AMERY YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION
POLICY & PROCEDURE MANUAL

Policy/Procedure: TEAM ASSIGNMENTS AND TRYOUTS -- Policy V

Approved: November, 1998

The Amery Youth Hockey Association (AYHA) is a member of the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA) and seeks to manage our programs according to WAHA guidelines as implemented by the Amery Youth Hockey Association Board of Directors and its committees. 

  1. Both boys and girls are invited to participate in the AYHA programs.
  1. Team registration is based on a child’s age as of December 31.
  1. Mites – 8 years & under on or before Dec. 31

Squirts – 10 years & under on or before Dec. 31

Peewee – 12 years & under on or before Dec. 31

Bantam – 14 years & under on or before Dec. 31

High School – Enrolled in high school (Varsity program is governed by the athletic code of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Assoc.) 

  1. Our Mite Program (see Policy J) is designed to offer the opportunity to the youngest skaters and to all skaters up to age 10 if they have not participated in organized hockey previously.  Generally, children are not encouraged to join the Mite Program until they are four years old.  We encourage families to make use of informal ice time and Open Skating for these younger children.  Depending on a child’s size, development, and birthday, however, some families may choose to begin at an earlier age.
  1. All children over the age of 10, who have not played competitive hockey, will be registered as new skaters.  As such, they will not be rostered immediately on a team.  They will participate in a clinic program designed to prepare them to join a team as soon as possible.  The clinic coach and the appropriate head coaches will review each skater’s progress periodically.

 Tryouts/Team Splitting

 The WAHA assigns local member hockey organizations to a level based on organization size and competitive history.  Generally, organizations begin at the lowest Division and then move up to higher divisions when reviewed periodically.  These designations control state tournament play and may be used as guidelines for other tournaments. 

Each local hockey organization must register a team at its highest level before it can register another team at a lower level.  AYHA is in Division 3.  Generally, we seek to have two teams at each age level – a “3A” team and a “3B” team.  These teams are selected through a tryout process known as team splitting.  Players are ranked by a Team Splitting Panel during the tryouts to form an A team and a B team at each level.  These procedures do not apply to the high school varsity team, which is selected by the varsity coach during separate tryout sessions. 

AYHA currently uses the services of at least three local or out of town individuals who are experienced hockey players for its Splitting Panel, and we recruit another team of at least two experienced goalies to rank goalies.  Members of the Panel are offered an honorarium for an amount to be determined by the Splitting Committee & approved by the Board after reviewing number of levels that will be evaluated and the number of evaluators.  

Players are not permitted to wear jerseys with names on them during the tryouts, so the process can be as anonymous as possible.  Parents of skaters will not participate in the split, either on the ice or as part of the splitting panel. 

  1. Prior to team splitting activities, the Splitting Committee will meet in open session to review the number of skaters registered at each level to discuss team size for the upcoming season.  Coaches and parents are invited to this meeting to provide suggestions and observations concerning issues which may affect the relative size of teams at each level.  This will include a discussion of the numbers of goalies available at each level.  Considerations for team size may be both quantitative and qualitative.
  1. Following the meeting, the Splitting Committee will meet to set target numbers for team size at each level.  The committee shall base its considerations on the number of skaters who are fully registered (AHAUS form on file, fees paid in full or alternate payment arrangements approved by the Registrar).  Additional considerations may include skaters waived for emergency reasons or goalies who may wish to try out as skaters as well.
  1. Splitting activities take place following a week of “in-house” practices.  A special goalie session will be held on Day #1 of tryouts.  If possible, goalie tryouts shall include some observation of goalies during scrimmage activities during the week.  This is to assure that goalies are not selected solely on the basis of drills.  We seek to conclude goalie tryouts and inform goalies of their rankings before the team tryouts in order to give goalies an opportunity to try out as skaters during the rest of the weekend.
  1. Due to the special role and preparation of goalies, the Association periodically makes exceptions to its team assignment rules in order to assure that each team is provided with a goalie.  Goalies may be allowed to “play up” at a higher age level with the approval of their parents/guardians, the Splitting Committee, and the AYHA Board, if the Board believes it is in the best interest of the Association to permit this movement.
  1. Any skater unable to attend tryouts due to extraordinary emergency reasons must contact the Chair of the Team Splitting Committee prior to the beginning of the tryouts.  The Chair, in consultation with the Committee, will decide when attendance may be waived.  During the tryouts, the Committee will review the excused skater’s past performance and previous team assignments.  If these factors overwhelmingly indicate placement on the A team, the Committee may assign the excused skater accordingly.  No assignment to the B team may be made at this time unless requested by the family, and no automatic “opening” if left on the A team.  If no assignment is made at this time, the decision will be postponed until the skater returns to health.  At that time, the Committee will meet with the A  & B coaches at that level.  They will review the skater’s progress and abilities and make a decision as to placement on the A team or on the B team.  In the event a skater is not able to return to the ice by the time state rosters are due, the skater will be placed on the B team roster for state tournament play.
  1. All high school players attending a school within the WIAA district may try out for the HS Varsity team.  However, if they are not selected for the varsity team and have remaining Bantam level eligibility, they must play at the Bantam level.
  1. Some skaters prefer to be assigned to the B team at their level.  All registered skaters are welcome to participate in the tryouts, even if they do not want to be considered for the A team.  In that event, however, families must notify the Splitting Committee Chair before team assignments are made or the skater will be considered for the A team placement.
  1. In order to provide the splitting panel with sufficient opportunity for review, we will allow the time necessary to conduct more extensive scrimmage activities, usually in a 3-on-3 format.  The use of a scoring grid will be confined to allow the panel to evaluate and rank players who are at relatively similar skill levels.
  1. If the Team Splitting Panel determines that two or more skaters are of equal ability, the Splitting Panel will meet with the Splitting Committee to help determine which team the players should be placed on.  If needed, the Splitting Committee can include the coach for that level for a recommendation also.
  1. Immediately following the conclusion of each team level tryout, the Panel will present its rankings and any recommendations to the Splitting Committee, which will use the target numbers together with the panel’s rankings and recommendations to set final team sizes and assign skaters.  Coaches and Committee members will then contact skaters by telephone to notify them of their team assignment.
  1. We do not have a formal review procedure, but any family or individual who wants to express a concern about any aspect of these splitting or tryout activities is encouraged to contact the chairperson of the Team Splitting Committee.