COVID-19 Resources for Parents, Players & Leaders

Volume 7 Issue 24 | April 22, 2020

2020 AHAI AFFILIATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

The 2020 Annual Meeting of the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois, Inc. (AHAI) will NOT take place on Saturday, May 30, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. at the Westin Chicago Northwest located at 400 Park Blvd., Itasca, Illinois. A new date will be published as we all navigate the current health crisis.

Any individual who wishes to submit a new By-Law proposal or change to an existing By-Law must submit their proposal(s), in writing, to the President of AHAI, Michael Barrett at [email protected] , no later than Thursday, April 30, 2020. Thank you, in advance, for all of your help and cooperation in the furtherance of youth hockey in Illinois. - AHAI Board of Directors

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM THE AHAI REGISTRAR

Now Is a Great Time to Get Your Credentials Done

By Laura Johnson, AHAI Registrar - With government restrictions in place, we are finding ourselves with extra time. What a great opportunity to catch up on completing your required USA Hockey credentials. When restrictions are lifted, and life goes back to normal, our activities will rapidly ramp up, we will all find ourselves scrambling to get long overdue tasks completed.

First, you will need to register for the 2020/21 season by going to the USA Hockey Website. As part of the registration, you will acknowledge the USA Hockey Waiver of Liability and the Concussion and SafeSport acknowledgements. The 2020/21 USA Hockey Registration is valid until August 31, 2021. CONTINUE READING FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION>>

Team Registrations - Looking Ahead

By Laura Johnson, AHAI Registrar - Many have questions about the status of spring team registrations given the COVID-19 pandemic. First and foremost, AHAI is complying with the restrictions put in place by the local and national governing bodies. Under no circumstances do we condone any type of team activities which defies government restrictions. We are hopeful that we will all be back in the rinks soon. In anticipation of returning to playing hockey, it is helpful for you understand the season dates.

Spring and Summer Hockey Season

Spring/Summer hockey runs until August 31st. Should government restrictions be lifted allowing group activities prior to August 31st, rosters submitted that comply with the AHAI Spring/Summer registration rules will be certified. It is my intention to have 24-hour turn around for those rosters. CONTINUE READING FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION>>

TIER II SUBSTITUTE CHOICE PROCESS FOR 2020-2021 SEASON

Tier II Substitute Choice Application Process for 2020-2021 Season

The Tier II substitute choice application process, 10U through 16U/18U will begin on July 17, 2020. All applications will be submitted online. The Tier II Committee will have (3) three appeal hearings for those denied a substitute choice. The dates for the appeals are August 13, August 27, and September 9, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Location will be announced at a later date. If denied, please email Gregg Chudacoff, AHAI Tier II Chairman, at [email protected] with your preferred appeal hearing date. The deadline for applying for a substitute choice will be September 13, 2020.

You will find helpful articles regarding the Two Choice Rule, Choice Substitutions and what you should consider before making that second choice as well as information regarding the 16U/18U Third Choice in the articles below.

COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR PARENTS & PLAYERS

Practicing "Physical Literacy" is One Way to Think about Offseason Activities

Physical literacy is a phrase that USA Hockey is adopting and will be putting valuable resources into to make it resonate with hockey players and parents nationwide. "It's building kids confidence so making sure they have a wide range of movement skills that are not just hockey specific but multi-sport participation," said Heather Mannix, USA Hockey American Development Model manager of female hockey. "It's doing things that build your overall athleticism."

With the offseason happening a little early for most hockey players due to the season being cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, kids find themselves in the midst of a break from hockey. Now is the time for players to exercise - literally - their physical literacy. READ MORE>>

Free Screening: In Search of Greatness

As a USA Hockey member, we invite you to a free screening of In Search of Greatness featuring top athletes like Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Jerry Rice, as they explore the importance of nature versus nurture in determining athletic greatness. The film is about an hour long and the free screening expires on April 25. Use password: Greatness17. WATCH NOW>>

More Ideas For Staying Active at Home for Players at Any Age Level

By Michael Rand, USA Hockey - If the lives of youth hockey players and parents used to be all about "go, go, go" and figuring out how to pump the brakes from time to time, the current situation is the complete opposite.

With the majority of states issuing stay-at-home directives in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of families suddenly have a lot more time - but also a lot more challenges when it comes to helping kids burn off energy and stay active while options seem limited.

So this month, I surveyed several USA Hockey American Development Model regional managers for recommendations on everything from stay-at-home activities to dealing with the mental and emotional challenges of suddenly being temporarily without hockey or any other organized sports. Check out the articles below for some specific things to consider and try at the various age levels:

8U	Activities & Challenges for Young Hockey Families	READ NOW>>
10U	Nontraditional Training & Staying Active at Home	READ NOW>>
12U	Stickhandling, Bodyweight Exercises & More	READ NOW>>
14U/16U	Staying in Shape & Dealing with Loss in Isolation	READ NOW>>

Thanks to the NHL & NHLPA, Future Goals is Now Free for All Students & Teachers!

Hockey has always been more than a game, it's a community united by a sport. The NHL and NHLPA remain committed to supporting the hockey community, students, parents, and teachers during these ever-changing times.

With many school districts and parents utilizing remote learning plans, the NHL and NHLPA are offering teachers and parents free, remote access to their Future Goals program. Future Goals includes two online resources: Hockey Scholar - an interactive hockey-themed STEM curriculum for middle-school and elementary-school-aged students and Healthier Me - a program that provides elementary-school-aged students the tools they need to make healthy decisions. GET STARTED>>

COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR COACHES

Don't miss USA Hockey's Webinar Series on Facebook Live sponsored by Pure Hockey and Biosteel. There is a webinar every Tuesday through Friday until May 15, 2020. Please note that schedule and speakers are subject to change.

4/22/20	Building Team Culture with U.S. Women's National Team Coach, Joel Johnson	Joel Johnson Kristen Wright
4/23/20	Goaltending: The Goalie's View with Chicago Blackhawks Development Coach, Peter Aubry	Peter Aubry Steve Thompson
4/24/20	Building Teams with 2021 U.S. World Junior and Providence College Head Coach	Nate Leaman

Please click HERE to view the full Webinar Series on the USA Hockey Coach YouTube Channel.

USA Hockey Releases New "Coaching Female Hockey Players Manual"

USA Hockey's new "Coaching Female Hockey Players Manual" provides information for girls' hockey coaches and administrators at all ages and levels. The book addresses the growth of the game, coaching, body contact, stereotypes and myths, injury prevention, and more, in an effort to equip our members with additional resources with regard to female athletes. CHECK IT OUT>>

PROJECT PLAY WEBINARS FOR PARENTS, COACHES & LEADERS

The Aspen Institute's Project Play initiative, has developed webinars for parents, coaches, and leaders to answer questions related to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth sports and physical activity.

Join the Aspen Institute's Project Play initiative TODAY at 2:00 p.m. (EST) for "What Kids Need from Coaches Now." This webinar will be an interactive discussion with young people and their coaches, as well as resources from leading professionals and coaches related to physical health and social emotional well-being. Click HERE to register for today's webinar. If you are unable to join today, you will be able to find the archived webinar by clicking here.

Previous Project Play Webinars

What the Future Holds - WATCH NOW>>
(April 1, 2020)

How to Manage the Crisis - WATCH NOW>>
(April 15, 2020)

IHOA NEWS & INFORMATION

Ask the Official by Dave Zednik

Question: What is USA Hockey's policy and/or rules regarding goalie contact while in the crease? For example, if an attacking player goes hard to the net, but accidentally collides with goalie in the crease.

Answer: Rule 607(c) & (d) in the USA Hockey Playing Rules states: A minor plus a misconduct or a major plus a game misconduct penalty shall be assessed to a player who body checks or charges a goalkeeper while the goalkeeper is within his goal crease or privileged area. READ MORE>>

UPCOMING EVENTS

24th Annual AHAI Foundation Golf Outing is August 14th

By Don Allord, AHAI Foundation Golf Chairman - Join us for a fun-filled day! The 24th Annual AHAI Foundation Golf Outing will be held at the Schaumburg Golf Club on Friday, August 14, 2020. The outing will be a shotgun tee off scramble at 10:30 a.m. followed by dinner at 5:00 p.m., and a ll golfers will receive a starting package filled with special items designed just for this outing.

The revenues generated from this event will be donated to Special Hockey, Hockey Is For Everyone, AHIHA (deaf/hard of hearing hockey), the Hornets Sled Hockey program, the IHOA Memorial Fund, the Blackhawks Warriors, Blind Hockey and the Catastrophic Relief Fund for players who have been catastrophically injured playing the sport we all love. We hope you can join us for this great event! INFORMATION & REGISTRATION>>