As you know USA Hockey has placed great emphasis on growth and retention of the 4-8 year old players.  I am forwarding an email and attachment from Kevin Erlenbach at USA Hockey.  The report is a 12 year history of acquisition and retention of new 4-8 year old players.  The report is an analysis of National, PVAHA and Local Association numbers.  The message we have been getting from USA Hockey is that the 4-8 year old player trends have long term implications for the health of ice hockey. 

First the good news.  There was a 2.5% growth of 4-8 year old players within USA Hockey for the 2008/09 season over the 2007/08 season.  The peak number of 4-8 year old players within USA Hockey was during the 1998-1999 season.  The 2008/09 number of 4-8 year old players is down approximately 7,500 from the peak numbers during the 1998-99 hockey season. 

The PVAHA number of 4-8 year old players for the 2008/09 season was up 11.6% over the 2007/08 season.  That represents a total of 173 additional 4-8 year old players over the 2007/08 season.  Our 2008/09 registration for 4-8 year old players (1,663) was a 12 year high for the Affiliate. 

The bad news as I read the report is that our Affiliate retention numbers for the 2008/09 season over the 2007/08 season are below national averages.  For example: 

17.5% of all 4 year olds returned as 5 year olds - National Average 32.0%
37.3% of all 5 year olds returned as 6 year olds - National Average 52.5%
51.3% of all 6 year olds returned as 7 year olds - National Average 67.8%
63.3% of all 7 year olds returned as 8 year olds - National average 76.2% 

Older players Retention Rates

PVAHA Squirt retention rate 2008/09 season - 74%  National Average 85.6%
PVAHA Peewee retention rate 2008/09 season - 83.8%  National average 91.2%
PVAHA Bantam retention rate 2008.09 season - 85.6%  National average 93.6% 

We are doing a good number in the Affiliate bringing new players into the sport, but for some reason a higher number at each age group within our Affiliate are leaving the sport.  

USA Hockey is promoting a 2 & 2 National Challenge for players in the 4-8 year old age groups in an effort to improve the national player registration numbers for long term growth of hockey.  Each local association is being asked to acquire 2 more players than last season in the 4-8 year old age group and also to improve retention of 4-8 year old players by 2 additional players.  The total Affiliate goal for the 2009/10 season would be to end the season with a total of 1,807 4-8 year old players.  That would be a total increase of 8.7% (+144 players). 

The changes USA Hockey is trying to make through the American Development Model tie into the emphasis on growth of hockey at the base.  What is it that we should be teaching at the younger age levels?  Should competition be de emphasized  at the youngest age levels best for player development and growth of the sport? 

Hopefully each of our associations can look at these numbers and both grow and retain new players in the 4-8 year old age range.  

The Baltimore County Commission on Disabilities recognized those who have done work with and for people with disabilities at its 19th annual awards luncheon Wednesday in Hunt Valley. 

The complete article can be viewed at:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-md.disabled23oct23,0,5267223.story 

John Robinson is the recipient of the Chet Stewart Award for his contributions to the USA Hockey Officiating Education Program. His officiating career dates back more than 35 years and he has served in various capacities within the Officiating Education Program, including a 13-year stint as the referee-in-chief for USA Hockey's Southeastern District. Robinson has spent much of his time training referees of all ages and is now a supervisor for the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Officials Association in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

Read about the other Award Winners 

List of clinics confirmed and on the USA Hockey website.  All weekends will have a Level 1, 2 and 3.
 
August 1-2          Arlington, VA
August 22-23       Columbia, MD
August 29-30       Laurel, MD
September 26-27  Reston, VA
October 17-18     Chesapeake, VA
November 7-8      Dale City, VA
November 14-15   Laurel, MD
 
Tentative Clinics

October              Baltimore, MD
December            ????????

Tape to Tape is an electronic newsletter created as a means of direct communication between USA Hockey and hockey administrators around the country. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter to as many people in your association as possible. If you do not receive this newsletter directly from USA Hockey and would like to, please click here to subscribe.

Volume 2 Number 6 

Capitals College Hockey Fair 2009 was held at the Verizon Center on April 5h 2009. Mike Lichtenberger of Leigh University spoke to players and parents about opportunities to advance to Collee Hockey. Craig Laughlin acted as Master of Ceremonies.. The Capitals General Manage, George McPhee, Ben Syer of Quinnipac and Red Gendron of U Mass also spoke.

Thans to Steve Hyjek of Prince William for setting up this event for the past 2 years.  Short Video 

The presentation can be found under the College Menu (www.pvaha.org)

Local player Jamie Fritsch played his first NHL game for the Flyers on Sunday April 12th

http://www.unhwildcats.com/index.cfm?id=ca22e2e6-ac26-1b13-83feb40effae894e&pid=9CDE6DE9-EAEB-3111-BEC34135A53247A4&archive=0

Freshman Forward Named to All-Rookie Team

TROY, N.Y. - ECAC Hockey has announced its year-end men's hockey honorees for the 2008-09 season and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Patrick Cullen has been selected to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team.. The league's 12 head coaches made the selections.
 
A forward from Washington, D.C., Cullen played in 36 games for the Engineers, tallying 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points. He finished second on the team in goals and points and third in assists. Three of his tallies came on the power play, while two were game-winners, including the only goal in a win at nationally-ranked Cornell in the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals last Friday night. He also had 13 penalties for 26 minutes.
 
Cullen is also among the ECAC Hockey leaders in several categories for rookies. He is third in rookie scoring and third in game-winning goals. Nationally is 30th in points per game by a rookie, averaging 0.67 per game.
 
Throughout the season Cullen, who had 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) in 22 ECAC Hockey games, was honored four times by the league, including Rookie of the Week once. He was named to the league's Weekly Honor Roll three times.

RPI's Harrison named to ECAC All Rookie team - Friday, March 06, 2009
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - At Friday's ECAC Hockey Championship Banquet, Rensselaer freshmen Alisa Harrison (Montgomery and Washington Pride alumni) accepted her award for being named to the 2008-09 ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team. 
http://rpiathletics.com/news/2009/3/6/WICE_0306092028.aspx

 Trinity's Weiss Repeats On All-NESC AC Women's Ice Hockey Team - Thursday, March 05, 2009
HARTFORD, Conn. - Trinity College women's ice hockey sophomore Kim Weiss (Potomac, Md.) (Montgomery and Washington Pride Alumni) was selected to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Conference First Team. 
http://athletics.trincoll.edu/sports/wice/2008-09/news/Women-s_Ice_Hockey_70809 

 Providence's Amber Young makes it to USA Hockey's under-22 team - Friday, August 01, 2008
 DENVER, Co - Amber Yung, Montgomery and Washington Pride Alumni and rising sophomore at Providence College has been selected to the USA Hockey National U22 team to compete in the upcoming U22 international games.
 http://www.friars.com/sports/w-hockey/spec-rel/070708aaa.html

Tom Hendrix, Adult Ironman of the Year, has been involved with hockey for many years, both as a player and rink owner. After his four-year playing career at Bowling Green State University, he remained active in the hockey community and eventually built, with co owner Clai Carr, the Gardens Ice House. His ice arena is home to more than 60 adult hockey teams and has hosted various adult hockey tournaments over the years.

The award was presented at the USA Hockey Annual Congress in June in Colorado Springs.

Congratulations Tom!

Congratulations to the 2008 PVAHA Player Development Selectees!

Dear PVAHA/USA Hockey Volunteer;

Several years ago USA Hockey instituted a Background Screening Program to protect child-members from abuse. Local affiliates are responsible for managing this program within their jurisdictions. PVAHA is responsible for program administration in Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia.

The Letter link below provides more information on this program. The Form link allows you to fill out the form online and print it for signature or you may print a blank form to be filled in offline. You must sign the form as the screening contractor does not accept electronic signatures. You may mail the form to the address provided or scan and email to the email provided at the bottom of the form.

Letter 

Form  - Requires Acrobat 7 or 8 - Get Acrobat Reader 

Check the List of Screened Volunteers 

Baltimore's NFL team recognizes BYH's 10-year commitment to the Patterson Park Stars and Mallory Richards' role in keeping it going.

Full Story 

Please visit the USA Hockey Standard of Play and Rules Emphasis page for videos, a presentation and for interpretations of the new standards .

Point of Emphasis 2007 Through 2009 Seasons  (taken from pages vii and viii of the 2007-09 Official Rules of USA Hockey. 

The Washington Capitals Pucks to Bucks Fundraising Program provides fundraising for area hockey programs. Visit the Official Pucks to Bucks page to order tickets.

Referee training seminars have now been scheduled in both Maryland and Virginia. For a complete list of seminars and to register on line go to:

www.southeastrefs.org/cgi-bin/seminars.pl

USA Hockey Annual Congress Minues are available on the USA Hockey Web Site

Neil Henderon was presented with the William Thayer Tutt Award at the 2007 USA Hockey Annual Congress. The William Thayer Tutt Award is presented annually by USA Hockey to a volunteer who, during many years of service, has displayed a selfless dedication to the enhancement of ice hockey at the grassroots level in America.

Photo Gallery 

On April 14, the Washington Capitals hosted the teams first-ever college hockey fair. The event was conducted in conjunction with the D.C. areas USA Hockey Affiliate, the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association (PVAHA) and was aimed at providing information and educating local players and their parents about the playing opportunities that exist beyond high school and the various paths a player can take in order to play college hockey.