initial focus this summer will be to meet with the GLHA and to develop a working relationship that fosters development between "A" and 'AA" teams in London.

Here is an example of how the GLHA "A" program/schedule would work:
4 GLHA teams would play each other 5 times each from September – December; OR if any other Alliance teams that struggle in the seeded league decide to join them they would be part of this schedule. It is our belief that St.Thomas who joins the seeded league in this manner now would join as their record in the seeded league suggests this would be a far better environment for their A teams. Sarnia may chose this as well, making a 6 team "A" league for our players, with limited travel.

As currently is the case, the lower level teams in the seeded league would then join this "A" league in January, the GLHA teams would only play them to finish their season. This simple plan allows for closer competition for all "A" and "AA" players we are to be serving in London

Every effort will be made to develop an Affiliated Player (AP) program; as was the case a few years ago, with the GLHA. We owe it to the players to have a seamless development plan from all levels to the next.

To be a part of this development plan we need participants to become involved. The following positions on the board need to be filled. Most are non-hockey related capacities, business knowledge is as important as love of the minor hockey game and its participants.

• VP – Hockey: Liason with the Alliance, meets regularly with the General Managers, Coaches and Coach Mentor. Does not select coaches, or players.

• VP – Admin: Oversees registration, carding of players, monitor statistics, gamesheets

• Director of Fundraising: Search for and secure corporate sponsors

• Treasurer – Accountant: manage monies, accounts

• Secretary: Clerk for the board

• Director of Administration: Website administration


• Director of Sponsorship: Promote the "Corporation"
• Director of Events/Volunteers: Tournament Chairperson

• 4 Convenors: Who will be replaced by new General Managers role. *

*Candidates may apply for these new paid positions, but they must run at the AGM elections for the old positions to secure the votes needed to immediately implement this development plan. They will not pick the coaches or players.

If you have a genuine interest in supporting youth hockey in London, and being a part of our development plan, please email us at 3on3hockey"rogers.blackberry.net
All who have the desire to; as the states "protect and serve a mutual interest of ALL members", and to wish to "development representative teams with high levels of competency", are more than welcome to help us implement this program.

As indicated earlier, this is an open forum for improvement. We welcome volunteers to help implement and facilitate this program. If you are able to participate; and wish to volunteer your time for the betterment of all of the participants, please email us so we can invite you to attend our next planning session.

Regards;

Ross Townsend
3on3hockey@rogers.blackberry.net

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